Don’t Call it RED Zinfandel
July 6, 2008 by vegasrenie
It’s Zinfandel . Just Zinfandel. It is not “Red” Zinfandel.
Why does this bother me? Because I have a love/hate relationship with White Zinfandel , and the confusion that has arisen since its creation. Let me explain.
Zinfandel was on the ropes. In the 70s, winemakers were considering ripping out the unprofitable Zinfandel vines and replacing them with something that had a better monetary return. Like Cabernet, for instance. A winemaker’s attempt to make a Rosé resulted in a “stuck fermentation ,” a fermentation in which the yeast dies off earlier than it should. He tasted the wine two weeks after this problem occurred and decided that this pink sweet stuff should be sold.
It was an instant hit. The Great Unwashed loved it immediately (and yes, I was a card-carrying, chest-thumping member of the Great Unwashed at one time) and White Zinfandel became a household word as well as accounting for more sales of a single varietal than any other. The Great Unwashed has no taste.
So what does this have to do with anything?
The ubiquitous presence of White Zinfandel seems to imply that the name of the grape that produces this stuff must be “White Zinfandel” grape. Non, non, mon chèr!
It is a *Zinfandel* grape. The wine that is made from it is called Zinfandel. It is NOT called “Red Zinfandel.” That makes as much sense as calling Cabernet Sauvignon Red Cabernet Sauvignon. Or Red Syrah . Or Red Pinot Noir . As soon as the names of those wines are mentioned, “Red” becomes understood and its use is extraneous and unnecessary. Same with Zinfandel. Or at least it should be.
So you got it? It’s ZINFANDEL! Period.
By the way, I’m tentatively planning a White Zinfandel “tasting.” According to my research documents, modern White Zinfandel is supposed to taste more like real wine and a lot less like the cloying stuff that we experienced years ago. I will freely admit to being a Rosé fan, so this should be interesting. Any victims volunteers who’d be interested in participating just contact me, and I will see what I can do. I don’t want my palate to be punished alone.
Stay tuned for updates.
I must be nuts.
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