I recently discovered local Boeger Winery’s very quaffable Primitivo, a spicy, lush red wine that would be a beautiful partner for barbecued steaks, ribs or a robust pasta dish. Interestingly, Primitivo – widely grown in Southern Italy – is genetically identical to the American Zinfandel grape. This intriguing fact was discovered by Carole Meredith, a UC Davis grapevine geneticist who proved that Zinfandel came originally from Croatia. “The grape we call Zinfandel and the grape the Italians call Primitivo are both Crljenak Kastelanski,” declared Meredith in 2002. Crljenak Kastelanski, she noted, is a grape variety from Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. Boeger’s Primitivo may have a complicated history, but it’s darned tasty.
For more information, visit www.boegerwinery.com
