ZAP DONATES $40,200 to Heritage Vineyard
New funds to support expansion

Rough & Ready and Davis, California, Fall, 2001---Zinfandel Advocates & Producers has presented The Heritage Vineyard with a $40,200.00 grant to continue the research administered by Prof. James Wolpert, the Chairman of the University of California, Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology. Since 1998, ZAP has donated proceeds from its annual Zinfandel 'Blue Jeans to Black Tie' Auction to the Heritage Vineyard---a total of $107,850.00. ""In California we find the oldest known Zinfandel plantings in the world so, ultimately, this research will help us discover answers to some of the mysteries surrounding Zinfandel and preserve the special qualities of the old vines for future generations," Wolpert says.

The latest grant will fund additional plantings and even more detailed analysis of the existing clones and propagation in place. The Heritage Vineyard is an unusual and unprecedented collection of rare and 'famous' Zinfandel vine cuttings from all over California. A research team consisting of Prof. Wolpert, UC Extension Viticulturist Emeritus Amand Kasimatis and UC Extension Farm Advisors Ed Weber (in Napa County), Donna Hirschfest (Amador & El Dorado), Rhonda Smith (in Sonoma County) and Glenda McGourty (Mendocino County) began going on Zinfandel 'safaris' in 1989, searching for vineyards planted before 1930. They brought back cuttings from Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Contra Costa, the Sierra Foothills and San Luis Obispo and San Joaquin Counties. Today additional selections have been planted from "old vines" in Lake, Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras, Alameda, Santa Cruz, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. The Vineyard is located within the Department's Oakville Experimental Vineyard in the Napa Valley.

The Heritage Vineyard currently stretches across one acre. During the first phase of the project in 1995, 63 selections were planted; during the second phase in 1999, an additional 27, so that the total number of selections now totals 90. The vines are grafted onto St. George rootstock in clay loam soil with a spacing of 9 feet x 8 feet. Each vine is head-trained and spur-pruned in the "goblet" shape as they would have been in the nineteenth century. These practices are not as typical today, since they insure a low (and high quality) yield. The Heritage Vineyard requires authenticity: "we need to replicate the conditions which have given Zinfandel its reputation," Wolpert explains.

The first wine made from the Vineyard was the 1997 Heritage Vineyard Zinfandel, made by Nils Venge (Saddleback Cellars in Napa). Robert Biale (of Biale Vineyards) made the second release (1998 vintage). Matt Cline (Cline Cellars) made the 1999 vintage; Rod Berglund (Joseph Swan) made the 2000 vintage. Joel Peterson (Ravenswood) will make the 2001 vintage. These wines are available for sale only at the Annual Festival; the 2000 vintage will sell for approximately $24.00/bottle at the 11th Annual Festival in 2002.

The Vineyard is a vibrant 'ongrowing' museum of the grape," explains Prof. Wolpert. "The Vineyard is of tremendous historical and viticultural interest to those fascinated by Zinfandel," he adds. "For the consumer, the Vineyard is living history and provides an easily accessible demonstration of where Zinfandel is really made---in the vineyard. For the wine industry, it has special significance because it represents a resource for future plantings of Zinfandel with a broad range of selections."

"This could easily be the largest grant coming from an independent organization focused on one specific wine grape varietal," explains Professor Wolpert.

"We expect to learn much about the viticultural characteristics of these vines," Wolpert continues. "Things such as berry size, cluster tightness and ripening uniformity are all factors which have an impact on the quality of the vintage. Of course, the most important factor is wine quality which integrates all of these components, including color, tannin profile and intensity of varietal character. This experiment will potentially have more impact on the improvement of Zinfandel than any other study done at U.C. Davis. I am very grateful to ZAP because without their advice, involvement and financial support this trial would not be possible," he adds.

ZAP'S MISSION
The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to advancing the public's knowledge of, and appreciation for Zinfandel grown in America and its unique place in American culture and history. Winegrowers, winemakers and wine enthusiasts combine to form the membership. The common focus is the preservation and recognition of Zinfandel as America's heritage wine. The benefits of belonging to ZAP include a quarterly newsletter filled with Zin-specific information and notice of events at Zinfandel wineries. To join, email zaprr@sbcglobal.net or fax 530/274-4904 or write P.O.B. 1487, Rough & Ready CA 95975.