Zinfandel was once the main grape grown in Napa with Petite Sirah also having a big presence. Now Zin is 5% of vineyard land; Petite Sirah 0.5%. What happened? Well, maybe blame it on the Judgement in Paris in 1976 where California kicked France's ass in both Cabernet and Chardonnay. That's when those two grapes started to take over.
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| This meal calls for Zinfandel! |
Luckily, there are still people producing good Zinfandel from Napa Valley and even a few you'd call dedicated to Zin. The better known ones:
Biale - Robert Baile is from a family of Italian immigrant farmers who planted Zinfandel 80 years ago in Napa Valley. They make a fruit-forward style of Zin from top vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties. You'll also find the other traditional California wine, Petite Sirah.
Brown Estate - In the eastern hills of Napa where they produce several Napa Zins.
Storybook Mountain - Their vineyards is on the eastern slope of the mountains separating Napa from Sonoma at the north end of Napa Valley. They released their first Zinfandel about 35 years ago. They produce several Zins and a couple Bordeaux-type wines. Their style is a bit more restrained than Baile's (lower alcohol).
All of these require a reservation if you wish to visit.
There are dozens of Napa Valley wineries that produce a Zinfandel or two and don't require an appointment (there's no guarantee they will have Zin available for tasting all of the time). A few of these are Black Stallion, Chateau Montelena, Clif, Louis Martini, V Sattui.
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