The Wines of California
A Little Californian Wine History
Grapes were introduced in California by Spanish missionaries, with the original harvests being used for communion wines and sweet, fortified styles. As population and demand grew in the Gold Rush of 1849, plantings naturally increased. By the late 1800s, wine making was firmly established and the University of California became a centre for wine research and education.
In the mid 20th century, many of the wines produced in California were lifting European names to help sell them despite having little to no resemblance to the styles they purported to emulate - Chablis, Burgundy etc. This practice has now been prevented by various trade laws, but established brands are still allowed to use these names on their labels if sold in the US only.
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon soon became established as the dominant grapes and the industry saw an overhaul, pioneered by André Tchelistchef, of winemaking and growing techniques. In 1976, Californian wine catapulted to stardom in the 'Judgement of Paris'. A chance meeting between a Paris based British wine expert wandering the Napa Valley in search of some ‘Californian inspiration’ and a struggling local wine maker, made wine history. The now famous and hence not surprisingly expensive Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the coveted award of best wine presented, by a panel of salubrious French wine experts. As you can imagine, the French judges, who had voted the Californian wines themselves, were outraged. Since then, the rise has been ever onward.
Today California is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the largest wine producing state in the US, making over 80% of all wine. That means that this state alone is the world's fourth largest producer of wines!
Of course, a majority of this production is for ‘ordinary wines’ aimed at the budgeting end of the market, but to think that they only produce these is a disservice to the great wines made there that can rival the best from anywhere in the world. After all, the 1976 ‘Judgement of Paris’ is testament to their real quality.
Although we may not be able to extend our budgets to a ‘Chateau Montelena’ on a regular basis, there are many Californian wines now that have launched themselves on the back of this success, and quite rightly so!
The Grape Varieties of California
Chardonnay is by far the most important white variety in California, enjoying the sunshine so much that it rejoices in this climate producing wines across the full spectrum of wine styles, ranging from interestingly sweet, to dry and ‘buttery’ wines of great depth and quality. The recent trend has been away from the buttery style towards a more premium Burgundian offering, although the popularity of Bread and Butter wines certainly challenges this.
Sauvignon Blanc resides here too and is generally fruity and made in the New Zealand style. Oaked styles in California are where the real point of difference is, which tend to have more body and texture with toasty oak notes. These are well worth trying. Sauvignon is sometimes labelled as Fume Blanc in California.
Viognier is still low in plantings, but the very best make for strong contenders to its original French home of Chateau Grillet, in the northern Rhone valley region of Condrieu.
Cabernet Sauvignon is simply California's very best grape. Styles are varied and understanding location and winemaking decisions are key to getting the right Californian style for you. Generally, cooler vineyards make fresher wines with herbal flavours, whilst warmer vineyards make super concentrated, ripe and tannic wines. Pretty much every Cabernet is aged for some time in oak, with a lot of new French oak to impart strong oak characteristics.
Pinot Noir also has some fine examples, particularly from cooler regions. Sweet cherry and red berry fruits with a little new oak influence can make stunning wines.
Syrah has shown great potential in recent years (along with other Rhone varieties such as Grenache and Mouvedre). It does best in cooler regions producing wines with a similar profile to the Rhone's best.
Zinfandel is without a doubt one of California’s great contributions to the wine world, often considered their signature variety. In Puglia, this is Primitivo, but California is really the only other place that nails it, and many would argue to a better degree than Italy. It thrives in warmer climates and can be found mostly in California's Central Valley. They make big spicy reds or love it/loathe it white Zinfandel, a sweet Rose. The best reds can be made from super old vines (over 100 years old), with a full body, ripe tannin, juicy black fruits and overt vanilla flavour from oak.
Merlot may not necessarily be famed for the great wines of California, but it makes excelent table wine here. Fruity, approachable and soft on its own, or a worthy component of Bordeaux style blends.
Petite Syrah, also known as Durif, is more planted in California than anywhere else in the world. It is suited to warm conditions making full-bodied wines with high tannin and acidity, and rich, black fruit flavours. It is a great blending component or perfect for plush red lovers on its own.
Californian Wine Regions
California has 147 different AVAs (wine regions, a bit like appellations). These are large areas that extend hundreds of miles, to very small but geographically and climactically distinguished areas, which can overlap counties and AVA borders. Below is a selection of the most significant Californian wine regions.
North Coast AVA
Central Coast AVA
Central Valley AVA
Sierra Foothills AVA
South Coast AVA