Zinfandel, Primitivo - What Species?

Yes. I believe that it/they are vitis vinifera. Hunt

Yes.

Yes.

Curtly ;-) Mark Lipton

p.s. Outside of the US and Canada, virtually all wine production is from v. vinifera grapes. You would be hard pressed in many wine stores to find any wine not made from v. vinifera grapes.

In Europe you would not be allowed to legally call it wine, if it were not made from vinifera

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Yeah, you'd probably have to label it "vin" or "vino" or some such. ;^)

Tom S

ending

Mark,

Thanks for the quick feedback. But what is the basis for your statement that the species is Vitis vinifera. Please provide a reference.

I've researched several wine books and the Internet, but can find no authority that makes that statement.

Cordially,

Russ

clones,

Just do a Google search on the words Zinfandel and vinifera and you'll get a number of reference material links including Dr. Meridiths work on the DNA link between zinfandel, primitivo, plavic mali, etc.

What about that stuff labeled blackberry, cherry, etc. wine?

Here's our FAQ

and an article on zin

The hybrid Seyval Blanc is widely grown in England and used to make what is perfectly legally called wine. Also in France I believe.

It is "Quality Wine" (e.g. Vin de Pays and better) that has to be Vinifera.

Hi gang according to Frank Schoonmaker Encyclopedia of Wine Page 353 1965 edition Zinfandel is a Vitris Vivifera. Does that Help?

Bob Patrick

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Actually hybrids are OK according to EU and are produced in many countries.

But national legislation in France, Spain and Italy forbids even the planting of hybrids by a wine producer. No wine can be made from hybrids here.

This does not mean that none are produced. In Ardeche an association of rebel winemakers produces small quantities of "forbidden" wines from the usual suspects: Clinton, Noah, Jacquez, Herbemont, Othello, Isabelle.

In Italy the home production of Clinton is huge, and readily found in some bars, but totally illegal.

So it is not just VdP or better, NO wine here can be from hybrids.

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

you'll

Bi!!,

Thanks for the suggestion. I had been searching on just "Zinfandel," "Zinfandel+species."

You were right on: "Zinfandel+vinifera+Meridith" turned up the article "Liquid assets: DNA ends the Zinfandel intrigue" by Frank Prial, Sept

26, 2002, in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Star Telegram online edition,

It's all there:

1. Zinfandel is definitely of the Vitis vinifera
2. Zinfandel and Primitivo are the same variety
3. Zinfandel and the Croatian variety, Crljenak kastelanski are the same.
4. Crljenak kastelanski is pronounced "tsurl-YEN-ak kastel-AHN-ski" (always wondered about that since first reading that name).
5. Plavac mali is a "son of Zinfandel," a cross between Crljenak and the Dobricic grape. Thus, it is not the Zinfandel/Primitivo variety.

So appreciate all who have provided feedback to my question. I'm comfortable that we have the correct documented answer.

Only disappointing news in that document is that Dr. Carole Meredith has retired from the University of California at Davis. I really appreciate her detective work and expect that it could be used in a few other instances.

Were that there were more of her.

Cordially,

Russ

separately

production

article

Glad I could help.