WINES of the USA -

California Overview

The Capital is Sacramento. The population is 37 million. There are 1,367 Wineries (True facilities of Brick & Mortar) and about 4,500 growers. 556,000 acres of vineyards are planted. There were 2.7 million tons of crush in 2008 and 2 billion liters of production per year. California Sales in the U.S. reached a record high of 441 million gallons in 2008. California contains over 100 American Viticultural Areas or AVA’s.

California contains a variety of micro-climates capable of producing . At a glance, the state receives sufficient sunshine to ripen grapes and produce the necessary sugar for fermentation. It is not as susceptible to freezing conditions found in other wine producing states and the lower levels of humidity it receives minimizes damage that could occur from mold. Finally, cool sea breezes cool the crops in many of the states river valley areas.

Red Grapes Include: Rubired and

White Grapes Include: French Pinot Grigio or Muscat and

Quality pyramid pertaining to appellation of from California. AVA - Grapes are from a designated area County - Grapes are sourced from a single county Multi - County - Grapes are sourced from two or more counties California – 100% of the grapes used to produce wine must originate from within its borders

AVA’s in California

AVA’s existing in California, there are five regional level, or super AVA’s, within the state. These are very large appellations covering broad land areas. Each are characterized by being contiguous, rather than by their uniformity of geology or climate and each contains several counties, many of which are famous AVA’s in their own right. Take a moment to review the location of the five Regional Level AVA’s…., Bay, Central Coast, Sierra Foothills and South Coast.

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010 North Coast

There are four major AVA’s within the North Coast regional AVA. They are the Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake American Viticultural Areas. The North Coast AVA is home to nearly half of California’s 100 plus AVA’s.

Napa County AVA

Probably the best known production area within all of California is Napa County. This county is located 50 miles north of San Francisco and is an extremely popular tourist destination. Running 35 miles north to south, it ends just above and the city of Vallejo. The valley area is hemmed in by mountains to the North, West and East, with the San Pablo Bay to the South. Napa County is home to over 200 wineries, yet despite its fame, only produces about 5 percent of the state's total volume. Napa County includes the Napa Valley, an AVA of major significance, and which contains the well known sub-AVA's of: Atlas Peak Chiles Valley Diamond Mountain Howell Mountain Los Carneros – (shared with Sonoma County) Mount Veeder Oakville Rutherford Spring Mountain District St. Helena Stags Leap District Wild Horse Valley Yountville

Famous Faces from Napa

Jacob and Frederick Beringer - purchased 215 acres of Napa Valley land in 1875 and then spent the next few years building their winery, cellars and home which today are historical landmarks on Route 29 running through the Napa Valley. They went on to produce some of the most renowned wines from California in the latter 19th and early 20th century. Georges de Latour established Beaulieu Vineyards in 1900 and was influential in bringing louse-resistant root stock to the Napa Valley. Andr Tchelistcheff was brought to the winery in 1938 from France, and went on to become one of the most influential Winemakers in the U.S. for the next 50 years. Robert Mondavi established his winery with his eldest son Michael in 1966 at Oakville. He went on to champion the labeling of wine by varietal type rather than area of origin. His name has been synonymous with the finest wines made in California over the last 30 years. In 1981, he went into partnership with Chateau Mouton Rothschild to produce Opus One, a truly world- class Cabernet Sauvignon.

As already mentioned, the Napa Valley is California's most famous wine region, but is barely 20 miles long from north to south. Approximately 22,500 acres are planted in red grapes versus 13,000 acres planted in white. Of the acreage devoted to red grapes, 16,831 acres are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. This varietal produces the "King" of California's red wines, much of it coming from the Oakville, Rutherford and Stags Leap AVA's. The valley is also known for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the cool climate area of Carneros.

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010 Sonoma County AVA

Sonoma County, along with Napa County, is rich in historical significance and is home to California's oldest wineries. AVA's in this county vary significantly in size and overlap irregularly. There is a strong influence of the Pacific Ocean which brings morning fog and cool breezes inward to blanket the well known Russian River Valley AVA. Cool climate varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive in this area. Sonoma County contains approximately 36,000 acres of vineyards, many garnering the same type of adulation usually reserved for the Napa Valley. Click on each tab to learn more about Sonoma County. Sonoma County AVA's include the major AVA of Northern Sonoma, which contains the sub-AVA's of: Alexander Valley Bennett Valley Dry Creek Valley Knight's Valley Rockpile Russian River Valley - which contains the sub-AVA's of Chalk Hill and Green Valley Sonoma Coast Sonoma Valley - which contains the sub-AVA's of Los Carneros, shared with Napa County, and Sonoma Mountain

Famous Faces from Sonoma Valley

Agoston Haraszthy established Buena Vista, the state's first European-styled winery in Sonoma in 1857. Sometimes referred to as the "Father of the Industry", he is credited with bringing European root stock to the United States.

