Read this article written by Mike Dunne, the paper's food whiz, over at the Sac Bee:
Zinfandel is a step closer to being designated California's historic wine. The Assembly voted 45-20 to send to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a measure to recognize zinfandel as the wine that has contributed most historically to the development of the state's wine trade.
Schwarzennegger hasn't taken a position on the matter but is expected to act on the measure within the next two weeks, said a spokesman from the governor's office.
Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, the bill's author, remarked upon passage of the proposal, "Now we know there's at least one thing that Democrats and Republicans can come together over -- wine. What could be more Californian than that?"
The measure has stirred spirited debate within the state's wine community. Some vintners have argued that other varieties, such as mission and petite sirah, also have played significant roles in California's emergence as a world wine power and deserve similar recognition. The Family Winemakers of California, a trade group, opposed the measure on the grounds that its passage would give zinfandel an unfair advantage over other varietals in the marketplace.
On the other hand, Sen. Migden has noted that, unlike other wine-grape varieties, zinfandel is grown more extensively in California than in any other wine region in the world; that in contrast to other varieties zinfandel has adapted well to most of the state's viticultural areas; and that zinfandel accounts for many of the older vineyards in the state, several more than a century old.
First off Senator, well played. Second, it's nice to know that my Govenor is taking his time to take a stance on if zinfandel should be put alongside the words like oranges and almonds in a 4th grade state history book. I mean, I understand the importance to the farmers and winemakers. I would be pissed too and it does make some sense, but still. It's like, "Well, education testing scores are below that of Peru, housing is drastically higher than the reasonable rate when contrasted with the average Californian's income, and we have an election to gear up for, but what about the zinfandel?!"
I mean can't this whole measure, instead of taking time up in the capitol building simply just be proven by some statisticians, accountants, and financial detectives? Or through a grad student's thesis?
Plus, I much prefer reds and dessert wines.
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HAHA, oh my god, Willa, you crack me up! I agree, that is the best way to go. White Zin is kinda bleh to me, but red zin does kick butt. Paired with a gooey pot de creme. Heaven!
ReplyDeleteThis reads like a piece in the Onion. I could hear "Come Together" playing in the background as they all sit around trying to debate which wine should be given favored status.
ReplyDeleteDo they really think we're going to drink what they recommend?!
Okay, that is dumb.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if we MUST choose a historic wine, the clear choice is cabernet sauvignon, which is the wine that put California reds on the map when the Stag's Leap cabernet kicked the butt of all the French reds in the scandalous blind taste test of 1976 (and recently did it again in the Wine Rematch of the Century-to see how the same wines compared when aged for 30 years).
I don't what my representative is doing if he's not reading Wine Spectator to address this important issue.
Oh yeah, he's doing ACTUAL STUFF.