Zin-ful toast to 4th of July
Bill Daley

June 30, 2010
You want that wine. But your store or area distributor may not carry it. State law may prohibit you from ordering a wine online. What to do? Ask your wine retailer for a wine similar in flavor, style and price. Remember, too, prices vary.

— B. D.

By the numbers

62-67 Degrees considered optimal serving temperature for zinfandel

5,401 Acres of zinfandel vines in Sonoma County

1852 Year zinfandel grapes imported into California

Sources: Sonoma County Winegrape Commission; "The New Wine Lover's Companion"

The roots of zinfandel

Like many an immigrant to the United States, the zinfandel grape has hard-to-find roots.

Zinfandel is a cousin of primitivo, a grape grown in Puglia, which is the "heel" of the Italian boot, according to "The New Wine Lover's Companion." DNA testing in 2001 confirmed both grape varieties descend from a little-known Croatian grape called Crljenak Kastelanski.

California is the major production center for zinfandel, which was first planted there in the 1850s.