California

Californian wine does not begin and end with Napa Valley. From Mendocino on the rugged coast north of San Francisco, down to Temecula, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, are fertile vine growing areas growing every variety of grape and producing every style of wine, including sparkling, sweet and fortified.

Wines have been made in California since Spanish Catholic missionaries planted grapes to make communion wine. Today's industry is highly sophisticated, ranging from large operations like Kendall Jackson, to tiny, high quality "boutique" wineries run by enthusiasts like Shafer and Caymus.

Geography and climate

California is renowned for its “microclimates” – small areas with localized weather patterns that may be very different from other areas very close by. For example, some of the best sites for growing wine grapes in California sit in transverse (east/west) valleys that allow cool, foggy ocean air to moderate temperatures. The majority of quality wine grapes are grown in the North and Central Coastal areas of the state. The foothills of the Sierra Mountains enjoy a cooler climate than much of the hot Central Valley, and is another area for premium quality.

Grape varieties

More than 40 varieties of red wine grapes are grown in California, but the overwhelming majority are the “noble” grape varieties of France, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, plus Merlot and Syrah (Shiraz). Honorable mention grape variety, Zinfandel. The origins of Zinfandel are shrouded in mystery, with some evidence suggesting a relationship to the Italian Primitivo. Zinfandel can be made into everything from pale pink "blush" wine (the fabled “White Zinfandel”) that is fruity and uncomplicated, to powerful, dark and tannic reds that are full of blueberry fruit and pepper.

Chardonnay – the white grape of Burgundy – is the king of white wine grapes in California also, though small quantities of twenty-some other varieties (most notably Sauvignon Blanc) are also cultivated.

California’s Russian River Valley is known for delicate Pinot Noirs, the Alexander Valley for structured Cabernets, Santa Barbara County for well-balanced Syrah wines, and the Dry Creek Valley for luscious Zinfandels.