When it comes to selecting a wine to pair with the Thanksgiving meal, what better choice than Zinfandel, which celebrates the American heritage while also complementing the cuisine.

"The taste and flavor of Zinfandel, known as the All-American grape, perfectly harmonizes with the foods traditionally served at Thanksgiving dinners across the country," says Eric Cinnamon, winemaker for Rancho Zabaco, a leading Zinfandel producer. "The versatile nature of Zinfandel supports both the basic turkey and the complex side dishes of cranberry sauce and stuffing. It provides jammy, ripe fruit with layers of texture and spice with a low amount of tannin."

Early clones of the Zinfandel grape were first imported to the United States in the 1820s from an Austrian. In 2002, Dr. Carol Meredith, Ph.D., professor at the University of California at Davis, identified Zinfandel's origins as that of a Croatian grape, Crljenak Kastelanski. Enologists have also noted that Zinfandel and the Southern Italian Primitivo grape share identical DNA characteristics. Zinfandel, like Thanksgiving, recognizes America's origins, diverse backgrounds, and mixture of cultures.

Although Zinfandel was first born in Europe, it is now almost exclusively grown and produced, by the Zinfandel name, in the United States. While there are approximately 500,000 acres in California planted to Zinfandel, the terroir in Sonoma County is especially suitable for this grape. In fact, its roots to Sonoma County can be traced to 1859.

Rancho Zabaco produces five styles of big, bold Zinfandel from grapes in different growing regions. From the intensity of small-lot, single vineyard wines like Chiotti and Stefani in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, to the robust Reserve Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Heritage Vines and the approachable Dancing Bull Zinfandel, Cinnamon aims to offer choice in flavor and price for every Thanksgiving table. Rancho Zabaco is named for one of the original Mexican land grants in Northern Sonoma County.