In August, the California state legislature passed a bill recognizing Zinfandel as the state's official "historical wine." This caused an immediate outcry among passionate Pinot fans, and sent waves of astonishment rippling through the upper echelons of Napa Valley's otherwise staid Cabernet dynasties.

Many people laughed, but the case for recognizing Zinfandel was a strong one.

First brought to the state during the 1849 Gold Rush, by the 1860s it had already become a coveted grape, presumably because when Zinfandel is grown in California's Mediterranean climate it produces a fruity, spicy, high-alcohol wine that is literally ready to drink straight from the barrel. By the start of the Prohibition era in 1920, Zinfandel had actually become the most widely planted grape in California.