"I've been fooling around with zinfandel my whole career," says Randle Johnson. "Sure, I was a cabernet sauvignon guy, too, but all of us cab guys want to try our hand at zinfandel."

Zinfandel, it turns out, presents challenges even for veteran winemakers like Johnson. First, it's seen as the All-American grape, brought to California around 1849 by Gold Rush miners who turned to agriculture. But it has never earned full respect; critics say it'll never be a "noble" grape like cabernet sauvignon, never make a truly elegant wine. American winemakers want to prove them wrong.

Second, zin will get away from a grower who doesn't watch it closely. Picked too late, the grapes can pack so much fruit sugar they'll produce an almost port-like 15 percent alcohol when fermented, with cooked fruit flavors akin to jam.

Third, more than almost any other grape, zinfandel's bunches ripen unevenly. "You can have green berries and overripe raisins in the same bunch," Johnson says.

Over decades, he has figured out what he wants: a wine that takes advantage of that lush fruit but keeps it under control. "I want my zins to be zinny but not jammy. I'm looking for red raspberry fruit, boysenberries, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg."

Finally, the California native is getting his chance to take on those challenges. He's the consulting winemaker for the Hess Collection. He's director of winemaking for Bodega Colome, a new winery in northwestern Argentina. Working with about 15 independent

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growers in Mendocino and Amador counties, Johnson is making 15,000 cases a year of zinfandel and petite sirah. "I find the growers, I babysit them, I walk the vineyards and then I go out and sell it," he said.

Johnson likes to taste his zinfandel grapes for ripeness rather than using machines that measure their sugars. He's a good example of the lengths to which winemakers will go to make zin the way they want it. Will he ever make a noble wine from zinfandel?

"It's like diving for pearls," he says. "Some of the wines will go the distance and age very well. But not as many as cabernet sauvignon."

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

-2006 Artezin Zinfandel, Mendocino County (91 percent zinfandel, 9 percent petite sirah): red raspberry and clove flavors, intense, lush fruit, soft tannins, crisp acid; $15.

RECOMMENDED

- 2006 Artezin Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma (88 percent zinfandel, 11 percent petite sirah, 1 percent carignan): black cherries and cloves, a bit leaner, with firm tannins and acids; $25.

- 2006 Artezin Petite Sirah, Mendocino County (81 percent petite sirah, 13 percent zinfandel): very dark in color; aromas of violets; flavors of both tart and black cherries; rich; bitter chocolate finish; $25.