Transcript Chapter 10

Chapter 10
California
© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Objectives
• At the end of this lesson you should be able to
– discuss the history of winemaking in California.
– describe the various wine regions of California and
the types of wine that they produce.
– describe California’s role in the American wine
industry.
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Introduction
• California is unquestionably the most important wine-producing
region in North America.
• Containing more than 350,000 acres of wine grape vineyards and
more than 840 wineries, it produces more than 90 percent of the
wine in America.
• California is known for both its mild Mediterranean climate that
is characterized by wet winters followed by warm, dry summers.
• In addition to being the most populous state in the union, it also
has one of the highest per capita consumption of wine.
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Introduction (continued)
• The development of winemaking in California reflects a
melting pot of cultures.
• European immigrants from different countries with diverse
methods of viticulture and winemaking brought their
knowledge and experience to the industry.
• These Old World techniques flourished and were adapted in
new ways that were suited to the conditions in California.
• This blend of cultures began in the 1800s and continues to
this day with large multinational wine companies investing in
California.
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California Wine—Historical Perspective
The Mission Period
• Winemaking came to California with the Spanish
missionaries led by a Franciscan friar, Father Junipero Serra.
• Eventually 21 missions were established up the coast of
California.
• Wine was essential to the new settlers who used it for
sacramental purposes as well as for a beverage.
• The friars imported vinifera cuttings to grow their own grapes
to make wine.
• The first vintage was in San Juan Capistrano in 1882.
– Eventually grapes were planted at all but two of the missions with
the climates of San Francisco and Santa Cruz being considered too
cold and foggy to ripen grapes.
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The Mission Period
• The variety grown by the friars was the Mission
grape.
– Mission is a red grape that is a prolific producer and
adapts to a number of growing conditions.
– The friars used it to make a variety of wine styles,
including white, red, dessert, and brandy.
• In 1823 the last mission was established in the town
of Sonoma, north of San Francisco Bay.
• In 1833, the now independent Mexican government
ordered the secularization of the mission properties,
and the missions and their lands went from church
to government control.
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Commercialization
• California’s first large-scale commercial vintner was
Jean-Luis Vignes in Los Angeles.
– From Bordeaux, he had extensive knowledge of
winemaking.
• In Northern California, Lieutenant Mariano G.
Vallejo was sent to take over the Sonoma Mission
and pueblo after secularization.
– He restored the mission winery and its vineyard.
– Vallejo soon became known for his skill in grape growing
and winemaking.
– He inspired many other early settlers to come to the
North Coast and aided them by granting them tracks of
land.
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Gold Rush
• The success of early vintners was aided by California’s
expanding population.
• Settlers arrived from the East Coast to take advantage of
California’s excellent climate for growing crops.
– With the gold rush of 1849 there was an expanding base of
consumers for wine.
• During the second half of the nineteenth century,
commercial winemaking operations grew both in number
and in size.
– In 1869 the completion of the transcontinental railroad made
California wines increasingly available on the East Coast.
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A Growing Industry
• During the late nineteenth century, grape growing
and winemaking exhibited the classic boom and bust
cycle.
– During boom times, increased demand for wine leads to
high prices for grapes which eventually results in
overplanting and excess production, ultimately lowering
grape prices.
– When the price of grapes becomes too low, overall
production stagnates or declines until the demand for
wine increases, beginning the cycle over again.
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A Growing Industry (continued)
• The boom and bust economic cycle was exacerbated
by the destruction caused by the root louse
phylloxera in 1873, and the economic depression of
the late 1880s.
– Although these events were devastating, they did serve to
weed out poor and inefficient producers and to replace
the ubiquitous Mission grape with varieties that are more
suited to winemaking.
– During this time some of California's most famous
wineries were established.
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Prohibition
• The Eighteenth Amendment established national
Prohibition in the United States and outlawed the
manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages from
January 16, 1920, until December 5, 1933.
– The anti-alcohol movement had been growing for more
than 100 years, and a number of individual states and
communities passed their own “dry” laws during this
time.
