I am spending today pouring wine at the largest wine—tasting event in America, the 15th annual Zinfandel Festival, held by ZAP. Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) is the first—ever fan club for a grape, composed of both producers and consumers of wine made from America's Heritage Grape.

This year, over 10,000 people are attending, most paying a substantial amount of money for the privilege of wandering among more than 300 tables where wineries are pouring their roughly 1000 different wines made from the Zinfandel grape. The event has grown enormously in the last few years, as more and more people become enthusiasts for the pleasures of Zin.

Not even the so—called noble grapes inspire this sort of passion. Zinfandel is a classic rags—to—riches story of an obscure European immigrant flourishing in America, and discovering that enormous potential could be unlocked in the New World of America. It was discovered and transformed from a humble source of cheap wine into a worldwide star in the last four decades.

Zinfandel can be grown and vinified in many ways, and the character of Zinfandel wines can vary considerably. That is one reason why so many wine makers and drinkers are drawn to it. And it tends to be reasonably priced

There will be no White Zinfandel poured today, though. Although a happy event, everyone is pretty serious about the subtleties, depth, fruit, and tanins to be found in fine Zin.

Thomas Lifson  1 28 06