California has over 427,000 acres (1,730 km2) planted under vines and ships close to 500 million gallons of wine per year accounting for almost 90% of the total wine produced in the United States. There are over 107 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), including the well known Napa, Russian River Valley, Rutherford and Sonoma Valley AVAs. The Central Valley is California’s largest wine region stretching for 300 miles (480 km) from the Sacramento Valley south to the San Joaquin Valley. This one region produces nearly 75% of all California wine grapes and includes many of California’s bulk, box and jug wine producers like Gallo, Franzia and Bronco Wine Company.

Over a hundred grape varieties are grown in California including French, Italian and Spanish wine varietals as well as hybrid grapes and new vitis vinifera varieties developed at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. The seven leading grape varieties are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel.

North Coast

The North Coast includes most of the northern coast of California, north of San Francisco Bay.  The large North Coast AVA covers most of the region.   Notable wine regions include Napa Valley and Sonoma County and the smaller sub AVAs within them.  Mendocino and Lake County are also part of this region.

Napa Valley is California’s 3rd highest tourist destination behind the Golden Gate Bridge and Disneyland and worthy of its own discussion. Some of the worlds biggest names can be found within this small section of the North Coast region.

North Coast's Napa Valley

Joseph Phelps: Most notable for Bordeaux style red, vineyards in Stags Leap, Rutherford, St. Helena and Oakville.

Cakebread Cellars: Reputation built on big, rich Chardonnays, first vintage bottled in 1973, primary vineyard is Rutherford A.V.A.

Opus One: Founded in 1979 as collaboration of Mondavi and Rothschild, Bordeaux style blend of Cab, Cab franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot
Silver Oak WineryPrimary focus on Cabernet Sauvignon with vineyards in Alexander Valley A.V.A. and Oakville A.V.A.

Although it is not required to memorize the history or location of every California A.V.A., it is wise to pay very close attention to Napa and its sub-appellations.

Central Coast

Includes most of the Central Coast of California and the area south and west of San Francisco Bay down to Santa Barbara County. The large Central Coast AVA. Notable wine regions in this area include Santa Clara Valley AVA, Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, San Lucas AVA, Paso Robles AVA, Santa Maria Valley AVA and Santa Ynez Valley. Most Notable:

Paso Robles: Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast and is the fastest growing A.V.A. in California. Varietal’s produced primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zin, Chardonnay, home to Vina Robles Winery.

Santa Lucia Highlands Located in Monterey County, at 1200sqft above sea level, primary grape produced is Chardonnay; most notable wines produced are sourced from winery located in another region of California.

South Coast

Includes portion of Southern California, namely the coastal regions south of Los Angeles down to the border with Mexico. Notable wine regions in this area include Temecula Valley AVA, Antelope Valley/Leona Valley AVA, San Pasqual Valley AVA and Ramona Valley AVA.

Traditionally, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes dominated the acreage here. However, in recent times the climate of the South Coast has fostered a new age of growing hearty Rhone, Italian and Spanish grapes, perfect for red varietals such as bold Syrah, spicy Tempranillo and white varietals such as crisp Pinot Grigio.

There are almost twenty-five wineries in this area. Callaway Vineyard & Winery is the largest producer; others include Maurice Car’rie Vineyards & Winery, Culbertson Winery, and Mount Palomar.

Central Valley

– Includes California’s Central Valley and the Sierra Foothills AVA. Notable wine regions in this area include the Lodi AVA and Clarksburg AVA. Central Valley Wineries produces the majority of the state’s wine, yet few producers use the name on their label. This is because many people associate the region with mass produced, cheap wines. Some notable areas:

Lodi: Primarily small family farms, Zinfandel do very well in the area. Abundance Winery is located here and we carry many wines sourced from this A.V.A.

Clarksburg: Clarksburg Wineries are located in the Sacramento Delta. Much of the fruit is purchased by non-resident wine producers, but a handful of Clarksburg wineries are turning heads with Chenin Blanc and Petite Sirah.

French Labels

Generally, most wine regions within France follow the same basic principles as shown by the Bordeaux example below. But, there are fundamental and sometimes very subtle differences from region to region.

French Wine Label

Cru Bourgeois is an official classification for Bordeaux.Château Lamothe Bergeron is the name of the wine.1988 is the vintage date (the year of production). 12% is the alcohol level of the wine, and opposite, the bottle volume The Appellation Contrôlée of this wine. A.O.C. or appellation is the sign of highest quality in France. Each wine area his its own controlling body which ensures standards. This particular appellation is Haut-Medoc, a sub district within the Medoc district of Bordeaux. Mis en Bouteille en Château means the wine was made and bottled by the proprietor, not blended by a third party. Usually a good sign. Note: Bordeaux specific labels are presented in greater detail within the regional review section of the guide.

