(Pressdemocrat) - In the 50-year history of modern California winemaking, no other wine has had more ups and downs than zinfandel. For years, its origin was questioned as was how the grape first came to be planted in California, and discussion is ongoing about which winemaking style best suits the grape.

Some say that zinfandel may be European at its roots, but wine consumers around the world identify the grape and wine as California grown and bred. As of 2014, more than 47,000 acres statewide were planted to zinfandel, while in Sonoma County the number was just over 5,000 acres, much of it in the Dry Creek Valley.

Outside California, zinfandel has attracted modest interest in Washington, Mexico, Western Australia, Chile, South Africa, Croatia and the Puglia region of southern Italy, where the grape is known as primitivo.

Along the North Coast, Dry Creek Valley is just one of the wine regions that consider zinfandel an important red wine grape. The Russian River Valley, the upper part of Dry Creek Valley known as Rockwall, plus select parts of the Napa Valley are all good spots for growing it. Elsewhere in the state, noted zinfandels come from Lodi, Paso Robles and the Sierra Foothills.

Up and down the state, consumer tastes have tracked along with the stylistic changes in zinfandel since the California wine boom of the 1970s. Red wine preferences then leaned more to heavier red wines with high alcohol that married nicely with hearty cuts of grilled meats and substantial stews.

As food trends slowly moved toward lighter meals, so too did zinfandel styles. Although the natural alcohol of most modern zinfandels is above 14 percent, the wine itself is more sophisticated and easier to drink than it once was. Today, it is still possible to find big concentrated styles of zinfandel distinguished by jammy fruit aromas and flavors. But the trend is slowly moving away from jam jar fruitiness and toward more restrained zins with nuanced fruit flavors, in better balance with alcohols that are still pushing 14.5 percent and above.

Consumers have voiced a preference for red zinfandel with its deep red color, robust spicy brambly flavors and full finish. Zinfandel also comes in “white” or pink blush to late harvest, the latter a style that resembles port more than table wine.