Guide to Zinfandel Wine and How To Find Great Quality

Let’s take a closer look at both red and white Zinfandel wine and learn the secrets to picking out your favorite styles.

Why is White Zinfandel so popular?

White Zinfandel is often the very first wine someone tries. Today, close to 85% of the total Zinfandel production is White Zin! As much as wine snobs bash it, White Zinfandel offers everything a beginner might want:

low alcohol – 9-10% ABV
low calories – 125 calories per 6 oz. serving
pleasing sweet taste

At $5 a bottle White Zinfandels taste fine, but most lack the complexity to be compared to the red version of the same grape. Red Zinfandel wine can offer serious presence and sophistication.

Guide to Zinfandel Wine

How Red Zinfandel Tastes

The primary flavors of Zinfandel are jam, blueberry, black pepper, cherry, plum, boysenberry, cranberry, and licorice. When you taste Zinfandel it often explodes with candied fruitiness followed by spice and often a tobacco-like smoky finish.

How Red Zinfandel compares to other red wines

How Bold? Zinfandel is lighter in color than both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However, although a light-bodied red wine like Pinot Noir, Zin’s moderate tannin and high acidity make it taste bold. Generally speaking, most Zinfandel wines have higher alcohol levels ranging from about 14 – 17% ABV. Higher alcohol adds an oily texture and bigger, bolder body.

Zinfandel Food Pairing

Think curry spice. Since Zinfandel leans on the sweeter side of red wine, it’s a great pairing partner with spiced barbecue dishes and curry. Pro tip: Pick out the spices you taste in the wine and add them to your sauce.

Perfect Zinfandel Food Pairing
Pork tonkatsu is a Japanese dish served with a richly spiced curry sauce. The spicing and savory-sweet quality of this dish make it a perfect wine pairing partner with Zinfandel.

Guide to Zinfandel Wine and How To Find Great Quality | Wine Folly (3)

Meat Pairings

Try pairing with lighter meats including Quail, Turkey, Pork, Bacon, Ham and Veal. Zinfandel works well with Barbecue red meats and lamb.

Spices and Herbs

Ginger, Garlic, Rosemary, Curry, Turmeric, Cayenne, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Cocoa, Black Pepper, Coriander, Fennel, and Saffron.

Cheese Pairings

Look for hard and richly flavored cow’s and sheep’s milk cheeses such as Manchego, Bandage-wrapped Cheddar and Trentingrana.

Vegetables & Vegetarian Fare

Use highly flavored vegetables to bring out the fruitiness in Zinfandel such as roasted tomato, red peppers, carmelized onion, roasted squash, apricot, peach, cranberry, spiced apple, and beets.

3 Tips to Buying Zinfandel Wine

Pay attention to ABV: Best trick when buying Zinfandel is to check the Alcohol by Volume (ABV). A lighter Zinfandel will have about 13.5% ABV whereas a bold and spicy Zinfandel will have around 16% ABV.
Who makes the best Zinfandel?: There are several sub-regions in California that make great Zinfandel. Currently, the most popular are Napa Valley, Dry Creek Valley (in Sonoma), Russian River Valley (in Sonoma) and Lodi.
Hot Tip! High Elevation: Look for Zinfandels from high elevation areas (such as Howell Mountain or El Dorado County). High elevation Zinfandels tend to have more savory intensity and richness.

Red Zinfandel (Primitivo) Wine Characteristics

FRUIT FLAVORS (berries, fruit, citrus): Raspberry, Black Cherry, Blackberry, Blueberry, Black Currant, Black Plum, Raisin, Fig, Apricot, Cranberry Jam, Jammy/Brambly Fruit
OTHER AROMAS (herb, spice, flower, mineral, earth, other): Licorice, Star Anise, Smoke, Black Pepper, Black Cardamom
OAK FLAVORS (flavors added with oak aging): Vanilla, Coconut, Nutmeg, Peach Yogurt, Mocha, Burnt Sugar, Coffee, Cinnamon, Clove, Tobacco, Fresh Sawdust
ACIDITY: Medium – Medium High
TANNIN: Medium – Medium High
SERVING TEMPERATURE: “Room Temperature” 62 ºF (17 ºC)
SIMILAR VARIETIES: Grenache, Plavic Mali, Negroamaro, Blaufrankish (aka Lemberger), Sangiovese, Barbera, Counoise
SYNONYMS: Primitivo (Puglia, Italy), Crljenak Kaštelanski (Croatia) and Tribidrag (Croatia), Morellone (Puglia, Italy)
BLENDING: Zinfandel is sometimes blended to make a California red wine with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. In Italy, it’s not uncommon to find Primitivo blended with another local Puglia grape called Negroamaro.

