In California, Zinfandel is the #2 most widely planted red wine grape. Recent research shows that the grape originated in Croatia, not southern Italy, as previously thought.

Wildly popular in the U.S., many consider Zinfandel the original "California red." In fact, California is the largest grower of Zinfandel. It is also widely planted in Italy as the Primitivo grape.

Zinfandel can range from a light, fruity red wine to an strong red with ultra-intense pepper and jam. "Zin" is frequently blended with other grapes.

The small, berry-like Zinfandel grape is tough to grow. Its clusters tighten up and ripen unevenly. That's why many winemakers wait until late in the fall to pick the grapes.

It likes warm valleys close to the coast. Zinfandel does extremely well in Dry Creek Valley, the hills of Napa, Sonoma, as well as Mendocino counties and Paso Robles further south.

Zinfandel's cousin is Primitivo: [pree-mee-TEE-voh]. A red grape variety grown principally in the Apulia region of southern Italy, primitivo is a bold, rich-flavored grape that tastes like Zinfandel for a reason. DNA "fingerprinting" recently proved that both Zinfandel and Primitivo are clones of the same grape.