The Zinfandel grape has a colourful history. It started off in Croatia (known here as Crljenak), put down roots in Southern Italy’s Puglia where it is known as Primitivo and eventually found its way to California where it has become the sunshine state’s signature grape varietal.

Wherever the grape grows, it produces wines that are best described as “fruity” with lots of mouthfilling jammy, super ripe aromas and flavours. The grape has a high sugar content and many versions have a slight sweetness to them from residual sugar after fermentation. It is this ultra-ripe, fruit forward style that makes the wines extremely popular, especially when pairing with barbecue sauced meats. Zinfandel can reach very high alcohol contents – as high as 17% for an unfortified wine!