Zinfandel on the Rebound?

Premium Zinfandel appears to be bucking the broader trend of declining wine sales. Some white wines are also bucking the trend.

A subliminal message for customers in the
Preston Winery tasting room in Dry Creek Valley

One reason may be a shift in style. Today’s premium zinfandels ($20-up) are increasingly made to be food-friendly rather than competing to see who can bottle wine with the highest alcohol levels. Consumers, along with restaurant servers and sommeliers, are now pairing zin with food more often. For many buyers, premium zinfandel can offer an appealing alternative to increasingly expensive Cabernet Sauvignon.

From zinfandel's start in California in the last half of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th, zinfandel was mainly used as a blending grape. When varietal zinfandel hit the market in the late 1960s and 1970s, sales were modest. In the 1980s, the rise of white zinfandel saved many historic zinfandel vineyards from being pulled out. White Zin sold at levels comparable to today’s rosé sales. Sales peaked in the late 1990s when white zin outsold America's number one wine, Chardonnay.

Today, red zinfandel makes up roughly two-thirds of the zin market, while white accounts for about a quarter. The remainder is rosé-style zin. Traditionally, white zinfandel is slightly sweet, fruity, and blush-colored, while rosé tends to be drier and crisper.

Launched a wine revolution

The era of oversized, high-alcohol “fruit bomb” zinfandels dates back to what the kids now call the “late 1900s.” You can still find some powerful examples, but many modern zins are showing more balance, with less of the hot, sweet sensation alcohol once brought to the category.

Most California zinfandel is grown in the San Joaquin Valley, including the premium region of Lodi, though much of the Central Valley's production goes into sub-premium wines, such as jug reds. After Lodi in the premium category, Sonoma, Amador, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, and Napa Counties have significant vineyard acreage.

Styles of some major growing areas, a generalization:

• Mokelumne River, Lodi - The west valley area produces plump, round, full-bodied wines. The eastern area has different soils and microclimates producing floral, red fruit wines with noticeable tannins and acids.
• Alexander Valley, Sonoma County - Plush, fruit-forward, jammy
• Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County - Rich, brambly fruit balanced with good acids and tannins, spicy, elegant
• Russian River Valley, Sonoma County - Bright acidity, lighter-bodied, wild berry, restrained, elegant
• Shenandoah Valley, Amador County - Rich, ripe, full-bodied, good acids, complex
• Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County - Big, fruit-forward balance with good acidity, brambly

For consumers looking for standout bottles to have with food, it’s hard to go wrong with a Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County or Shenandoah Valley in Amador County. Just watch that alcohol level.

Among the leading names in premium Zinfandel are Bedrock, Carlisle, Limerick Lane, Ridge/Lytton Springs, Seghesio, and Turley. Sonoma County has many legendary Zinfandel producers, and is also home to famous vineyards including Jackass Hill, Monte Rosso, Old Hill Ranch, Pagani Ranch, Maple, and Rockpile. Some of these vineyards have vines dating back to the late 19th century.

Pagani Ranch in Sonoma Valley

Sources:

Zinfandel Advocates and Producers
Lodi Wine Commission
Sonoma County Tourism
Wikipedia