Zinfandel's history not black and 'white'

This is a story about Zinfandel. Not the rose-styled "white" stuff, though it earns a healthy 8 percent of America's wine-volume and we must mention it, but barely.

No, this is about real McCoy red Zinfandel. About how, for instance, it was celebrated for decades as this continent's only indigenous wine grape. Until 1972, that is, when ampelographers declared it identical to Italy's Primitivo - presumably transported to California during the Gold Rush. But then that theory was debunked in 1976 by isozyme analysis suggesting Zin to be descended from the Croatian Plavac Mali (PM), until 2001 when, DNA fingerprinting proved Zin to be not PM's child but parent, descended from Croatia's Crljenak Kastelanski, leading current scientists to refer to our once-All American as "ZPC" (Zin/Plavac Mali/Crljenak Kastelanski.)

So even if its family tree has Old World roots, Zinfandel remains America's contribution to the wine world, potentially as important as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are to France.

"With Zinfandel we aren't the challenger, describing our wines as 'Bordeaux-style' or 'Burgundian,'" says Zin master Paul Draper, Evanston native now at Ridge Vineyards. "California defines Zinfandel and vice versa."

Zinfandel burst into California's history during one of the world's great demographic shifts - the Gold Rush - not carried by one of the millions of "49ers," but by a Boston nurseryman who had imported the grape in the early 1800s. Early plantings clung to rocky gullies throughout the Mother Lode (El Dorado and other Sierra Nevada counties), producing thick, brooding wine that offered celebration for instant wealth and temporary salve for lost claims and gunshot wounds.

During the early 1900s, Zinfandel was a prime ingredient in hearty jug wines that graced American kitchen tables and pizza parlors with generic names, such as "California Chianti." In the 1970s, Zinfandel (as newly-coined "White Zinfandel") saved cash-strapped winegrowers, desperate for funding to keep up with America's first wine boom. With its low production cost and high volume of sales, White Zin remains California's critical cash cow.

Ed Sbragia, Beringer Vineyards winemaker, points lovingly to a warehouse full of his top-selling White Zin, saying, "This is what pays for the Reserves," referring to his internationally lauded Cabernet and Chardonnay.

At the same time, Zinfandel germinated a cult. Growers and consumers alike were attracted to Zin's expression of specific growing sites, age-worthiness and range of flavor. In 1992, the cult organized and took a name: Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, or ZAP. Dedicated to advancing appreciation for Zinfandel and its unique place in our history, ZAP organizes seminars, educational programs and tastings across the United States (notably the rowdy and well-loved annual festival in San Francisco.) Visit www.zinfandel.org for details.

Zinfandel has enjoyed a string of good vintages: 2004, ripe and chewy; 2005, firm and complex; 2006 the best of both, with ample flavors supported by elegant structure. Even while price increases recognized top-quality labels, Zinfandel also offers good value for everyday enjoyment.

(Please note: Zinfandel can ripen to explosive flavors, with matching alcohol levels. Some palates enjoy wines of 15 percent alcohol and higher, but this palate does not, so my opinion of these wines is not here included.)

Bogle "Old Vines" Burly, with meaty texture and a mouthful of ripe fruits and spicy spice. Another flavor-packed/top-quality selection is Seghesio. (Both under $20.)

Forestville: A fun, berries-and-brambles style, light enough for cocktails, flavory enough for light meats and poultry. Another great value label is Cline "California Selection." (Both under $10.)

Haywood "Rocky Terrace:" Complex flavors of mountain herbs accenting deep, dark berries; refined structure. (About $35.)

Ridge Vineyards: The Zinfandel bench mark with vineyards throughout California. In youth, powerful yet balanced; with a decade or more of maturity selections, such as "Dry Creek, Lytton Springs," develop remarkable complexity and finesse, reminiscent (sorry, Paul) of Grand Cru Bordeaux. The other R's of top-quality Zin are Rafanelli, Ravenswood and Rosenblum. (All beginning at about $35.)

Dutcher Crossing "Maple Vineyard:" A newcomer of note with lush blackberry and pepper flavors with firm tannin. ($39 from the winery, www.dutchercrossingwinery.com.)

• Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator Mary Ross writes Good Wine twice a month. Write her at food@dailyherald.com.

Ross' choice

Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco

2006

Ventana Vineyards

Monterey, Calif.

• Suggested retail and availability: About $28 at wine shops

Eminently enjoyable, with silky tannins supporting vibrant cherry and cola flavors. The cool Monterey climate (enhanced by winemaking skill) encourages fully ripened flavors while avoiding the jammy, high alcohol fate of Pinot Noir grown in warmer regions. Serve as a complex cocktail and complement to a wide range of dishes, including salmon, turkey with cranberries (and other fruity sauces) and smoked preparations. (Distributed by Litusco Inc., Bensenville.)