The 19^th Annual Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) Festival Grand Tasting was held on the 30^th of January 2010 in the spacious Herbst and Festival Pavilions at San Francisco’s Fort Mason. For the second time, I was lucky enough to attend the trade tasting which began at 10am before the crowds rolled in and as I headed towards the inscribed glasses and baguette rolls I couldn’t help but feel excited. This really is the event for both the ‘movers and groovers’ in the Zinfandel world as well as for some of the new boutique wineries to showcase their wares.

This year the festival featured the celebrated chef Beverly Gannon, founder of the Hawai’i Regional Cuisine movement. This choice was made after ZAP selected the theme – ‘Zin in Paradise’ which led to wonderful Hawaiian decorations filling the halls and members to sport zany flowered shirts in vibrant reds. The combining of food with wine is not a new feature but it is definitely effective in drawing in a wider audience.

So in case you weren’t there on Saturday, and were wondering what exactly the ‘‘Grand Zinfandel Tasting’ is, here is a general round up. The Annual Tasting  allows both trade and the general public to attend and is the ultimate showcase of Zinfandel, new releases and hundreds of barrel samples. (The latter being one of the most exciting elements as it allows you to see what exactly is in the pipeline, before it is released).

But what is Zinfandel? For many Zinfandel is considered the heritage grape of California. However using its DNA, the origin of the Zinfandel grape has been traced back to ‘Primitivo’, an Italian grape. Its history suggests possibly ancestry even further back then that, to a grape which was originally grown in Croatia called Crljenak. Frederick Macondray is credited with bringing Zinfandel to California where it was planted by many of the Italian immigrants who moved to the wine growing regions of California, where it was made into table wine for mostly personal consumption, or used as a blending grape with other varietals. 

So what are you looking for in Zinfandel? As in any wine, the balance is never solid or stable however the most obvious things are aromas and flavors of dark cherry, blackberry, raspberry and boysenberry. These flavors of fruit are often intermingled with the warmth and spice of black pepper, anise and clove. The term ‘jammy’ is usually associated with Zinfandel due to concentrated flavors that are not dissimilar to berry jams. However some of the more complex Zinfandels require a little aeration to allow the fruit to show itself in its true colours.

The Grand Tasting really is the place to fulfill all your Zinfandel desires as you wander from table to table having your glass filled (only to the correct amount of course) with the ruby red juice.

The interior space was well organized with clear signage of producers and vineyards. It was clear that many members of the trade and media had been there when the doors opened and already the number of baguettes was less then had been imagined, while at only 10.45am, the castles of cheese had begun to show structural difficulties. 

As always there were strong tidal effects in place. People gravitated towards the busier tables and I was forced to reconsider an article on ‘Tastings Manners’.  .

There were some old favourites; Robert Biale’s table had a crowd not dissimilar to ones I had seen gathering for autographs from bands and their product was still showing a high level of calibre. Their 2008 Grand Vinyard had a rich juicy texture and was very fruit forward, revealing subtle hints of vanilla and spice behind its plump juicy red berries. Some of the Zinfandels I was already familiar with, Chateau Montelena, Clos du Bois, Mazzocco and Orin Swift to name but a few as well as some new names which had entered the market. In all fairness, I think it is really quite hard to give fair tasting reviews at such an event as, I find everything is so rushed and fraught that to actually appreciate the wine is quite hard. Yet a few names made my list and over the coming weeks I hope to be able to review them in a fair and equal setting.

About three quarters of the way into proceedings I decided to take a breath of fresh air outside and I was shocked to see the length of the queue of the general public as it stretched into the distance ahead of me. Americans are clearly are still taking their Zinfandel very seriously and aren’t afraid to pay to sample what is on offer. ZAP members receive a $10 discount off the non-member price of $59. When I interviewed some of the crowd about the festival and ticket prices I was impressed to see unbridled enthusiasm in support of such events and positivity in regards to meeting the people behind the bottles and hearing their stories. Some individuals had been before, others were new but all were agreed that it was a fantastic opportunity to sample the old and the new side by side, possibly find some bargains, but also find some cellar-worthy stars.

In conclusion, a well organized, well attended event with several surprises and some old favorites.