The Origins of Zinfandel…

Karen, I’ve heard that zinfandel is an American grape variety even though other popular grape varieties like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and chardonnay are all native to France.  Is this true?

Not quite.  It’s true that no other country grows a grape variety called zinfandel, and thus zinfandel has been dubbed “America’s grape.”  But scientists have known for decades that zinfandel (just like the varieties you mention plus dozens of others) originally came from Europe.  Today, as a result of DNA fingerprinting of grapevines, we know that zinfandel is native to the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia where it is known as crljenak kastelanski.  Sometime during the early 1800s, when Croatia was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire, crljenak was brought to the Eastern seaboard of the United States and years later shipped to California where it quickly became one of the state's leading varieties.

— Karen

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