Get out your winter wine glasses—as the weather cools and our plates fill with warm tantalizing comfort foods like hearty pasta, cheese and charcuterie, and, of course, holiday turkey and pumpkin pie, ’tis the perfect season to stock up on a stand-out red wine. To that end, November 15th is National Zinfandel Day and, to celebrate, we’ve teamed up with California’s Ravenswood Winery (whose founder, Joel Peterson, is known as the real-life Godfather of Zinfandel) to give you five must-know facts about this big, bold, unapologetic wine (and remember, this month, as the weather cools and you’re looking for something new to sip on, #ZinIsIn!). —Noa Nichol
zin fact no. 1. Although best known for its status as a prestige wine grape in California, Zinfandel only made its way to the U.S. during the Gold Rush in the 1850s.
zin fact no. 2. Look for "Old Vine Zinfandel" on your labels! This is often sought after as it is made from grapes on vines that are at least 40 to 50 years old—and often much older.
zin fact no. 3. Zinfandel is a bit of a chameleon, producing white, rosé and red wines from its grapes. With both a youthful appeal and an ability to age gracefully, it can be made light and fruity, big and ripe, or complex and age worthy.
zin fact no. 4. There is no such grape as "White Zinfandel"! White Zinfandels are rosé wines produced from the same small, black-skinned grapes that make bold reds.
zin fact no. 5. As we mentioned, Ravenswood co-founder Joel Peterson is known as the "Godfather of Zin" thanks to his championing of the Zinfandel grape and helping make it the runaway phenomenon it is today.
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