An insider’s guide to Californian wine: South Coast
With more famous brands than any other New World producer, California wine country invokes all manner of expectations for wine lovers: expensive Napa Valley Cabernets, rich Pinot Noir, winery resorts and slick marketing. If you delve into Napa Valley you’ll quickly find all the above. Winegrowers in the South Coast region cater to a different niche – they are committed to innovation and delivering high quality at a fair price. With notable exceptions like Sine Qua Non, this is a fertile hunting ground for the affordable side of Californian wine.
Yet the wine region’s trump card is undoubtedly the ease of coming across a family-owned South Coast winery. The growth of small-scale artisan producers in southern California is a cause for celebration – each winery has something to boast.
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Geography and terroir
California’s South Coast is one of the world’s sunniest viticultural areas extending from Ventura County (close to Santa Barbara) to San Diego County further south. With increasingly less rainfall for crops, irrigation is essential in this part of California.
However, the state’s topography and proximity to the ocean offer some relief. Many of the South Coast’s top vineyards benefit from cooling winds from the Pacific. That said, the majority of sub-regions are located on the western side of the Sierra Pelona Mountains. This locality is notable due to the reduced ability of Pacific breezes to moderate summer temperatures.
Several critical viticultural zones, such as the Leona and Antelope Valleys, are shielded from Pacific influences. Fortunately, a wealth of high-elevation land is available in southern California with high diurnal temperature variation; this slows down grape ripening, which maintains acidity.
Despite the hot and dry climate, growing conditions vary enormously in the wine country. The Cucamonga Valley is defined by free-draining sandy terroir, while the mountainous ranges near the Mexican border have metamorphic topsoils. The biggest challenge on the South Coast is managing irrigation levels; an abundance of moisture can lead to excessive canopy growth and poor quality wine. Conversely, safeguarding against drought and leaf burn is an omnipresent challenge in such an arid climate.
Key grape varieties
Late-ripening Rhône varieties thrive in southern California’s climate, particularly Grenache. Zinfandel also does very well, while the Cabernet Franc improves with every vintage.
Chardonnay – the signature white grape of Burgundy produces rich and voluptuous wines on the South Coast. Yet, winemakers have recently been using elevation and earlier harvests to craft lighter styles, with notes of lime, melon and nectarine on the mid-palate.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Californian Cabernet Sauvignon packs an impressive punch. South Coast varietal wines showcase rich mocha, cassis and blueberry aromas.
Cabernet Franc – this grape is often blended in Bordeaux for added freshness and perfume. However, it shines as a single-varietal style in southern California, with pronounced graphite, plum and raspberry flavours.
Grenache – the star grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, can produce beguiling red wine in California: ripe, polished and beautifully textured. Old bush vines always yield the best results.
Syrah – in southern California, Syrah can make dense, rich and potent wines. Yet winemakers have been reigning in the extraction of late, emphasising the grape’s white pepper and tapenade profile.
Zinfandel – regarded as California’s star grape, Zinfandel volumes are dwarfed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Although, the grape yields red wine with unparalleled potency, ripeness and strength.
The South Coast wine region
There is a long history of viticulture in southern California; monks from San Francisco started to produce wine from indigenous varieties in the 18th century, used for their religious ceremonies. However, European grapes did not arrive in the south until 1833, when a French settler planted some Sauvignon Blanc in Los Angeles, imported from Bordeaux. This small step eventually ballooned into a thriving and lucrative industry,
In the late 20th Century Southern California became widely associated with bulk wine rather than quality. The prohibition caused the California wine region to switch to growing juicing grapes for export over wine grapes. After the region’s viticultural recovery, a devastating outbreak of Pierce’s disease encouraged the embrace of a more premium-orientated business model.
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County was once the largest wine region in California. However, urban expansion and the inevitable loss of agricultural land has diminished its importance over the past few decades. Yet the area is home to several promising sub-AVAs, including Malibu, Sierra Pelona, Leona and Antelope Valleys. Many of the best wines are produced on the high-altitude Santa Monica and Sierra foothills, again relying on diurnal temperature variation to keep acidity levels from dropping. Los Angeles County Zinfandel can be outstanding, while the Cabernet Sauvignon is pungent and rich.
Temecula Valley
Situated close to the Pacific, Temecula Valley receives the all-important ocean mists that help to protect vineyards from the relentless Californian sun. That fact, combined with the zone’s abundance of free-draining granite terroir and high elevation sites, enables growers to produce some exceptional wines. Old town Temecula wine culture leans heavily on creating single-varietal expressions of the grape. The best examples are aromatic, complex and silky-smooth red wines.
Ventura County
There is relatively little viticulture here, yet the zone is a winery hotspot; grapes are sourced from destinations like Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. Its most famous brand is the legendary Sine Qua Non, founded by Manfred Krankl and his wife Elaine in 1994. They specialise in full-bodied red wine with earthy aromas of dark fruits, vanilla and spice, often based on Rhône grape varieties. Check out the Ventura County wine trail for an unforgettable wine tasting experience.
San Diego County
Prohibition all but killed San Diego’s wine industry in the early 20th century. Thanks to a recent influx of talent and investment, San Diego is no longer perceived as a poor representative of California wine. There are several up-and-coming AVAs (American Viticultural Area) in the wine county, including the Ramona and San Pasqual Valleys. Situated relatively close to the Mexican border, the vines bask in the Mediterranean climate, with marine influences helping to cool vine canopies. Artisan producers continue to exploit the appellation’s decomposed granite and red clay soils to craft powerful red wine and aromatic white wine. Syrah has demonstrated a natural affinity with the terroir, in addition to Marsanne and Viognier.
Enjoying wines from the Californian South Coast
Food and wine matching need not be a complicated affair; serve wines you like with your favourite dishes. California’s South Coast has a label for every eventuality. From traditional method sparkling to rich and full-bodied Marsanne/Roussanne blends, you cannot go far wrong.
Southern Californian red wine, meanwhile, is often fruit-forward and concentrated. It also rarely lacks alcohol. As a result, there is scarcely a regional cuisine that would overwhelm a bottle from southern California. But neither are these creations simply fruit-bomb caricatures. In addition to power, elegance and restraint are being prioritised in the wine country today; take advantage of a South Coast winery resort, and you won’t be disappointed.
Related Pages
An insider’s guide to Californian wine: the North Coast
An inside’s guide to Californian wine: the Central Coast