The name Zinfandel was first applied to a California wine in 1832. The grapes came from imported vines planted near San Francisco around 1830. By the 1880s, Zinfandel had become the most popular grape in the region. Although its ancestry has since been traced through DNA to the Crljenak grape of Croatia (which also is grown in southern Italy where it is known as Primativo), Zinfandel continues to be considered the quintessential California wine grape.

As the state’s most extensively planted red grape today, Zinfandel is made into a variety of wine styles, ranging from light to robust and including blush, sparkling and dessert varieties. With this ability to adapt to virtually every taste, Zinfandel is favored by an equally wide range of winemakers and wine aficionados. In 1991, a number of the grape’s fans formed a loosely-knit society that they dubbed ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers).

Originally a lighthearted group who wanted to spread the word about its members’ favorite wine while enjoying some of the same, ZAP decided to stage a Zinfandel-only tasting in San Francisco, the epicenter of Zin production. Spread the word they did. Before long, ZAP became a cohesive educational organization dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for Zinfandel and its unique place in America’s history and culture. And the tasting became a full-fledged festival that is the largest single-varietal wine event in the world.

Fortunately, while developing into a driving force in the world of wine, ZAP didn’t lose its sense of fun and adventure, which is apparent to participants in the public tasting at the annual ZAP Zinfandel Festival. The tasting is held at Fort Mason Center, a former military base and now a national historic monument, overlooking San Francisco Bay. Tasters, with smiles stained purple from sampling the Zins, wander back and forth between the Festival Pavilion and the Herbst Pavilion, happily visiting the alphabetically arranged winery tables in their own personal order. All seem to be celebrating the search for the Zin most suited to his or her taste.

Surprisingly few participants become seriously inebriated. ZAP publishes guidelines for moderation, asking that wineries not over-serve and that tasters "swirl, sniff, sip and spit." For those who swallow, plenty of bread, cheese and water is available to help counteract the effects of the alcohol, and security staff is on hand "just in case."

For Zinfandel producers, the public tasting is an excellent opportunity to expose their wines to a large number of consumers at a single location. But the tasting is just part of the four-day festival.

ZAP’s 16th Annual Zinfandel Festival is scheduled to begin January 24, 2007, with "Flights: A Showcase of California Zinfandels," a day of panel discussions and tastings led by winemakers and wine experts. The second day focuses on "Good Eats and Zinfandel" with a walk-around food and wine tasting that pairs restaurants and wineries. And the third evening is the "Winemakers Benefit Auction and Dinner." The public tasting is set for the afternoon of January 27, 2007.

Just how big is the public tasting? Well, at the 2006 edition, 272 wineries poured at least one Zinfandel each, with almost 600 Zins available overall. More than 8,000 tasters attended, consuming over 1,500 pounds of international cheeses and 8,600 half-loaves of French baguettes. No doubt the 2007 version will be at least as big.

British Columbia travel writer Toni Dabbs is a regular contributor to The Cultured Traveler.