Zin Fans.

Let’s talk Zin (short for Zinfandel). The name itself was first used in America in 1832. Zinfandel is often referred to as “America’s heritage grape” due to its popularity during the Gold Rush. Many old plantings still exist in the gold country today. In fact, Zinfandel is the only wine grape variety considered unique to the U.S. It’s like the Teddy Roosevelt of grapes at a wedding: it wants to play the bride, the groom, the best man, and the minister.

To give you a brief history, between 1852-1857, Zinfandel became a popular table grape in Northeast United States (grown under glass). From 1878-1889, Zinfandel was the most widely planted grape variety in California’s first “wine boom.” In 1998, Zinfandel vineyards in California exceeded 50,000 acres, once again establishing itself as the number one red wine variety. California wineries have made a significant investment in marketing the American name “Zinfandel.”

In fact, The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is a non-profit, educational organization that is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. Winegrowers, winemakers, and wine enthusiasts make up the membership. The common focus is the preservation and recognition of Zinfandel as America’s heritage wine.

ZAP is a large supporter of the Heritage Vineyard project. The Heritage Vineyard is an unusual and unprecedented collection of rare and famous Zinfandel vine cuttings grown throughout California. The Heritage Vineyard stretches across one acre within the University of California’s Davis Oakville (Napa Valley) Research Station. The Vineyard currently consists of ninety selections, all of which were taken from vineyards at least sixty years old and older, and which were known to produce unique and high quality wines. The Heritage Vineyard brings together scientists, farmers, artists, and historians. This research will ultimately help to discover answers to some of the mysteries surrounding Zinfandel and preserve the special qualities of the old vines for future generations. Since August 1998, ZAP has donated a total of $207,240 to the Heritage Vineyard. Each vintage, a different ZAP producer assumes the privilege of crafting a Zinfandel wine from the Heritage Vineyard.

ZAP has also sponsored an annual Zinfandel Festival in San Francisco since 1991. It is recognized around the country and throughout the world as the pre-eminent varietal tasting, drawing over 10,000 attendees. In 2005, there will be an estimated 275 participating wineries. The event has been given the approval, support, and the Seal of the City by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. How far are you willing to travel from NEPA to this one-of-a-kind Zin event?

If you aren’t really familiar with this wine, the white Zinfandel is a pale-rose wine that’s very sweet. It is delicious with cream-based-sauce with pasta, with fish, pork, and other “lighter” meals. It tends to have citrusy and light flavors – orange, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, cherry. In addition, new White Zinfandels have fruit juices added to them right before bottling to create new flavored versions. And guess what? Yes, there is even a low carb variety. Vinergy(c) has a strawberry Zinfandel that only has 7 carbs and 110 calories. The verdict is still out on this one, but yours is the only opinion that counts, so give it a try. Any Zinfandel is a great starter wine if you are just entering the world in fermented juices. Try a Zin and become a fan.

Wine is a great gift for the holidays, but shipping it can be tricky. Each state has different laws. You may be able to direct ship home but not to an alternate address. Some states prohibit Internet wine sales. You may require a permit,or be restricted on quantity and frequency. Pennsylvania has a long list of requirements and restrictions. If you wish to send a bottle or case to a friend of relative, check out www.wineinstitute.org.

Zinfandel Chocolate Truffles

• Yield: About one dozen
• 8 oz. cream
• 2-1/2 tablespoons honey
• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 1-1/2 oz. butter, unsalted, room temperature
• 1/2 bottle of zinfandel
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Put the Zinfandel into a saucepan and reduce over high heat until you have 1 Tbsp. Zinfandel reduction. Set aside. Be careful with the wine reduction, and make sure you do not scorch the sides of the saucepan; it will give the truffles an off flavor. Meanwhile, chop chocolate into very small pieces, ranging in size from a 1/4-1/2 inch. Put cream and honey in another saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Cover and allow to sit about 5 minutes or until chocolate is melted. After chocolate has melted, add butter in small pieces and stir until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and mix in Zinfandel reduction. Allow mixture to cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate until it’s set, approximately 1-2 hours.

Using a very small ice cream scoop or a melon baller, scoop out the truffles from the mixture and put them on a plate. Working with truffle mixture will make them soft, so put truffles back in the refrigerator for approximately 15 minutes in order to set up again. Next, put the cocoa in a small dish or in a Ziploc bag and roll each truffle one by one until it is completely covered. Arrange on a plate and serve. Truffles are best eaten at room temperature. Truffles can keep at least a week in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. If the cocoa disappears, it means it has been absorbed by the moisture in the refrigerator. Simply re-roll them in fresh cocoa, and they will have a fresh look.

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