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business, it was mostly bare ground with only an occasional
building.
On this Saturday of 50 years ago, a group of 15 or 20 men was
gathered at the spot, waiting for a truckload of grapes from
California. Most of the men were of old-country Italian descent and
spoke Italian better than they spoke English. My wife Betty and I
had joined the group because we all had a common cause: buying
grapes and producing homemade wine. Fortunately, this was and still
is permitted by law; we are all allowed to make home brew—as much as
200 gallons of wine each year.
Vinifera grapes—or those suitable for the making of wine—were not
grown in Washington State at that time, but Concord grapes had been
introduced to the Puget Sound area as early as 1860. These latter
were in strong production in eastern Washington when I was buying
California grapes in the early 1960s, but they were used mostly for
making breakfast juice, jelly, and jams. Some home winemakers used
them for their own wines, because regular wine grapes were not
easily available.
When the truck arrived, the driver had lots of help directing him
where to park his truck for the unloading of the grapes. Arm signals
and words—mostly in Italian—were given, while some of the men used
sticks and boards to hold up any interfering power lines in order to
clear the high load on the truck. After the truck was parked and the
driver descended from his cab, it was not surprising for him to
remark, “Doesn’t anyone here speak English?”
As soon as the truck was stopped, eager hands reached into the
cargo to pluck a few grapes and squeeze out the juice to taste,
smell, and rub between fingers and thumbs for stickiness, as a test
for sugar content from the year’s crop. These were Zinfandel
grapes—the most abundantly grown red grapes in California—and were
very popular with home winemakers in the 1960s.
I have no firm history on either who introduced it or how it was
introduced into California, but the Zinfandel is recognized as being
very similar to varieties grown in southern Italy for the making of
Chianti. There is evidence that some original strains were brought
from mid-European countries, such as Croatia and Yugoslavia.
Story of a Grape
California weather is ideal for Zinfandel vines; these were planted
on thousands of acres and soon became the best-known grape in that
part of the country. Unfortunately, winemakers did not treat the
Zinfandel as carefully as they did other premium red varieties and
turned out too many poorly crafted wines. Zinfandel grapes lost
favor and became a glut on the market. Thousands of acres were dug
up and replaced with the more popular Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot
Noir, Syrah, Merlot, or Sangiovese.
The overproduction of red wine from Zinfandel probably brought on
the marketing experiment of fermenting only the juice of the grape
without skins and stems, in order to produce a white Zinfandel in a
style known as “blush.” This style became extremely popular and is
still in high demand today.
Many old Zinfandel vines—holdovers that escaped being replaced by
other reds in the 1930s and later—still produce today and are prized
for the quality of fruit they bear. They offer an intensity of
flavor, fine balance, and less tannin than a comparably made
Cabernet or Merlot.
Today’s vintners of Zinfandel tend to blend grapes from different
California areas; certain soils and weather conditions tend to make
some of the old Zinfandel vines produce particular qualities that
make them highly desirable to vintners for outstanding wines. Each
area can contribute a special nuance and taste-thrust to the
finished product.
One handicap that Zinfandel growers face is the fact that this
variety tends to ripen inconsistently. Sometimes, when the outer
grapes of a clump are ripe and are becoming overly mature, some of
the inner grapes in the bunch might still be too green and will give
a tartness to the wine. This is a problem for the grower, who must
be constantly aware that the crop can be in peril over a short
period of time while waiting for all of the crop to mature.
A Winemaking Process
Many of the old-country Italians made their wines in the way their
forefathers had. The newly picked grapes were crushed and allowed to
ferment in open containers, and stirred at least twice every day.
Some winemakers would add about 20 percent of another grape variety
to the Zinfandel—perhaps Mission, Riesling, or Chenin Blanc.
There were many different recipes that produced interesting
results, but I always made my “Dago Red” purely from Zinfandel.
After about a week, the must—or crushed batch of grapes—was run
through a press to extract the juice from the pulp. This juice was
then allowed to ferment further in the same barrel—usually a
secondhand, charred whiskey barrel. Later, when it had subsided to a
less active ferment, the juice was transferred to five-gallon glass
carboys fitted with fermentation locks to allow gas to escape and
keep outside air away from the working wine.
When all fermentation had taken place, the finished wine was
decanted into glass gallon jugs, where it remained until it was
used. The usual evening meal was taken at the kitchen table with a
jug of wine sitting on the floor by the chair of the paterfamilias.
Many of the older winemakers relied on the natural yeasts found
on the grapes as they came from the fields. These yeasts were not
always the same from year to year, and thus produced inconsistent
results in the wines. Today, most home winemakers add potassium
metabisulfite to the mash as soon as the grapes are crushed. This
step helps to kill all of the wild, undesirable yeasts, after which
the winemaker can add a preferred wine yeast—usually montrachet. The
result is a wine that is more consistent from year to year.
Future of a Grape
Probably the reason that I have such a strong liking and respect for
Zinfandel is that for years and decades it has been the main
ingredient of “Dago Red.” Incidentally, this term is not meant to be
derogatory, but is used with affection for Italian homemade wine;
and, in families of Italian origin, homemade wine is a serious
business.
The fall of the year is an exciting time. It is a time to harvest
the grapes and make homemade wine. It is also a time when people
across the country await the harvesting of grapes, which allows them
to continue a centuries-old tradition.
Home winemakers are still doing their thing today, even if the
grapes are no longer available at the intersection of the roads I
mentioned from a Saturday of 50 years ago. They are, however, still
brought in by truck and rail to various outlet areas. One can buy
desired grapes from various growers across the country; or, in the
more modern way, one can check the Internet and buy grapes by
e-mail. Many small wineries use the latter method to dispose of
their locally grown grapes.
Yes, for us old winemakers, the fall is indeed a happy and
glorious time of the year, and it keeps us excited all year round.
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