ZINFANDEL ADVOCATES & PRODUCERS LAUNCHES THE CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL TRAIL
The California Zinfandel Trail is Geared for Virtual and Live Exploration of Zinfandel
Website Tool Creates Travel Itineraries – ZAP Hosts Virtual Tours
The California Zinfandel Trail: EXPLORE CALIFORNIA – Find Your Flavor.
Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) announced that it officially launched The California Zinfandel Trail, as of March 29, 2021. Zinfandel lovers and the Zinfandel-curious now have a powerful new tool to explore wineries and plan custom itineraries. This new platform is designed to boost tourism and raise interest in wineries that produce America’s time-honored heritage wine, Zinfandel.
“Consumers and wineries alike will benefit from this fast-track connection directly to Zinfandel winemakers, featuring small production artisanal wines that are available to consumers only by visiting the winery in person or virtually,” according to ZAP Executive Director, Rebecca Robinson. “So many of these wines are from historic vineyards and come with wonderful, colorful family stories that are the fabric of American agricultural heritage,” she continues.
Mindful of travel restrictions due to the COVID 19 pandemic, virtual visits and tastings have been made available, in addition to the traditional in-person winery tastings and experiences. Visitors should contact wineries in advance about their latest visiting policies and experiences.
The Zinfandel Trail website includes an easy-to-use interactive map of California’s Zinfandel wineries for plotting and planning itineraries to vineyards across California. Here, visitors can explore Zinfandel winery experiences by region, such as vineyard and winery tours, specialized tastings, picnicking, food service, and pet-friendly policies. In addition to winery listings are featured winery to winery routes with beautiful Zinfandel vineyard images, regional travel blogs, points of interest, and winemaker stories.
In addition to the California Zinfandel Trail mapping website, ZAP is also creating virtual tours and tastings offered for sale to those wanting to sniff, swirl, and sip while enjoying a themed tour on Zoom hosted by travel experts. The first three-part series will begin in late April with a tour of Sonoma Valley, followed in May by sessions on Women in Wine and in June, Vineyard Tours.
Virtual Tour dates:
Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Tour | Thursday, April 29, 2021 – 4:00 p.m. PDT
HOST: Tim Zahner, Executive Director, Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau
Women in Wine Zinfandel Tour | Thursday, May 27, 2021 – 4:00 p.m. PDT
HOST: Lauren Mowery, Travel Editor, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Zinfandel Vineyard Tours | Thursday, June 24, 2021 – 4:00 p.m. PDT
HOST: Paul Rubio, award-winning travel journalist AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler and more
The virtual sessions will provide photographic essays, interactive discussion, and in-depth guided tastings from three wineries based on each theme–the next best thing to visiting the wineries and vineyards in person.
Visit this website to learn more about the virtual sessions and secure your spot.
“This program gives us the opportunity to expand Zinfandel’s appreciation and reach through a new platform,” explains Robinson.
Over the last several years, ZAP has successfully reached millions of consumers to improve awareness and adoption of Zinfandel, America’s true heritage wine grape variety. The “Zinfandel Stories” and “Legendary Zinfandel Vineyards” campaigns were delivered with the aim to preserve, protect and continue to grow Zinfandel, both in the fields of California and as a wine category.
“Conditions are slowly improving for travel,” says Robinson. “We’re confident, based on our previous campaign successes, that we’ve got something special here, a unique tool that will last into the future, for when tourism rebounds.” Until then, we’ve developed what we believe are very entertaining, educational virtual sessions that will make people excited to hit The California Zinfandel Trail when they’re ready.”
About Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP)
Created for Zin lovers by Zin lovers, Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. ZAP actively involves hundreds of wineries and thousands of enthusiasts. Together, ZAP is gaining a national and international understanding of Zinfandel as America’s grape, serving as an innovator and industry leader in the world of wine. ZAP members enjoy benefits throughout the year including access to ZAP’s Premier Winery Experience program. ZAP can be found online on their website, on Facebook and Twitter.
Funding for California’s Zinfandel Trail was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM190100XXXXG008. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
