Zinfandel United States California Sonoma Valley Russian River Valley

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

California's beautiful and remarkably fertile Sonoma Valley has grown over the decades to become one of the United States' most respected and profitable wine regions, with wineries within the region benefiting from the superb Californian sunshine, low rainfall and wonderfully rich soils. Because of this vital combination of excellent conditions, the region is able to grow a wide range of grape varietals for use in the production of an impressive array of wines, with many different red and white wine grapes flourishing each year and producing excellent and characterful results. The soils have been enriched by volcanic activity, and the presence of geothermal springs, which make this region a unique one, and very much the beating heart of California's ever growing wine industry.

Of all the wine producing regions in California, Sonoma County is one of the most highly regarded, having had a long and fruitful history which has helped shape the American wine industry. Within Sonoma County, we find the AVA of Russian River Valley, a beautiful viticultural area centred around the Russian river, and responsible for around one sixth of Sonoma’s high quality wine production. The vineyards of the region were first planted some two hundred years ago by immigrant communities coming over to California. At first, the vines planted here were generally for private consumption - a reminder of home gardens in Spain and Italy - but by the beginning of the twentieth century, business was booming with a couple of hundred wineries in operation, thanks to the unique nature of the terroir and the effectiveness with which the grapes were growing.

The Russian River Valley is renowned worldwide for the character and quality of its wines, which are the result of the region’s perfect, cool climate, which is affected by the Pacific fog which rolls in over the valley. This coolness tempers the strong sunshine of the area, and allows for a longer, slower ripening season - thus adding character and expression to the grape varietals which grow there. The main vines grown in Russian River Valley are cool climate grapes - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - which make up for over forty percent of the grapes grown there. The hillier parts of Russian River Valley have had great success with Syrah and Zinfandel, and other parts of the region are experimenting successful with Bordeaux grapes, too.