While the USA is the world's fourth-largest wine producer, California alone is responsible for
some 90 per cent of it, so it's clear that the balance is spread rather thinly across the
remaining states, especially if you take the burgeoning Pacific Northwest region and New York
State out of the equation.
California
America's principal wine state was the world's leading force in creating and marketing varietal wines
in the 1970s. But equally important was the ability of its pioneers to challenge France as the world’s
greatest quality
wine nation by turning traditional winemaking practices on their head with huge
success. Indeed, in 1976, two of its wines beat some of
France's most illustrious wines hands down in
a blind tasting competition.
By the 1980s, the quizzical wine drinker could splash out on anything
rom the top-notch, Bordeaux style Opus One to the highly quaffable, more affordable carafe wines.
But bust always has the knack of following boom in California and in the early 1990s this came in
the form of a crippling attack of phylloxera and many growers were forced to replant their vine yards.
This, however, provided the perfect opportunity to introduce new clones matched to optimum growing
conditions and to address other key viticultural issues. California is bigger than Italy, after all,
and there is a complex mosaic of soils and terrain and in spite of its 'land of sunshine' reputation
many parts are distinctly chilly owing to the fog that is funnelled up the valleys from the Humboldt
Current cooled Pacific Ocean. Indeed, some areas are too cold and wet to support viticulture.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
California's major wine regions
And their most important AVAs
Carneros
This AVA (shared between Napa and Sonoma counties) is an important location for Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir. It's cool, thanks to summer morning fogs and the winds that follow as they burn off,
so the grapes are high in acidity, making them ideal for sparkling wines, though good still wines
are also produced.
Central Valley
This vast, baking hot, arid wilderness is California's most prolific grape-producing region,
responsible for over 50 per cent of the state's total wine crush, though most of the grapes are
turned into jug wine for domestic consumption. The world's largest winery, owned by E & J Gallo,
is located here and makes almost as much wine as the whole of Australia. Some thought! The most
important AVA is Lodi, a popular source of grapes that often end up in other AVA wines. Under
Californian labelling rules, up to 25 per cent of any quality Californian wine can be made from
grapes grown outside the origin stated on the label - and Lodi is very often that 'outside origin'.
Lake County
Cut off from the influence of the Pacific Ocean by the coastal mountains, this land locked county
is good territory for Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Rhone and Italian varietals
owing to its relative warmth. Most of the vineyards are concentrated in Clear Lake AVA. The eponymous
lake is California's largest.
Napa County
Of all of this county's somewhat fragmented AVAs, Napa Valley has attained worldwide tame as the
premier wine area of the USA and is home to 30 per cent of the state's wineries. Grape growers and
winemakers alike combine cutting -edge technology with traditional techniques, and many of California's
finest, most strapping Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots spring from here
(especially in the sub appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and Stags Leap District), wines that
Robert Louis Stevenson described as 'bottled poetry'.
Extract from “Wine – a comprehensive guide to drinking and appreciating wine”,
written by Julie Arkell. London. Cape Town. Sydney. Auckland: New Holland Publishers, 2003.
wine tasting in california
california
san francisco wine country
temecula wine country
wine list
wine store
california zinfandel wines
wine vineyards in california
sonoma valley wine tours
wine tasting events
wine gifts
napa wine
wine spectator
sonoma wine country
wine ratings
rose wine
wine club
oregon wine tours
santa barbara wine tasting tours
temecula wine tours
best wine
wine tasting party
wine merchants
northern california wine
california map
southern california wine country
san francisco wine
wine racks
san diego wine tours
oregon pinot noir
wine and spirits
wine sales
napa
sonoma wineries
wine tasting california
french wine
california dessert wine
wine prices
wine sellers
california wine country bed and breakfast
sonoma wine tours
southern california wine
winery tours
san francisco tours
napa valley tours
vintage wine
best red wine
wine searcher
wine california
pinot noir red wine
opus one wine
paso robles wine tours
italian wine
california wine fair
oregon wine country
napa valley cabernet
california wineries list
shiraz wine
wine tasting temecula ca
northern california wine country
wine country tours california
california wineries map
chardonnay wine
wine train
oregon wine
wine country in california
cabernet wine
winery
wine on line
wine tours california
napa valley cabernet sauvignon
wine making
california white wines
wine delivery
australian wine
wine refrigerator
discount wine
california wine storage
malbec wine
caymus wine
california wine tours napa
types of wine
sonoma wine
organic wine
napa valley hotels
paso robles wineries
cabernet
wine tours in california
napa valley winery map
sonoma wine tasting
online wine sales
temecula wineries map
temecula wine tasting packages
online wine store
good wine
order wine
wine coolers
food and wine pairing
pinot grigio wine
wine tasting san diego
california wine tasting
california wine tours
california wine country tours
california red wine
california wine club
california wine regions
california wine online
california white wine
napa valley wine
california wine country map
california wine gift
california wine valley
california wine map
california wine country vacations
california wine merchant
san francisco wine tours
california wine store
california wine vacations
california wine country hotels
california sparkling wine
california wine company
california wine ratings
wine tasting
california wine country lodging
wine
california wine baskets
california wine sales
wine country
california pinot noir
red wine
best california wines
california wine institute
napa wine train
california wine guide
pinot noir
cabernet sauvignon
california wine train
buy california wine
napa wine country
napa valley wine tours from san francisco
wine tours
temecula wine tasting
napa valley wine tours
california wine clubs
california cabernet sauvignon
wine country california
napa valley wineries
cabernet sauvignon wine
wine country tours
california wine industry
wine warehouse california
california wine transport
classic wines of california
santa barbara wine tasting
buy wine online
buy wine
california port wine
napa wine tours
california wine tour
wine tasting tours
california wine events
pinot noir wine
california wine gift baskets
santa barbara wine country
santa barbara wine tours
california wine tasting tour
california wine country vacation packages
napa valley wine train
temecula wineries
san francisco wine country tours
fine wine
san francisco
temecula wine
california wine country trips
wine distributors california
wine cellar
napa valley wine tasting
california wine country tour
california wine festival
temecula wine tasting tours
santa barbara wine
merlot wine
napa wineries
california wine tasting tours
napa wine tasting
santa barbara wineries
wine shop
napa valley
wine tasting notes
white wine
california pinot noir wines
california wine regions map
cabernet sauvignon red wine
california wine grapes
california winery tours
california wine country vacation
wine tasting in southern california
wine online
wine delivery california
wine tasting los angeles
