California Zinfandel Is Getting Its Groove Back

• By WineBottleMag
• July 27, 2025
• California Groove Zinfandel
• With 0 comments

As a native Californian, I’ve always wanted to like Zinfandel more.

Though its roots are in the Old World—it’s genetically identical to both Italy’s Primitivo and Croatia’s Crljenak Kaštelanski, which also goes by Pribidrag and Tribidrag—Zinfandel found popular footing in California’s original wine boom.

By the early 1900s, it was grown nearly everywhere in the state, from the redwoods of Mendocino and hillsides of Paso Robles down to the flats of Rancho Cucamonga and elsewhere throughout Southern California.

When the state’s modern wine industry took off in the 1970s, Zinfandel enjoyed distinct advantages. Not only did its jammy profile attract American consumers seeking ripe flavors, but many wines came from old-vine vineyards, which provided a romantic connection to the Golden State’s almost forgotten, pre-Prohibition wine history.

Ripeness was only amplified over the years, so much so that Zinfandel’s most famed producer, Ravenswood, adopted the tagline “No Wimpy Wines.”

That brash attitude was shared by others statewide, and nowhere was the ensuing extravagance more apparent than the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) consortium that formed in 1992.

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A San Francisco gathering of winemakers, grape growers and consumers, the annual bacchanalian affair attracted thousands to come sample tooth-staining Zins.

But as consumer tastes are shifting toward more elegant, less alcoholic wines, so is a lot of Zinfandel. I learned as much attending ZinEx back in 2020, which is the rebranded version of ZAP. 

That year’s three-day event put education on the forefront, showing many reasons to believe Zinfandel may get its groove back, albeit by doing a slightly different dance. 

The lessons I learned there hold true today, and will surely be on display next January, when the ZinEx Weekend Classic descends on the Napa Valley, celebrating the 35th anniversary of ZAP. 

Winemakers are exploring a variety of styles. I tasted powerful versions from Lodi, nuanced expressions from Sierra Foothills, savory styles from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma and, perhaps most interestingly, sprightly spins from newer vines in Yolo County. 

Such a range only portends well for the future.

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Light Bodied

Age Worthy

Food Friendly

Earthy

Rich and Powerful

Old Vine

High Elevation

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Field Blends

Pet-Nat

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More California Wine Coverage

• Why aren’t you drinking more Southern California wine?
• The new generation of vintners reviving Los Angeles’ wine heritage.
• The best wine bars in Los Angeles.
• Experimentation thrives across Central California’s wine regions.
• Temecula Valley is elevating the wine country experience—these are the top tasting rooms to visit.

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