Italy vs California Zinfandel Showdown!

Hey, what's up? It's Madeline Paquette. I am a sommelier and co-founder of Winephile.com, where we learn by drinking. Today's wine, Zinfandel. Is it a sin to love Zin? Some of you say, no, it's not a sin. It's super fruity. It's got exotic spice characteristics and it pairs exceptionally well with barbecue. Others of you say, yes, it is a sin. I don't like how fruity it is and it has low color producing anthocyanin and it has super high alcohol. Why would I ever put that in my cellar? It won't age. Well, I have two wines with me here that wager differently and might prove you haters otherwise. But before I get into that tasting, I want to tell you a little bit more about Zinfandel because it actually has a fascinating story. So Zin has been in America for a very long time. In fact, it's been there since maybe the early mid 1800s and before prohibition, it was thought to be America's most planted grape variety. We loved the stuff. We thought it was ours, but then in the 1960s, grape scientists from UC Davis went over to Italy, to Southern Italy, and was like, what is this Primitivo stuff? And suddenly the question was out there. Is Primitivo Zinfandel? Is this the real grape variety? Fast forward to the 1990s, you've got Dr. Carol Meredith and John Bowers. They prove through DNA that Zinfandel, it's not Italian. It's not American. It's actually a Croatian grape. In Croatia, it has two names. It goes by either Gjelnak-Kastelanski, try to say that, or Tripodrag. Tripodrag is easier to say. Okay, so whatever you want to call it, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Tripodrag, Gjelnak-Kastelanski, this grape variety is fascinating. It is actually very difficult to grow on the same level that Pinot Noir is hard to grow. So the grapes, when they ripen, become exceptionally sweet. It loves the sun. And because it produces such sweet grape varieties, it produces wines with high alcohol. We're talking 15%, 16%, get your date drunk, 17% alcohol level. So that is one of the reasons why this grape is so contentious is that ABV. I have two wines with me here. Like I said before, this one is from Italy. This is from Primitivo di Manduria. This is one of the premier areas for Primitivo Zinfandel Italian style in Italy. And then over here, I have with me a Zinfandel from California, from Sonoma, from Dry Creek Valley, super hot spot for Zinfandel. And this guy is almost 10 years old. This is the 2010 vintage. Let's see how they perform. Wine number one, Primitivo di Manduria. This wine looks to be a deep garnet color. It's definitely orange on the rim, and I can't see through it. Legs wise, thick and slow, man. They are definitely moving slow. This definitely has high alcohol levels. Looks filtered. On the nose, whoa. All right, I am getting a lot more age flavors in this wine, but let me run through the flavor descriptors really quick. Think sort of scorched blackberries, raspberry jam, new leather, and then this kind of like funky crushed volcanic rock note. Let's give it a taste. Whoo. On the palate, this wine is massive. Talk about rich, sweet fruit flavors, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, I could name a bunch. Then we go into this like explosion of acidity sort of in my palate. Then on the back palate, I'm feeling for tannin, but I don't taste too much. It's a relatively smooth, really sort of clean finish, and I do get that burn of alcohol in the back of my throat. Massive wine, lots of flavors, would definitely go well with barbecue. Not all of the spice flavors, but I do get a lot of those leathery, earthy notes in this particular bottle. I would say vintage-wise is a 2014 vintage. It tastes mature. It tastes ready to go. Very drinkable right now. All right, wine number two, 2010 Sonoma. Color is also very dark. Looks to be a deep garnet, maybe a little bit lighter than the last wine, maybe more towards that medium garnet color. Legs-wise, yeah, big massive legs forming on the side of the glass, so we do know it's a high alcohol wine. Can we say unfiltered? Definitely. All right, let's give it a sniff. On the nose, whoa, very different. Right away, it's super fruity, like more in the fresh fruit realm, sort of blackberries, raspberries. You're gonna think this sounds weird, but spiced baked apples, like a little bit spiced, like cinnamon spice, allspice, that sort of thing. Then we go into this really interesting herbal sort of gravelly note, sort of like wet crushed gravels with a little bit of thyme or sage. Really complex nose, actually. Shockingly, I was thinking this was going to be way over the hill, but the nose is actually really quite fresh and fruity. Let's give it a taste. Whoa, on the palate, still quite big, but way more acidity. Really explosive acidity in the front of the palate. The fruit flavors are more fresh. They're less dried and baked in their style, like I just smashed a whole bunch of blackberries into my mouth and started chewing. I do get this sort of strawberry flavor too on the palate. Very more fresh in its style, which is interesting. And then we go into tannin town. Not super high tannins. I have had some pretty high tannin Zinfandel wines, but this would not be one of them. It's more just prickly on the tongue, and then it finishes with that alcohol on the back, but again, balanced from front to back with that taste profile, which I would say, you know, tasting this wine right here, knowing that it is a nine year old wine, I'm shocked. I think it still has more time to go. I think it could age a few more years and be delicious and sort of get into that, like, smoky tobacco realm, you know, as the wine ages. I think it'll do quite well. I wonder how this wine will taste in 10 more years. So, wow, Zinfandel. You love it, you hate it, you should be curious about it. Even if you don't like this wine, get out there, get yourself a bottle, get some friends together, do a little sniff and a little taste, and try some new wine. I love you guys. Peace out.