Zinfandel Regions

Only 71,000+ acres of Zinfandel planted worldwide.

USA 50,300 acres: Paso Robles, Sonoma (Including Dry Creek and Russian River Valley), Napa Valley, Lodi (Central Valley, Modesto), Amador County (Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County)
Italy 20,000 acres: Puglia

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In the realm of Zinfandel wines, the complexities between the red and white varieties are as distinct as the grapes themselves. White Zinfandel, often the initiation into the world of wine for many, commands a significant portion of Zinfandel production, with approximately 85% dedicated to its production. Despite its detractors, White Zinfandel caters to beginners with its low alcohol content (9-10% ABV), modest calorie count (125 calories per 6 oz. serving), and an appealing sweet taste. While the $5 price tag may suggest simplicity, it is not on par with the intricacies found in its red counterpart.

Red Zinfandel, on the other hand, takes the Zinfandel experience to a level of sophistication that White Zinfandel cannot match. The tasting journey unfolds with explosive candied fruitiness, followed by a dance of spice, and often concludes with a tobacco-like smoky finish. Bold and robust, Red Zinfandel distinguishes itself from other red wines with its lighter color but packs a punch with moderate tannins and high acidity, resulting in a bolder taste. Typically boasting alcohol levels ranging from 14% to 17% ABV, Red Zinfandel's higher alcohol content contributes to an oily texture and a more substantial body.

When it comes to food pairings, Zinfandel shines with spiced barbecue dishes and curry due to its sweeter red wine profile. Pork tonkatsu, a Japanese dish with a richly spiced curry sauce, stands out as a perfect pairing partner. In terms of meats, Zinfandel complements lighter options such as Quail, Turkey, Pork, Bacon, Ham, and Veal, while also holding its own with barbecue red meats and lamb. The spice and herb palette for Zinfandel includes Ginger, Garlic, Rosemary, Curry, Turmeric, Cayenne, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Cocoa, Black Pepper, Coriander, Fennel, and Saffron. For cheese, hard and richly flavored cow's and sheep's milk varieties like Manchego, Bandage-wrapped Cheddar, and Trentingrana make excellent companions.

For those venturing into the world of Zinfandel wines, three key tips are offered: pay attention to Alcohol by Volume (ABV), with lighter Zinfandels around 13.5% ABV and bolder ones around 16%; explore sub-regions in California known for great Zinfandels, including Napa Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, and Lodi; and consider Zinfandels from high elevation areas for added savory intensity and richness.

The characteristics of Red Zinfandel, also known as Primitivo in Italy, encompass a diverse range of fruit flavors such as Raspberry, Black Cherry, Blackberry, Blueberry, Black Currant, Black Plum, Raisin, Fig, Apricot, Cranberry Jam, and Jammy/Brambly Fruit. Additional aromas include Licorice, Star Anise, Smoke, Black Pepper, Black Cardamom, while oak aging imparts flavors like Vanilla, Coconut, Nutmeg, Peach Yogurt, Mocha, Burnt Sugar, Coffee, Cinnamon, Clove, Tobacco, and Fresh Sawdust. With medium to medium-high acidity and tannins, Red Zinfandel is best served at "Room Temperature" (62 ºF or 17 ºC) and shares similarities with other varieties like Grenache, Plavic Mali, Negroamaro, Blaufrankish, Sangiovese, Barbera, and Counoise.

Zinfandel, also known as Primitivo in Italy, Crljenak Kaštelanski and Tribidrag in Croatia, and Morellone in Puglia, finds its way into blends in both California and Italy. In the vast vineyards across the world, only 71,000+ acres are dedicated to Zinfandel cultivation, with the USA leading with 50,300 acres in regions like Paso Robles, Sonoma, Napa Valley, Lodi, and Amador County. Italy follows with 20,000 acres in Puglia.

For those eager to delve deeper into the world of wine, the recommendation is the best beginner book about wine, an international bestseller crafted by the creators of Wine Folly's award-winning site. This comprehensive guide promises to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the intricate world of wines, including the diverse realm of Zinfandels. Cheers to the journey of discovering the nuances of Zinfandel wines!

Guide to Zinfandel Wine and How To Find Great Quality | Wine Folly (2024)