Spanish Labels

Generally, the labels are intended to convey information about the contents within the bottle; however, the majority of the jargon on the bottle has little to do with what you will actually be drinking – tending to confuse the average customer and server. Additionally, the labels will be, almost exclusively, in Spanish making it even more difficult. Here are the most important phrases helping to identify the wine within the bottle.

La Rioja Alta is the producer. Vina Ardanza is the name of the wine and below, the equivalent of Mis en Bouteille au Château: bottled by the proprietor. Reserva is the quality classification of the wine – there are strict rules for what is plain Rioja, Rioja Reserva, and Rioja Gran Reserva. Denominación de Origen Calificada – the official stamp of quality in Rioja.

Spanish Wine Label

German Labels

German wine labels are notoriously difficult to read. Apart from the problems Germany brought upon itself during the 1970s and 80s by bottling huge amounts of over sweetened, cheap wines for the UK market, it has always had another problem with the consumer: its obscure and complicated labeling.

French Wine Label

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – specified region of origin.1989er – year of vintage Avelsbacher Avelsbach is the Village and Hammerstein the vineyard from which the wine comes. Riesling - grape variety. Kabinett is a degree of quality within the Qualitätswein mit Prädikat category, which is Germany’s highest category. Lesser wines are marked simply, “Qualitätswein” or “QbA”. Below this comes “Tafelwein”. AP number – strict legal tests have been completed on this wine. Erzeugerabfüllung - the equivalent of “Mis en Bouteille au Château” again – producer bottled.

United States Labels

All wine bottle labeling in the U.S. falls under the guidelines set by the American Viticultural Area definitions and thus follow typical varietal standards. Although reading the label is not difficult, some of the rules can be confusing. Here is a summary of American wine labeling laws.

Growing Region
85 percent of grapes must come from the specified A.V.A.

Varietal Content
General: 75 percent must be listed varietal
Oregon: 100 percent must be listed varietal with exception of Cabernet Sauvignon which requires 90 percent varietal.

Estate Bottled
100 percent of grapes must come from vineyards owned or controlled by the winery, in the same A.V.A. as the winery.

”Vintner Grown” or “Proprietor Grown”
Used if the vineyard is in a different A.V.A. from winery

Vintage
95 percent of grapes must come from the specified vintage

Riesling

Riesling is a white grape variety with wines originating in Germany’s Rhein and Mosel river valleys and spans a broad range of styles, being produced in both dry and sweet variations.  Dry styles will likely be sourced from the Alsace region of France and “sweet” variations can be found anywhere from Germany to the Northwestern United States.

Aroma of the classic Riesling will lean towards the fruity side with apple, peach and pear standing at the forefront mixed with delicate floral undertones and even petroleum with some examples.  The grape tends to take on many characteristics of the vineyard soil, or “terroir-expressive”, so hints of mineral will exist as it’s tasted along with flavors of tropical fruit.

Riesling wines are very light bodied and are great recommendations for dishes like Thai Curry Shrimp or Fried Oysters.

Pinot gris

The white varietal Pinot gris, and its Italian counterpart Pinot Grigio, has a rose colored skin and is considered to be a mutant clone of Pinot noir.  Pinot gris has continued to increase in popularity and has major plantings in every major wine growing region across the globe.  Pinot Grigio can be found in Italy’s northern most wine region of Lombardy.

Wines made from the Pinot gris vary greatly and are dependent on the region and wine making style they are from. Alsatian Pinot gris are medium to full bodied wines with a rich, somewhat floral bouquet. They tend to be spicy in comparisons with other Pinot gris.

The Pinot grigio style of Italy is a light-bodied, often lean wine that is light in color with sometimes spritzy flavors that can be crisp and acidic.

Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a white grape variety originating as an indigenous grape in Southwestern France.   It is now planted in most major wine growing areas of the world producing a very crisp, medium bodied and dry wine.  The wines made with Sauvignon blanc will take on characteristics of the soil and depending on the climate, the flavor will range from grassiness to tropical fruit with strong hints of red and green peppers.  This profile lends itself well to seafood pairings as well as cheese or cream based dips.

