Thank Goodness For The Gold Rush
It is because of the 1849 Gold Rush that Zinfandel became the popular wine that we know it is today. Before the Gold Rush the most popular grape in California was mission, a hardy but not very flavourful grape planted by the Spanish missionaries. When the miners because to arrive in droves, Zinfandel replaced the wine of choice because it had a much richer texture and flavour and was much easier to cultivate. After the Gold was over and all of the miners had left, the grape continued to be grown because it was so simple to grow given the limited supplies. Without the need for any sort of supporting framework, the grapes were planted and grown in a small shrub fashion. Today, you can still see some of these bushes around, they are about 3 feet tall bushy vines that look as if they were just stuck in the ground.





















