Why do they call it White Zinfandel wine when it is clearly pink-colored?

Why don’t they call it Pink Zinfandel?

White Zinfandel, often called "White Zin", is an off–dry to sweet blush wine which is pink in color. White Zinfandel is made from the Zinfandel grape, which would otherwise produce a red wine.

Typically an inexpensive jug wine, White Zinfandel is a quaffing wine that is sweet, low in alcohol, and soft making it a popular choice with those who would not otherwise drink wine. Depending on the amount of sugar it contains, White Zinfandel can taste almost like a fruit punch, although some examples have crisp acids and are balanced in their own way. It is rare when a White Zinfandel is not manufactured with the intention of immediate consumption.

In the 1970s Sutter Home was a producer of premium Zinfandel in the Napa Valley. One technique they utilized to increase concentration in their wines was called saignée, by which some juice is bled off to increase the impact of compounds in the skins on the remaining wine. The excess juice is light pink. In 1975, this excess juice experienced a "stuck" fermentation, which left some sugar unfermented. The result, a sweet pink wine, by then called White Zinfandel, became a smash hit. Sutter Home realized they could sell far more White Zinfandel than anything they had produced to date, and gradually became a successful producer of inexpensive wines. However, the demand for White Zinfandel resulted in extended commercial viability of old vine Zinfandel vineyards, which saved them from being ripped out. When the fine wine boom started in the 1980s, demand for (red) Zinfandel picked up considerably and these vineyards became prized for the low yields from the sometimes century–old vines.

Rather than use the leftover juice from premium Zinfandel production, Sutter Home (and most producers today) grow grapes specifically for use in White Zinfandel in places like the Central Valley of California. Production costs are substantially lower and fruit quality is not as important to the final taste as it would be in a dry table wine.

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6 Responses to Why do they call it White Zinfandel wine when it is clearly pink-colored?

  1. Maria Tortilla says:

    the people that named it where drunk
    References :

  2. ichelle_d_owens from msbcglobal.net says:

    i am not sure but i think it is called white zinfandel because it is made with white grapes instead of the purple/red colored ones.
    References :

  3. bactophage says:

    White Zinfandel isn’t a white wine. It’s a blush. It’s called that most likely for the color grapes or w/e other ingredient to make it.
    References :

  4. gladerade says:

    White Zinfandel, often called "White Zin", is an off–dry to sweet blush wine which is pink in color. White Zinfandel is made from the Zinfandel grape, which would otherwise produce a red wine.

    Typically an inexpensive jug wine, White Zinfandel is a quaffing wine that is sweet, low in alcohol, and soft making it a popular choice with those who would not otherwise drink wine. Depending on the amount of sugar it contains, White Zinfandel can taste almost like a fruit punch, although some examples have crisp acids and are balanced in their own way. It is rare when a White Zinfandel is not manufactured with the intention of immediate consumption.

    In the 1970s Sutter Home was a producer of premium Zinfandel in the Napa Valley. One technique they utilized to increase concentration in their wines was called saignée, by which some juice is bled off to increase the impact of compounds in the skins on the remaining wine. The excess juice is light pink. In 1975, this excess juice experienced a "stuck" fermentation, which left some sugar unfermented. The result, a sweet pink wine, by then called White Zinfandel, became a smash hit. Sutter Home realized they could sell far more White Zinfandel than anything they had produced to date, and gradually became a successful producer of inexpensive wines. However, the demand for White Zinfandel resulted in extended commercial viability of old vine Zinfandel vineyards, which saved them from being ripped out. When the fine wine boom started in the 1980s, demand for (red) Zinfandel picked up considerably and these vineyards became prized for the low yields from the sometimes century–old vines.

    Rather than use the leftover juice from premium Zinfandel production, Sutter Home (and most producers today) grow grapes specifically for use in White Zinfandel in places like the Central Valley of California. Production costs are substantially lower and fruit quality is not as important to the final taste as it would be in a dry table wine.
    References :
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Zinfandel

  5. Pontac says:

    Despite what others have said, it is made from the juice of the red skinned grape Zinfandel.

    When it was first made, it was white — I had it in the late 1970′s and it was white and dry, but consumer demand meant it got sweeter and pinker over time.

    The rest of the information about it has already been copied from Wikipedia
    References :

  6. cutepixielove says:

    there is white zinfindel and there is red zinfindel, the red is made with the whole grape skin…..the white has only part if the skin
    References :

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