The most famous examples originate from the Loire region of France as Sancerre or Pouilly Fume.  Additionally a great number of solid Sauvignon blanc wines are produced in most A.V.A. sections of California and much of New Zealand.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white grape variety believed to have originated in the Burgundy region of France now grown in every major wine growing region in the world.  The grape itself is typically very neutral and seems to simply take on the characteristics of the soil as well as the type of oak used during fermentation.  The wine is almost always full bodied with typical aromas of honeysuckle, ginger, pear and flavors of pear, jasmine blossoms and even butter.  You will hear good Chardonnay’s described as silky, completely enveloping your mouth as you taste the long finish.

The butter taste and texture is a direct result of maloactic fermentation which highlights the many differences between not only wine growing regions, but between wine makers as well.  Chardonnay will really show the flavors of the oak used and intensity will vary based on the length of time the wine remained in contact with the barrel.
Most of the Chardonnay’s within our product line will be very “big” in nature and will go with just about any food pairing, even steak.  But, be wary of barrel fermented versions from California and most notably Burgundy.  This method will drastically change the profile of the wine so make sure you understand which wines have the classic oak and butter texture and which wines do not.

Pinot noir

Pinot noir is a red grape grown in cooler climates around the world, but chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France.  It is most notorious for being sensitive to light exposure, cropping levels (it must be low yielding), soil types and pruning techniques as well as other complications making it difficult to grow.  However, Pinot noir based wines are among the most popular and expensive in the world.  Along with Chardonnay, it is the chief grape used in the production of Champagne and many sparkling wines.

In the broadest terms, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry or currant. Traditional red Burgundy is famous for its fleshy, ‘farmyard’ aromas and typically much lighter in color than other red wines.

The most typical flavor experienced is bright or young cherry along with hints of black currant, spice, vanilla and earth (especially red Burgundies).  Depending on the amount of time spent in oak barrel fermentation, Pinot noir wines can benefit greatly from 3-5 years of again but will not last as long as its Cabernet Sauvignon counterparts.

Merlot

Merlot is a red grape used in classic Bordeaux blends as well as varietal wines.  Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant.  Its softness and “fleshiness”, combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.

There are three main styles of Merlot-a soft, fruity, smooth wine with very little tannins, a fruity wine with more tannic structure and, finally, a brawny, highly tannic style made in the profile of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Some of the fruit notes commonly associated with Merlot include cassis, black and red cherries, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, mulberry, and plum.

Syrah/Shiraz

Syrah, and its clone Shiraz, is a red grape used for both varietal wines and blended wines.  Syrah’s origin is from the Northern Rhone wine region of France, with large plantings in California, Washington and as Shiraz in Australia.  The wines produced in Northern Rhone are typically blended with a small amount of Viognier and as a minor blending component to the Grenache/Mourvedre wines of the Southern Rhone.

Wines made from this variety are full bodied with bold flavors and a wide variety of aromas.  Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper.  No one aroma can be called “typical” though blackberry and pepper are often noticed.

Zinfandel

Red grape variety with extensive plantings in California, South Africa and the McLaren Vale of South Australia.  Zinfandel also is a genetic match to the Italian grape variety Primitivo grown in the Puglia region of Southeastern Italy.  Wines produced from Zinfandel and typically extremely robust in body and dark in color with an alcohol content greater than 15% due to the high sugar content.

Aromas of Zinfandel can vary greatly depending on the soil, but most will carry notes of raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry, black cherry as well as spices of cinnamon and black pepper.  The taste of the red wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominately in wines from cooler areas, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas as well as wines made from the earlier-ripening Primitivo clone.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized through its prominence in Bordeaux wines where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet franc.  It is a red grape variety and grows in diverse climates ranging from Canada’s Okanagan Valley to Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.  Despite its prominence, it is a relative newcomer being the result of a chance crossing between Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc during the 17th century in southwestern France.

One of the most noted traits of Cabernet Sauvignon is its affinity for oak, either during fermentation or in barrel aging.  The unique wood flavors of vanilla and spice complement the natural grape flavors of black currant and tobacco.  Cabernet Sauvignons with high alcohol levels do not pair well with spicy foods due to hotness levels of the capsaicin present in spices like chili peppers being enhanced by the alcohol with the heat accentuating the bitterness of the tannins.  Black pepper is the noted exception to this rule.

Color of Cabernet varietals typically show a deep ruby-purple color with notes of caramel, cedar, vanilla and oak aromas with underlying cherry, blueberry and berry-like fruit.  Flavors should be rich with good balance, full body, and medium level tannins with strong varied fruit finish.