Mendocino AVA

Mendocino County AVA, one of California’s largest and climatically diverse areas. All of its approximately 11,000 acres of vineyards are located in the river valley areas in the southern half of the county. It is the most northerly of the major viticultural coastal counties and is known for having one of California’s coolest climate areas that produces high quality Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and along with quality reds in Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. It is also home to several wineries known for their high-quality sparkling wines. Mendocino County AVA’s include: Anderson Valley, Cole Ranch, Mendocino, McDowell Valley, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley and Yorkville Highlands

Lake County AVA

Lake County, itself an AVA and bordered by Mendocino county to the west, Sonoma and the Napa Valley to the south, and the Central Valley to the east. This is the smallest viticultural region within California’s North Coast, and winemaking in this county pretty much died out with the advent of Prohibition. AVA’s in Lake County have Clear Lake, California’s largest lake, at its center. Only 3,000 acres of vineyards are planted and spread amongst a small population of wineries. Much of the production from this area is sold to wineries outside the county itself. Lake County AVA’s include Benmore Valley, Clear Lake and Guenoc Valley.

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010 San Francisco AVA

The Area AVA features a maritime climate, influenced by the Pacific Ocean directly westward. Climate benefits include fog plus low-lying cloud cover and cooler overall temperatures. The cool, coastal fog penetrates inward until it hits the mountainous area east of San Francisco. Temperatures in areas on the eastern side of these mountains tend to be substantially warmer than those to the west. The impact of fog can make the difference between areas that are too hot to grow premium grapes and those that are too cold and better suited for lettuce.

Counties within the include San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. AVA’s within these counties include: the AVA, a hot region in the hills southeast of Oakland, the AVA, running east and southeast of San Jose and the San Ysidro District AVA, located within the southern tip of the Santa Clara Valley.

Central Coast Region and AVAs

The Central Coast region includes these counties running North to South: Monterey San Benito San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara

Monterey County covers 80 miles of Pacific coastline area (San Benito, to the east, runs parallel to the county) Primary AVA: Monterey Secondary AVA's: Arroyo Seco Chalone Santa Lucia Highlands San Lucas Hames Valley Other Small AVA's: San Benito Paicines Mount Harlan Cienega Valley Lime Kiln Valley Pacheco Pass

San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties

The two major counties that comprise the Central Coast Region are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Paso Robles is the largest AVA within these two counties and is one of California's oldest production areas, dating to 1797. Paso Robles covers the inland portion of the northern half of San Luis Obispo County and is cut off from the benefit of ocean breezes by the mountains directly to the west. Consequently, this is the hottest part of the Central Coast and best known for red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel. Other AVA's within the Central Coast include: York Mountain Edna Valley - making prized Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Arroyo Grande - an area for Sparkling wines Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010 Monterey AVA

Monterey San Benito San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara Monterey County covers 80 miles of Pacific coastline area (San Benito, to the east, runs parallel to the county) Primary AVA: Monterey Secondary AVA's: Arroyo Seco Chalone Santa Lucia Highlands San Lucas Hames Valley Other Small AVA's: San Benito Paicines Mount Harlan Cienega Valley Lime Kiln Valley Pacheco Pass

Central Valley Region and AVAs

The Central Valley Region is comprised of a huge expanse of land, stretching 500 miles from the city of Redding to Bakersfield. It lies between the Coastal Range and the Mountains and is formed by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. This area contains more than 55% of the state’s vineyard land and offers diverse usage, growing grapes to produce grape juice, wine and raisins. Principal white grape varieties include Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, Muscat and Chardonnay while red varieties include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This region is home to E & J Gallo, a company producing half of the wine coming from this region. Central Valley AVA’s include Lodi, Clarksburg, Merritt Island and River Junction.

Sierra Foothills Region & AVA’s

The Sierra Foothills Region is rich in history, originally California’s Gold Rush country that sparked gold mining frenzy in 1849. The region includes El Dorado and Amador counties and is located on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, east of both Sacramento and the Central Valley. Many of its vineyards are located at relatively high elevations which provide a cooler climate than the Central Valley floor below. This area is ideal for growing Zinfandel, and some of California’s oldest Zinfandel vines are planted here. Sierra Foothills AVA’s include: The Sierra Foothills, El Dorado, Fiddletown and Shenandoah Valley.

South Coast Region & AVA’s

The South Coast Region actually has a longer history of winemaking than the more celebrated North Coast, but currently there are fewer than 2,000 acres of vineyards. Cultivation is primarily centered in the Temecula AVA, and because of heat realized in the vineyards, winemaking is possible only due to the maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean. The region is primarily known for white varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay and suffers from the urban sprawl that is occurring within Riverside County. South Coast AVA’s include: Malibu/Newton Canyon, Temecula Valley, Cucamonga Valley and San Pasqual.

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010

Wine Regions at a glance

North Coast. The four counties in this region are north of San Francisco. They are Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake. The series of short, small valleys in this region are what most people consider California's "."

Central Coast. "Central Coast" is wine talk for the counties between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. It includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.

Central Valley. The Central Valley, sometimes called the Great Valley, stretches for 500 miles in the middle of California. It's really two valleys with Sacramento as the hub. The Sacramento Valley runs to the north. And the larger San Joaquin Valley spreads south.

Sierra Foothills. Summers are hot in the Sierra Foothills east of Sacramento. Fine wine grapes are cultivated successfully at higher altitudes, where soil and fog produce some perfect microclimates.

South Coast. Jumping to the bottom of the map it includes a few coastal vineyards south of Los Angeles in Riverside and San Diego counties.

Paula Woolsey CSW 2010