Chappish!

The zinfandel is the best of California-grown wine grapes. That is not to take away from the acres and acres of wonderful chardonnay, cabernet, or have-your-say, but the zin is special. Americans of Italian extraction introduced the zin into California sometime around 1850. They needed a dependable cash crop to support their Gold Rush-era winery startups, a hardy grape, maturing reliably if the climate fluctuated. After a few moments' thought, and a look at the weather, they planted the zin. Now, about a hundred and eighty years later, it's pretty clear they guessed right. It was kismet all the way. The fruit grew to be plump and flavorful, just loving the new terroir. California zinfandels are fruity and piquant, dense enough to stand up to robust food flavors, yet round and smooth. Soil, climate and grape genetics met in rare harmony. This Wine of the Week comes from the Frank Family Vineyards, Napa, California, and so is, of course, well made. Garnet color in the gla