Zinfandel has been grown for some time in Australia. Among the pioneers was Cape Mentelle in the Margaret River Region.Zinfandel red wines are often robust and have moderate to high alcohol. Thus they can be combined with all sorts of barbecued meats.

They will also stand up well with spicy Asian dishes, say steak with capsicums and black bean sauce.

You might even try Zinfandel with game meats, say wild boar, hare or grilled kangaroo fillets.

Zinfandel history is thought to come from Primitivo of Italy, and a great favourite with Americans.Like Chambourcin, it is sometimes vinified as a pink wine but can make inky black blackcurrant and char - edged monsters.

Zinfandel was regarded as California's own grape for a century ... until it was discovered that it was the same as the ancient Italian variety, Primitivo.

Zinfandel arrived in California, via Boston, from Europe in the 1850s. By the 1870s the grapes were referred to as Zinfandel, and the original vines as Black Saint Peters. Californian Zin produces wines in a wide range of styles, from lighter reds full of elegant, crushed berry flavors to darker, full-bodied reds, rich in spicy cassis. Generally, the older the vines the richer and more complex the wine.

Zinfandel also thrives in Sonoma County, Central Coast's Lodi and other parts of California, where it is also used to produce its sweeter rosé counterpart, White Zinfandel.