Zinfandel

Zinfandel is California's signature red grape: a warm-climate variety that yields bold, jammy, high-alcohol reds bursting with brambly blackberry, raspberry and black cherry over black pepper, licorice and sweet baking spice. Genetic detective work proved it to be one and the same vine as Italy's Primitivo and Croatia's Tribidrag (Crljenak Kastelanski), yet its plush, exuberant, fruit-forward style is distinctly American. Made dry and full-bodied it is a generous partner for barbecue and grilled meat; vinified sweet and pale it became the wildly popular blush wine White Zinfandel.