1979 Caymus Zinfandel

Caymus Vineyards' roots trace back to the Wagner family, who left San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake to farm in Rutherford, Napa Valley. By 1915 they were producing bulk wines and during the 1940s they were known for their excellent grapes and home made wines. The commercial winery was founded in 1972 when the family decided to produce wine as a business. By the late 1980s Caymus wines were winning prestigious awards. Today the winery is run by Chuck Wagner, who was born and raised on the estate, and the wines are considered some of the valley’s finest. The estate includes more than 60 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. Caymus produces about 70,000 cases a year.

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

Zinfandel is a black-skinned grape, but 85% of the wine produced is made into a rosy “White Zinfandel.” Red Zin is far more complex and bold, while still being light-bodied. It grows in popularity as winemakers continue to experiment with new styles and blends.