Zinfandel

The origin of this variety has been much written about. It was introduced to California from Austria under the name Zinfandel in the early 19th century. In the 1970s, it was identified with Primitivo in Pouilles, where it was introduced from Croatia in the late 18th century. In 2011, its original name in Croatia was found: Tribidrag. DNA tests have also shown that it's a parent of Plavac Mali, the most widely grown red grape variety in Croatia. In Switzerland, this early variety with high alcohol levels has only a minimal presence.