Grape Variety: Crljenak Kaštelanski

Colour: Red

Crljenak Kaštelanski - the grape that rolls off the tongue annd keeps rolling.  You may know it better as Zinfandel (in California), or Primitivo (in Puglia). The roots of this widely-travelled vine variety on the Croatian island of Kaštela near Split have only recently been established, by DNA testing. See Zinfandel entry below from the Alternative Wine Glossary.

“Not the last grape in the alphabet (that special honour belongs to the Austrian Zweigelt grape), however, my fellow Americans, blessed by God, under one flag, one nation, indivisible, this is your one native grape variety. It comes in two incarnations: vile blush and the big rich bastard who lives on the hill. DNA fingerprinting suggests that Zinfandel is the same as the artery-hardening-to-pronounce Crljenak Kastelanski, a little known Croatian grape variety. Whatever. Capable of producing fine wines in the right hands (Paul Draper, Helen Turley and John Williams), when yields are low, otherwise can be hot and stewed. As Byron almost said, sometimes zin’s a pleasure. Described by one wine writer as the Harley Davidson of grape varieties, I would say more like Jim Davidson.”