Wines made from Zinfandel grapes of England
Discover the best wines made with Zinfandel as a single variety or as a blend of England.
From Croatia where it is called crljenak kastelanski or pribidrag. According to genetic analyses carried out by Professor Carole Meredith of California University in Davis (United States), it is related to the Croatian plavac mali and Zinfandel. It is also found in South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Germany, Bulgaria, Albania, Italy under the name of Primitivo, Malta, Greece, Portugal and to some extent in Croatia. In the United States (California), it is one of the most widely planted grape varieties, having been introduced in the 1830s well before Primitivo. In France, it is registered in the official catalogue of vine varieties on the A1 list under the name Primitivo.
England, although more famous for gin and beer, has been producing wine since Roman Imperial times (100 – 400 AD). Historically the country has not been known for the quality of its winemaking, inhibited by its northerly latitude and resulting cool Climate. However the last decade or so has seen considerable progress and expansion, and increases in planting of noble Grape varieties. Significant chaptilzation to off-set the high Acidity of under-ripe grapes was once common practice but since the 1970s and particularly since the turn of the millennium natural sugar levels have increased in the Vineyard and wines have increased in quality and reputation.