By Andrew Campbell

Celebrate your Independence Day with the uniquely American wine…Zinfandel. There is no other wine in the world quite like it!

It is also one of the last true values out of California. And despite challenging vintages, winemakers tend to make these great wines consistent from year to year.

The Great Grape Mystery
The origin of this grape is quite mysterious. While there are some distant cousins to Zinfandel, no one really knows where it comes from. Recent DNA tests indicate that Zinfandel is most related to Primitivo, an Italian grape in the Puglia region (where Salice Salentino is made). An important link in this mystery is Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian immigrant who planted over 300 different varieties and over 100,000 cuttings of grapes in California, supposedly brought Zinfandel from Europe. Haraszthy was living the American Dream by starting his own winery in Sonoma, Buena Vista, and made wine in the late 1850's. He was beset by the loss of his financial backing and later moved to Nicaragua where he died a horrible death…he was eaten alive by alligators near his plantation in 1869.

A Dynamic Grape
Zinfandel can come in an array of styles. The range is immense. White Zinfandel comes from the Red Zinfandel grape and the California style tends to be off dry to sweet. This rosé wine gets its color from the lack of skin contact during fermentation. Generally, these wines have bright berry flavors with a very smooth finish. White Zinfandel is the transition wine which white wine drinkers often use when starting to try red wines.

Red Zinfandel wines vary in style and complexity. They can be drunk young, like White Zins, or can be cellared for a short amount of time (5-8 years). They exhibit a variance of flavors also, ranging from bright berry fruit, to dark blackberry and cherry flavors, and often with spices like white pepper. These wines are fantastic with the BBQ grill and even pizza.
Other styles of Zinfandel are fortified wines (port), and some late harvest styles that contain residual sugar.

America's Grape
The success of Zinfandel in the United States is huge. It is the most planted variety in California, and is the most consumed wine in the United States. In fact, the 106th US Senate has even considered designating a "Zinfandel Grape Appreciation Week!"

So start up your grills America, and let the fireworks of Zinfandel explode in your mouth. Below are some recent recommendations from WineSquire.com, perfect for July 4th: Celebrate America's birthday with our All-American wine…Zinfandel!

Andrew Campbell is Executive Editor for WineSquire.com

Riedel Sommeliers Zinfandel/Chianti Glass