– During World War I, patriotic sentiment to preserve
foodstuffs for the war effort combined with the
temperance movement to gain majority support for the
Eighteenth Amendment.
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Prohibition (continued)
• The passing of Prohibition devastated the
winemaking industry in California, closing all but
the few wineries that were allowed to make wine for
use in food flavoring or sacramental use.
• However, home production of up to 200 gallons of
wine was allowed.
– This loophole increased the demand for wine grapes.
– Growers who were accustomed to barely making a profit
were producing as much as they could for shipping out to
eastern markets for home winemakers.
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Prohibition (continued)
• The varieties that had thick skins and the most color
were considered the most valuable because they
could withstand the rail journey to the East Coast.
• Their deep color also allowed home winemakers to
stretch production by adding water and sugar to get
more wine per pound of fruit.
• This meant that the classic wine varieties that
replaced the Mission grape in the late 1800s were
themselves replaced with varieties more suited for
shipping.
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Post-Prohibition
• At the end of Prohibition in 1933, there was much
anticipation that there would be a rapid resurgence
of the wine industry. However, several factors
prevented this from happening:
– During their closure, wineries had fallen into disrepair,
and there were few skilled winemakers available.
– Prohibition ended in the middle of the Depression, and
there was little demand for wine and few resources
available for rebuilding.
– People’s tastes had changed, and consumers had gotten
used to poor quality homemade wine.
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Post-Prohibition (continued)
• In the first year after Prohibition there were 804
wineries in California; by 1940 one-third of them
had failed.
• The Wine Institute was formed in 1934 as a trade
organization to promote California wines.
• Another organization that was instrumental in
improving the quality of wine after Prohibition was
the University of California at Davis.
– A pilot winery was built on campus, and an academic
program was established to train students as winemakers
and grape growers.
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Post-Prohibition (continued)
• Through the work of these and other organizations,
the quality of California wine improved, and
consequently sales increased.
• The wines produced during this time were generally
inexpensive and of good, if not great, quality. Few
people thought the wines matched the quality of
imported wines.
• This trend continued until the late 1960s when a
period of great expansion began.
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The Wine Revolution
• From 1971 to 1980, the per capita consumption of wine in
the United States and the number of wineries both doubled.
• Winemakers invested more effort in obtaining better grapes
and improved their methods of production.
• Sales of wine increased dramatically during this time,
particularly for the premium end of the market.
• Consumers tastes were also changing as well.
– In 1968, table wines (dry wines) outsold desert wines for the first
time since before Prohibition.
– In 1976, white wines outsold red for the first time.
– Also in 1976 California wine bested French wines in an influential
tasting in Paris.
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The 1980s and 1990s
• During this time, the growth in America’s wine
consumption slowed and stabilized, but the market
for premium wines continued to be strong.
• The industry’s successes continued to inspire
individuals to enter the business and start small
boutique wineries.
– The value of vineyard land in Napa and Sonoma counties
significantly increased. This helped to spur development
of premium wineries in other areas of the state.
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Today
• Increased sales of premium wine in the 1990s
encouraged vintners to increase production.
– This new production came on line at the same time as
there was decreased demand due to a sluggish economy.
– This in turn led to prices being lowered on many grape
varieties grown throughout the state.
• Wineries not wanting to lower their price sold off
their excess production in bulk to other wineries
that would bottle it under their own name.
– The wine they produced was less expensive and often of
very good quality, which helped to spur consumer interest
in wine.
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Today (continued)
• Another factor affecting the economic cycles of the
California wine industry is globalization.
• Consumers in the United States are becoming more
familiar with wines from the Southern Hemisphere
and Europe that compete directly with wines from
California.
• These imported wines are often produced
specifically for export to the United States and
brought in by multinational companies that have
winery holdings both in California and overseas.
– This global competition puts extra pressure on California
winemakers to keep their prices affordable.
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Viticultural Appellations
• California’s broad diversity of growing conditions
makes it suitable for producing a variety of grapes and
wines.
• One method of identifying these grape-growing regions
is by political boundaries, where the county of origin is
used to describe the source of the grape.
