Zinfandel

Uncommon card · No. 121191

Zinfandel is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is grown in over 10 percent of California vineyards. The precise geographic origin of the cultivar remains uncertain, though peer-reviewed studies have identified Montenegro as the best candidate for its origin and dispersal. The grape spread to Italy in the 18th century and to the United States in the mid-19th century. This spread brought with it a variety of regional names for the same grape. In the 1990s, after a three-decade search, DNA analysis revealed an identical genetic identity for several of these regional names. Further DNA research in the first two decades of the 21st century confirmed Kratošija as one of these names. These names include Primitivo in Italy, Kratošija (kraˈtɔʃija) in Montenegro, and Tribidrag or Crljenak Kaštelanski in Croatia. The grapes typically produce a robust red wine, although in the United States, a semi-sweet rosé (blush-style) wine called White Zinfandel has six times the sales of the...

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