1820’s there are records of vines of Zinfandel in MA.

1840’s gold rush, it became the go-to vine to plant because it gave gold-rushers an easy to produce beverage. It grew vigorously and gave them a versatile, substantial beverage. For many years it was safer to drink wine or beer rather than water.

The wine & vine gained in popularity and samples of vines were always being brought back to Europe.  Originally the trip across the Atlantic took 6 weeks. Then in the late 1850’s steam vessels began to be the more common means to travel the Atlantic and it was shortened to 6 days.   Imagine how complicated it was to get a sample of a growing plant, transport it across the US and then on a ship to Europe.  Now that trip was significantly shortened. 

1850-1870’s: The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid waste to the wine industry. It was caused by an aphid that originated in North America and was carried across the Atlantic in the late 1850s. France was worst affected, the blight also did a great deal of damage to vineyards in other European countries. American vines had been taken to Europe many times before, for reasons including experimentation and trials in grafting, without consideration of the possibility of the introduction of pestilence.  It is argued by some that the introduction of such pests as phylloxera was only a problem after the invention of steamships, which allowed a faster journey across the ocean, and consequently allowed durable pests, such as the Phylloxera (full-ox-er-a), to survive the trip. 

The blight allowed Absinthe to gain even more popularity as consumers switched over due to rising wine prices and low availability.

Eventually, two French wine growers, proposed that the European vines be grafted to the resistant American rootstock that were not susceptible to the Phylloxera. While many of the French wine growers disliked this idea, many found themselves with no other option. The method proved to be an effective remedy. The “Reconstitution” of the many vineyards that had been lost was a slow process, but eventually, the wine industry in France was able to return to relative normality.

While most of Northern California’s vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera in the late 1800’s, Zinfandel vines were among the first vines replanted on rootstock starting around 1885. Italian immigrants planted much of the Zin in CA, relying on dry farming and sturdy head-pruned vines. They brought with them the tradition of “field blends” which meant they planted a sprinkling of additional varietals – Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouchet, Carignane – which co-mingled with Zinfandel in the vineyard. These grapes are harvested along with the Zinfandel clusters, crushed and blended from vineyard to bottle…adding a new complexity to the wine. 

1920 – 33 Prohibition: Prohibition did its damage to US wineries as well. Before 1920, there were more than 2,500 commercial wineries in the United States. Less than 100 survived as winemaking operations to 1933. By 1960, that number had grown to only 271. Depression (‘29-’33)  After prohibition ended and the Great depression did its damage, timber and wire were scarce and zin could be planted without it – so it started to flourish. 

Zinfandel’s expansion in the 20th century is a testament to its hardy constitution. The wave of blush wines in the 1970’s started when California wineries began to draw free-run juice from Zinfandel grapes, fermenting it as “white” Zinfandel. This started a trend that actually led to the preservation of old Zinfandel vines.  Red table wines were decreasing in popularity, and the growers would have been forced to graft over to other varietals, and the old vines would have been lost forever. The 1990’s brought a focus on research and the involvement of Zinfandel enthusiasts in a movement to celebrate and promote the varietal.