An insider’s guide to Californian wine | History and key wine regions
A collection of backwater vineyards in North America have been transformed into the world’s fourth-largest producer, renowned for its cult Napa Cabernets. Over 3,000 winery establishments now cater to global demand, exporting a myriad of labels made across the state. There is scarcely a wine style that California has not mastered.
The Golden State is the world’s most consumer-led vineyard, evolving to the changing rhythms of fashion and taste. Sustainability is another significant development: converting to organic and biodynamic farming is the topic of the day on the West Coast. But most importantly, a great deal of California wine is affordable and of excellent quality. There is much variety in the state, perhaps more than you may have initially imagined.
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The history of Californian winemaking
The Gold Rush – California’s climate and topography are ideal for nurturing a dynamic wine-growing industry. Bountiful sunshine and dry weather tempted Spanish missionaries in central California to start planting the Mission grape in the 1700s – this was used to make communion wine. Other European varieties began to arrive in the 19th century; gold rush settlers in California’s Central Valley region were among the first viticultural pioneers. Meanwhile, the burgeoning city of Los Angeles welcomed Sauvignon Blanc in 1833.
Prohibition – California’s momentum was unstoppable. However, when the US government prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol in 1920, many vineyards were abandoned. Certain businesses could switch to growing low-quality juicing grapes (that could withstand shipping) instead of wine grapes. The prohibition banned high-volume, high alcohol wine production leaving households to resort to home brewing using Californian juicing grapes. Commercial winegrowers believed that the industry would never recover.
Post-prohibition –Post-prohibition – Thankfully, since table wine re-emerged as a serious commercial category in the 1950s, investment into the California wine region poured in. The state’s most iconic sub-region, Napa Valley, grew in prominence after Robert Mondavi opened a winery in 1966. Observing his unprecedented success with Cabernet Sauvignon, money and expertise soon followed.
The Judgement of Paris – The initial European response was disdain: Californian red wine was (overall) more concentrated and potent than its equivalents from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Then, wine merchant Steven Spurrier organised a blind tasting competition in 1976 between top Californian white and red wine labels and Left Bank Bordeaux wines. Nine French wine experts gathered to try the various brands and were astonished by their conclusions – they agreed that several Californian labels were better; in fact, quite a lot better. It has gone down in history as the Judgement of Paris.
Key wine regions of California
Californian wine is produced in four distinct parts of the state. Its most famous winemakers live on the North Coast, home to Napa County and Sonoma Coast, producing iconic Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet an even larger area – from San Francisco to Santa Barbara – qualifies as the Central Coast . A surfeit of excellent California wine is being made here, while the vineyards of southern Californian and Central Valley have lured trailblazers from all over the US.
Many Californian wines are marketed under the American Viticultural Area (AVA) framework. This guarantee of geographical origin roughly corresponds to France’s appellation contrôlée system. However, some viticultural areas are so small that they affect only one winery, while the North Coast AVA encompasses four counties. In addition, AVA regulations tend to allow a broad array of grape varieties to be cultivated and sold under the appellation framework. This is not generally the case in Europe.
The North Coast
The North Coast is responsible for some of the world’s most outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon wines. It is an expansive region stretching from the northern end of San Francisco Bay toward Mendocino County. There are many respected AVAs on the North Coast, including California’s most famous: Napa Valley and Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley. Although there are significant variances in mesoclimate (proximity to the ocean is the key climatic factor in California), dry summers are very conducive to grape growing. Today there is no scarcity of fine wine labels that sell for princely sums at auction. Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Colgin and Bryant Family Vineyard have all become the stuff of legend. However, there is also a wealth of high-quality wines that don’t cost the earth. Russian River/Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are reliably excellent. They deliver more than a passing resemblance to Grand Cru Burgundy.
Read more about California North Coast here
The Central Coast
Although the Central Coast region is far from homogenous in its climate, geography and topography, the wine region, walks a very different path from Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Rain is extremely scarce and tends to arrive in mid-December – if at all. Irrigation is, therefore, an essential factor in maintaining sustainable viticulture in this part of California. Yet winemakers regard growing conditions here as among the most promising in the US. New investors continue to be lured by cool-climate terroirs that allow grapes to ripen very slowly, typically harvested 3-6 weeks later than inland sub-regions. The conditions produce Sauvignon Blanc in the Ynez Valley to rival New Zealand’s Marlborough.
The most renowned AVAs and sub-regions include Edna Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains and Sta. Rita Hills. Rhône blends have become popular in Paso Robles, exemplified by the magnificently aromatic red wines of Tablas Creek.
Central Valley
Over 55 per cent of California’s vineyards are found in the arid plains of the Central Valley. Its most famous vineyard, Lodi, was not commonly associated with quality; heavily irrigated land produced massive crops that were generally used in bulk wine. However, Lodi has been shedding its value image of late, focusing on old-vine red Zinfandel and supple Cabernet Sauvignon. Experimentation is rife: growers trial Portuguese grapes such as Touriga Nacional and Baga. The districts of Clarksburg and Sacramento Valley have also shown great promise. Dunnigan Hills is another star AVA of the region.
The South Coast
Southern California first welcomed European vines in the 1700s. The journey since that time has been fraught with difficulty; civil war, prohibition and grapevine diseases have all wreaked havoc in the state. But growers have been very proactive in seeking disease-resistant clones, while California’s revered cult winery, Sine Qua Non, was founded on the South Coast .
The region’s most lauded AVA, Temecula Valley, is only 20 miles inland from the Pacific. This affords producers those all-important marine breezes and cool nights; high elevation sites yield excellent Petite Sirah, Grenache and Marsanne/Roussanne blends. The precise balance between ripeness and finesse makes these wines so appealing.
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An insider’s guide to Californian wine: North Coast