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People in Wine · Grape genetics & wine detective work
Carole Meredith
Carole Meredith helped turn questions about grape identity and parentage into investigations that could be tested with DNA.
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The quick profile
- The connection
- Grape genetics & wine detective work
- The place
- UC Davis · California & Croatian connections
- The time
- DNA discoveries in the 1990s and 2000s
A familiar grape with an unexpected family
In 1997, research associated with UC Davis geneticist Carole Meredith identified Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc as the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. That finding offers an immediate connection to three grapes already in our collection. Parentage does not make the offspring a blend of finished wines: Cabernet Sauvignon is a distinct variety, grown and fermented in its own right.
The Zinfandel investigation
Meredith’s group worked with Croatian scientists Ivan Pejić and Edi Maletić to investigate Zinfandel’s identity. UC Davis reported that DNA testing in 2001 confirmed a match with Croatia’s Crljenak Kaštelanski. Primitivo belongs to that same identity story. Mike Grgich’s interest and Croatian connections help connect the research to our existing people and winery entries, while the scientific collaborators deserve explicit credit.
Same variety is not the same bottle
Knowing that grape names can identify the same variety does not mean wines made in different places must taste identical. Nor is a parent–offspring relationship the same as identity: Plavac Mali and Zinfandel are distinct grapes. Separate those two kinds of relationship before using genetics to interpret a label. Climate, site, farming, vintage and cellar decisions still help explain the finished wine.
A few useful time markers
- 1997
- Cabernet Sauvignon’s parentage identified through DNA work.
- 2001
- DNA comparison confirms the Croatian Zinfandel match.
- 2002
- UC Davis publishes its account of the Zinfandel findings.
Three things to notice
- A grape’s parentage and its synonyms are different questions.
- A crossing creates a distinct variety; a blend combines wines or grapes in winemaking.
- Scientific discoveries often depend on teams and international collaboration.
Try a little discovery
Draw two diagrams. First, connect Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc to their offspring Cabernet Sauvignon. Second, put Zinfandel, Primitivo and Crljenak Kaštelanski around a shared-variety centre. Explain in one sentence why the diagrams describe different relationships.
A few questions worth uncorking
Is Cabernet Sauvignon a blend of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc wines?
No. It is a distinct grape variety descended from those parents.
Are Plavac Mali and Zinfandel interchangeable names?
No. They are related but distinct varieties; do not confuse parentage with identity.
Follow the connections
Behind this introduction
Sources checked 16 October 2026. First-hand accounts supply historical and technical context; discovery exercises are Talk to the Cork editorial interpretations. Check the producer’s information for a particular wine, vintage or visit.
- UC Davis: Zinfandel’s hidden roots
- UC Davis: Cabernet Sauvignon’s parentage and later research
- UC Davis Foundation Plant Services: Zinfandel history