California
California has a long history as a wine-producing state, dating back to the early 1700s, when Mexican explorers first brought grapes to California to supply their missions with sacramental wine. Propelled by the Gold Rush and the destruction of many European vineyards by Phylloxera in the 1800s, California was quickly recognized as an ideal wine-growing region.
Today California is responsible for over 90 percent of wine produced in the United States, and is one of the main wine-producing regions of the world. Though its history is long, California did not show itself on the world wine scene until the 1970s, when it began to be recognized as a region capable of producing wines to compete with those of long-established European wineries.
As many as 300 varieties of grape have been grown in California over the last 300 years, testimony to its varied and benevolent climate for growing grapes. The wine growing regions of the state stretch over 700 miles from Mendocino in the North to Temecula in the south.
Three of the best-known growing regions in California are
- Napa Valley
- Sonoma County
- Carneros, in the northern part of the state
Napa Valley is perhaps the most well known, although in fact, it accounts for only a small percentage of the wine produced in California. A small valley with diverse soil and climate, Napa Valley vineyards produce fine wines with a diversity of flavor. The wines most typically associated with the Napa Valley is cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay.
Sonoma County, also sometimes called California's Provence, is a larger, more diverse wine-producing area. It has been a prominent growing region since the beginning of the 19th century, and family vineyards are common. While Napa is known for its cabernet sauvignon, Sonoma's climate and geography make it ideal for many varietals. With generally warm days and cool nights, it is an ideal grape-growing area. Pinot noir, zinfandel, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc do particularly well.
Carneros, just north of San Francisco, is a region known for its cool, foggy weather. Two grapes ideally suited to this climate, and the main players in the region, are chardonnay and pinot noir. These are also the two common grapes blended for sparkling wines, and thus this region is also known for its sparkling wines.
Other major wine producing regions in California include:
- Mendocino and Lake Counties, a more rugged, natural part of the state where chardonnay, gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot noir and zinfandel are mostly produced, along with sparkling wines
- The Sierra Foothills, with an ideal climate for growing red Mediterranean varieties, most notably zinfandel, as well as dessert wines
- Livermore Valley, with a climate similar to that of southern France, and ideally suited to Semillon and sauvignon blanc
- Northern Central Coast (a little bit of everything — Cabernet, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay)
- Central Coast, home to California's "Rhone Rangers," those producers who broke with the Bordeaux fixation (Cab-Merlot) and planted instead Rhone varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Marsanne and Rousanne.