Shadick Vyd Zin

	Varietals:	100% Zinfandel
	Vineyard:	Shadick Vineyard
	Appellation:	Sonoma County
	Sub Appellation:	Dry Creek
	Fermentation:	Open Top
	Wood:	French and American Oak
	Aging:	18 Months Oak Aging

WINEMAKER NOTES: This wine delivers. On the nose, the wine is reminiscent of fresh strawberries. The flavors of cherry liqueur, red raspberries, strawberries, cranberries and cola are complemented with hints of mocha and vanilla. The wine exhibits soft tannins and culminates in a long and silky finish.

Harvesting generally commences in September and runs through October. Once the grapes are received at the winery they are crushed into open topped fermenters that hold from one-half to five tons. During fermentation the grapes are punched down three times daily for optimum flavor and color extraction. Following a 7-10 day fermentation, the wine is pressed into stainless steel tanks where it is allowed to briefly settle before being racked into small oak barrels.

ZINFANDEL GRAPES: Zinfandel was taken to the United States (Long Island) from a varietal collection of the Imperial State Nursery of Vienna in the 1820s. In the cooler climates it was grown in greenhouses. In California the first Zinfandel vineyards were planted in the 1830s. Its popularity grew swiftly, and by the end of the 19th century it became the most widespread variety in the US.

Vintners have grown Zinfandel in quantity for over one hundred years. Many of the oldest wineries in California grow Zinfandel and the vines are now treated almost like historic landmarks. At the start of prohibition Zinfandel was California's most popular and successful variety. During prohibition, limited home winemaking and the production of sacramental wine was allowed, and Zinfandel remained popular with Northern California's home wine makers. However, on the East Coast, Zinfandel fell in popularity and was replaced by thicker-skinned varieties. Zinfandel's tight bunches left its thin skins susceptible to rot on the slow train rides to Eastern home wine makers. The creation of White Zinfandel in the 1970s further saved the vines by providing a larger market for the grape. In the 1990s, the market for premium wine increased sufficiently that old vine Zinfandel became valuable on its own.

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