Ted, imagine, you meet someone who has never had a Zinfandel wine.
Peter Badenhop
sheet-makers in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.
F. A. Z.
I can’t for the life of me.
accepted Only once: How would you describe someone like that, what awaits him?
Now, alone in the history of the Zinfandel grape in America is already a blast. This variety came as a table grape from the East coast to the West, was during the gold rush, between 1848 and 1854 in California popular and was barely 20 years later, the most important grape variety on the West coast. 40 percent of all California vineyards were planted with Zinfandel. This is different today, Cabernet Sauvignon has taken the top spot, but Zinfandel is an American specialty of great importance. Our family company was founded by Edoardo and Angela Seghesio, my great-grandparents founded. They planted in 1885 to the first Zinfandel vines on the “Home Ranch”, our headquarters in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.
And how the wines taste?
In the center of the fruit. The wines show intense aromas of dark forest fruits, i.e. blackberries, raspberries and black cherries. And a characteristic spiciness reminiscent of cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper comes. This partnership of fruit and spice typical of Zinfandel. But what should we talk for long? I’ll give you a glass of our Zinfandel Sonoma County in 2016 to Try. Then you can taste it.
Yes, very much. Hm, already in the nose it is very fruity. I smell raspberries, cherries and aromas of spices …
just as it should be.
And in the mouth it is very opulent and tastes of dark berries and plum, and notes are of white pepper and cinnamon, I would say.
Not bad. Which describes our wine quite well. It is important to us that the fruit is clearly in the foreground and the spice flavors to integrate. Our Zinfandel is supposed to be juicy and full-bodied, but not heavy-handed, but also fresh and animating, it should be a good dinner companion just.
Why is Zinfandel, in particular, in the Sonoma valley so common, and not so much in the neighboring Napa Valley?
In Napa, still applies: “Cab is king.”
you mean: Cabernet Sauvignon all other red grape varieties in the shadows?
exactly. The conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon are ideal, for other varieties such as Pinot Noir, however, it is too hot. Sonoma is a cooler overall and especially various, so that more different varieties are grown. And Zinfandel is always been of great importance.
What is the most Important thing to making a good Zinfandel?
Apart from good soil and, if possible, old vines, I would say: You should have a uniform harvest-ripened grapes. Because, depending on the degree of maturity Zinfandel shows different notes, and in order to get a coherent overall picture, you have to be a very attentive Reader.
Zinfandel is a difficult variety?
it is not quite as robust as the other, has rather small berries with a thin skin and is therefore susceptible to various diseases. Yes, if I think about it, it is probably one of the most strenuous varieties for us, even though we also have Pinot Noir, the ultimate heartbreaker.
