Zinfandel

Zinfandel is California's own grape, our beloved Zin. Since Gold Rush times it has been grown up and down the State with great success, and nowhere else in the world. Zinfandel is incredibly versatile, capable of anything from white Zin to Zinfandel port, although arguably its best use is for fruit-filled, tasty, dry red wine. Zinfandel's origin has been quite a mystery, until recent DNA testing showed it to be genetically identical to Italian Primitivo, as well as related to some other European varieties. However, the grape grown in California didn't likely orginate in Italy. No doubt more of the Zin mystery will be unraveled in the near future!

In the vineyard, Zinfandel is a good producer, very adaptable to dry farming (growing without irrigation) and requiring little fussing over when correctly trained, which must have endeared it to early farmers in California. Zinfandel has one nasty habit though - that of uneven ripening. At harvest, the same fruit cluster can have everything from green hard berries to fully ripe berries to raisins, which makes Zin a challenge for winemakers!

Because of Fair Play's Gold Rush history, the area must have been home to many acres of Zinfandel during the miners' tenure here; however, nothing is left of those 100-plus year old vineyards. Most Zinfandel grown here was planted about 25 years ago, most of it using old clones from the Sierra Foothills, and our cool, Sierra influenced mountain climate produces fruit-filled and well-balanced, delicious Zin.