Wine · Grape variety guide
Grape Variety Guide · WSET Level 2
Zinfandel
California's own — jammy, high in alcohol, and genetically identical to Italy's Primitivo.
High alcohol
Ripe berry fruit
Variable styles
Where it grows
- California, USA — Sonoma, Lodi and Paso Robles — old-vine plantings especially prized
- Puglia, Italy — grown as Primitivo, genetically the same grape
- Croatia — the grape's ancestral home, as Crljenak Kaštelanski
- California, USA — also made as pink, off-dry "White Zinfandel"
- Australia — small plantings
What it tastes like
- Blackberry and raspberry-jam fruit, with black pepper and baking spice
- Often a raisined note from very ripe fruit
- High alcohol, medium tannin, full body in the red style
- The pink "White Zinfandel" style is lighter and off-dry
Growing notes
- Ripens unevenly within a single bunch, leaving a mix of under- and over-ripe berries at harvest
- Vigorous and well suited to California's warm growing conditions
- Old, low-yielding vines are especially prized for concentration
Good to know
DNA profiling confirmed that Zinfandel, Italy's Primitivo, and Croatia's Crljenak Kaštelanski are all the same grape variety under three different names — one of the classic "same grape, different name" facts on the syllabus.
Exam tip
Expect the Zinfandel = Primitivo = Crljenak Kaštelanski identity fact, plus a contrast between full-bodied red Zinfandel and sweeter, lighter pink White Zinfandel.
Part of the Grape Guide — browse all varieties, or jump back to the study sheet.
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