Red grape
Zinfandel
A ripe California red that is the same variety Italy calls Primitivo.
At a glance
- Brambly fruit
- Sweet spice
- High alcohol
- Sweetness
- dry
- Body
- full
- Tannin
- medium
- Alcohol
- high
Recognize it
Fresh and raisined fruit can appear together because berries ripen unevenly within a bunch.
Detail
Zinfandel is genetically the same variety as Primitivo in southern Italy and Croatia's Tribidrag. Its bunches can ripen unevenly, so fresh and raisined berries may appear together. Waiting for more berries to ripen can raise sugar and potential alcohol, while tight bunches can increase rot pressure in wet conditions.
Zinfandel ripens unevenly, so picking date can change the mix of fresh and raisined fruit in the finished wine. Later picking also tends to increase alcohol.