PIONEERS ON THE ZINFANDEL FRONTIER
AMERICA'S HERITAGE WINE TOUR

February 2002---Zinfandel Advocates & Producers will be traveling to Seattle (April 29 & 30) and Portland (May 1 & 2) to conduct public tastings and winemaker dinners. Tastings of more than 70 different [red!] Zinfandel wines from California are being presented by 70 different Zinfandel wineries. These are fun and educational events where you can walk around, taste, enjoy great food and learn a lot in a lively atmosphere: a rare opportunity to taste so many wines of the same varietal in one place and get your questions answered by the winemaker or winery owner.

SEATTLE:
Monday April 29, 2002, 6:30 p.m. Sinfully Zin Dinner, Earth & Ocean at the W Hotel, 1112 Fourth Avenue, Seattle 10-course dinner created by Earth & Ocean Executive Chef Johnathan Sundstrom, paired with 16 Zinfandels (see below for list of participating wineries) Tickets available only from 206/935-5471 ZAP & AIWF member price: $100.00; non-members, $140.00

Tuesday April 30, 2002, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. [trade tasting by invitation only] Pioneers on the Zinfandel Frontier: America's Heritage Wine Tour Tasting featuring 70 Zinfandel producers (see list below) with deliciously compatible hors d'oeuvres Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Pier 66, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle Tickets: ZAP members, $40.00, non-members $45.00 Tickets available from ZAP, P.O.B. 1487, Rough & Ready CA 95975, 530/274-4900 or www.zinfandel.org Deadline to send checks to CA is April 12; limited amount of tickets to be available at the door at the event.

PORTLAND:
Wednesday May 1, 2002, 6:30 p.m. Zinfully Delicious Dinner, Benson Hotel, 309 Southwest Broadway 4-course dinner paired with 20 Zinfandels (see list below) Tickets: ZAP members, $60.00, non-members $70.00 Tickets available from ZAP, P.O.B. 1487, Rough & Ready CA 95975, 530/274-4900 or www.zinfandel.org Deadline to send checks to CA is April 12.

Thursday May 2, 2002, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. [trade tasting by invitation only] Pioneers on the Zinfandel Frontier: America's Heritage Wine Tour Tasting featuring 70 Zinfandel producers with deliciously compatible hors d'oeuvres Cascade Crescent Banquet Center at the Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road Tickets: ZAP members, $40.00, non-members $45.00 Tickets available from ZAP, P.O.B. 1487, Rough & Ready CA 95975, 530/274-4900 or www.zinfandel.org Deadline to send checks to CA is April 12; limited amount of tickets to be available at the door at the event.

Wineries pouring wines at the Tastings in Seattle & Portland: Alderbrook Vineyards & Winery, Ballentine Vineyards, Barefoot Cellars, Belvedere Vineyards & Winery, Robert Biale Vineyards, Black Rock Wineworks, Bogle Winery, Campus Oaks/Gnekow Family Winery, Castoro Cellars, Chase Family Cellars, Chateau Camou, Clayton Vineyard, Cline Cellars, Dashe Cellars, D-Cubed Cellars, De Loach Vineyards, Easton Wines, Edmeades, EOS Estate Winery, Eric Ross Winery, Fanucchi Vineyards, Fritz Winery, Frog's Leap Winery, Germain-Robin Alambic Brandy, Geyser Peak Winery, Hanna Winery, Hartford Family Wines, Hendry, J. Lohr Winery, Kendall-Jackson, Kenwood Vineyards, Koves-Newlan Vineyards, La Crema, Lake Sonoma Winery, Lamborn Family Wine Company, Lava Cap Winery, L'Aventure, Lolonis Winery, Mariah Vineyards, Markham Vineyards, Michael-David Phillips Vineyards, Milat Vineyards, Montevina Winery, Murphy-Goode Estate Winery, Mutt Lynch Winery, Peachy Canyon Winery, Pedroncelli Winery, Perry Creek Vineyards, Rancho Zabaco, Ravenswood, Renwood Winery, Ridge Vineyards, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Rosenblum Cellars, Jeff Runquist Wines, Sebastiani Vineyards, Seghesio Vineyards, Spenker Winery, St. Francis Winery, Starry Night Winery, Stonehedge, Storrs Winery, Storybook Mountain Vineyards, The Terraces, Tin Barn Vineyards, Valley of the Moon Winery, Viano Winery, Villa Mt.Eden, Zoom Vineyards

Wineries pouring their wines at the dinners in Seattle & Portland: Robert Biale Vineyards, Easton Wines, Edmeades, Eric Ross Winery, Fanucchi Vineyards, Kendall-Jackson, Koves-Newlan Vineyards, La Crema, Lolonis Winery, Michael-David Phillips Vineyards, Milat Vineyards, Peachy Canyon Winery, Pedroncelli Winery, Rancho Zabaco, Rosenblum Cellars, Jeff Runquist Wines, Spenker Winery.

This is part of a national tour by The Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, a group of zinfandel wineries, growers and "advocate"/consumers, to raise awareness for America's "heritage grape!" You can join ZAP at the event; annual membership is $25.00/single and $30.00/double (includes a newsletter and advance notice on releases of wines and events around the country). Log onto www.zinfandel.org for more information. The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is a non-profit, education 501(c)(3) 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.

11th ANNUAL ZAP FESTIVAL
More than 10,000 people came to the four events of the 11th Annual Festival in San Francisco, January 22-25, 2002. Flights of Fancy: A Regional Showcase of 1999 California Zinfandels was the kick-off event this year at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa, and drew a capacity crowd of 170 people who were able to ask questions of the winemaker panelists. From tales of finding sharks' teeth in Paso Robles vineyards to Mendocino vineyards with views of the ocean, tasters came away with an extremely detailed look at the vast scope of Zinfandel-iana.

The Tasting filled both the Herbst and Festival Pavilions at San Francisco's Fort Mason Center with 286 wineries each pouring at least two wines. Fifty-four wineries "new" to ZAP poured at the Tasting. More than 8,000 tasters attended---including sommeliers, retailers, distributors and consumers. "The enthusiasm is telling us that the huge grass roots interest in the renegade Zinfandel is starting to filter up and is to be taken more seriously by the wine establishment," said Dave Pramuk, partner and marketing director of Napa's Robert Biale Vineyards. "California Zinfandel has become one of the hottest segments of the red wine market and has moved from second-class to world-class," he added.

For the seventh year, Good Eats and Zinfandel paired 36 Zinfandels and 36 restaurants' cuisine at Rosenblum Cellars in Alameda, attracting 900 Zinfandel enthusiasts. In its fifth year, ZAP's An Evening with the Winemakers: Blue Jeans to Black Tie on January 26 raised $97,000 and attracted 500 eager Zin fans, who came dressed in everything from a Scottish kilt to sequined gowns to blue jeans and cowboy boots. The funds raised support the Heritage Projects. The top three lots were: 1) a trip bringing American Zinfandels to Italy ($9,500) 2) "America's Lot," a collection of Zinfandels to be donated to 9/11 relief ($6,500) and 3) a 46-bottle SubZero unit "Zinful Collection" ($4,200). The Heritage Projects are programs devoted to Zinfandel research and education, including the Heritage Vineyard, run in conjunction with UC Davis.

Photographs available on request.