Filed under: Wine , West Coast Zinfandel grapes are one of the first types of the fruit that were grown in California, with some vineyards dating back over 100 years and still producing fruit from the "old growth" vines. Generally, the zin grapes were first used only for blending with other grapes in wine making, but during the 1960s and '70s, pure zinfandels produced in California came into great popularity. The fruity, light flavor of white zinfandel introduced many people to wine, while potent red zinfandels continue to gain in popularity. Celebrating its heritage as the "original" California wine, state senators voted to make zinfandel California's official historic wine . The first draft of the bill actually called to make it the official wine of California, not qualifying the designation with the word "historic," but lawmakers did not want to single one wine (or grape) out over the others that are grown in the state.

Filed under: Chocolate , Newspapers , On the Blogs , The History of... , America History buffs with a sweet tooth can now get an idea of what chocolate tasted like to American colonists. American Heritage Chocolate , made by Mars, aims to recreate the chocolate of yore by using centuries-old methods and recipes. Stone ground cocoa beans result in a grittier chocolate infused with spices such as cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, red pepper, orange and vanilla. The chocolate comes in bars, sticks and a drink mix. As is fitting for a historical chocolate, American Heritage is available only at Fort Ticonderoga, Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, Mount Vernon and The Smithsonian. An AP story has more . [Via USA TODAY ] Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Food Oddities They say that fruitcakes improve with age, but that may just be an excuse that non-fruitcake lovers have come up with to avoid eating them. Lance Nesta, a man in Wisconsin, found a 44-year old fruitcake in his mother's attic while cleaning out the house. The cake was shipped to him as a taste of home by his mother and aunt in 1962 while he was in the military and stationed in Alaska. He didn't want the cake (and neither did his military buddies), so he brought it home with him.