Zinfandel has flourished in California since the mid-1800s, when it hitched a ride from Boston, Massachusetts with Frederick Macondray, a sea captain, banker, and avid greenhouse gardener. The grape caught on quickly because it was both easy to grow and could make delicious wines.
Californian Zinfandel is fruit-forward with bursts of jam, cherry, blueberry, and plums, accompanied by licorice, spi...