• For example: To be labeled “Monterey County,” a
minimum of 75 percent of the grapes used to produce
the wine must be grown in California’s Monterey
County.
– This is not always adequate because political boundaries do not
always match different grape-growing climates or terroirs.
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Viticultural Appellations (continued)
• In 1980 the BATF allowed for the creation of
American Viticultural Areas, more commonly
known as AVAs.
• Vintners and growers could petition the
Government to form an AVA in a specific
geographical area with a common climate, soil type,
and history of winemaking.
– The largest AVA in California is the Central Coast
Appellation, which has over 5.4 million acres.
– The smallest AVA is Cole Ranch with only 150 acres.
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Viticultural Appellations (continued)
• Appellations can overlap political boundaries as well
as other AVAs.
– To be labeled with an AVA, at least 85 percent of the
grapes used to make a wine must be from that region.
– If wines are blended from several areas of the state that
do not have a common political boundary or AVA, they
are labeled as California.
– If the grapes are grown, produced as wine, and then
bottled all on winery property, they can be labeled “Estate
Bottled.”
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Viticultural Appellations (continued)
• Unlike the French system of appellation d’origine
contrôlée, American Viticultural Appellations only govern
the geographical origin of the grapes and do not dictate
viticultural or winemaking methods.
• Furthermore, the government’s sanction of the boundaries
of an AVA makes no endorsement of quality of the grapes it
produces.
– One complaint of this system is the government has been too free in
allowing the establishment of new AVAs in areas that do not have a
common terroir.
– Another criticism of the system is that large AVAs often include a
diversity of climates suitable to many varieties of grapes.
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The Wine Regions of California
• California’s large size and varied topography give it a
wide range of growing conditions that are suitable
for many different grape varieties.
• Grapes can be grown in most of the state except the
northwest coast, which is too wet, and areas that are
too high in elevation and therefore too cold.
– With irrigation, even the desert areas in the southeast of
the state can also support vineyards.
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The Wine Regions of California
(continued)
• Most of the grapes that are used for premium
wine production are grown in the state’s
coastal valleys.
– Here the Pacific Ocean has a moderating effect
on the climate, keeping it cooler than vineyards
that are located more inland.
• In the Central Valley region, the weather is
warmer and soils are more fertile, and the
grapes that are grown often are used for less
expensive wines.
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The Napa Valley
• The Napa Valley lies just north of the San Francisco
Bay in the temperate zone between Northern
California's cool coast and warm interior.
• The appellation covers the vast majority of the land
in the county and includes most of the watershed
for the Napa River.
– It ranges in elevation from near sea level on the valley
floor to 2,700 feet along the ridges of the mountains.
– Grape growing is by far the dominant agriculture in the
Napa Valley AVA with more than 35,000 acres being
planted to wine grapes.
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The Napa Valley (continued)
• The Napa Valley is the most widely recognized of
California’s AVAs and is considered by many to be
its premiere wine-producing region.
– This opinion is reflected in the fact that Napa Valley
grapes and wines routinely command the highest prices in
the state.
• In the 1970s, tourism became the county’s largest
employer.
– To deal with these crowds, wineries routinely charge for
sampling the wines in their tasting rooms, a practice that
is still rare in other California wine regions.
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Regions of the Napa Valley
• The Napa Valley is a large AVA with a wide variety
of soil types and climates.
• The climate becomes warmer at the north end of
the valley away from the cooling influences of the
bay.
• Elevation also affects the temperature; vineyards
located above the fog layer will not benefit from its
cooling effects.
– It is not unusual for hillside vineyards to have lower
temperatures than the valley floor during the day and
warmer conditions at night.
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Regions of the Napa Valley (continued)
• In addition to the variation in climate, there is also a
complex array of different types of soils found
throughout the valley.
– On the valley floor, the soils are a mix of sedimentary
layers of old sea beds with the material that has washed
down from the surrounding hills.
– The surrounding hillsides are often made up of thinner,
rocky soils that are comprised of sedimentary layers
uplifted by geological faults or were derived from
volcanic activity.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley
• Not long after the region was established as an AVA,
smaller AVAs within the Napa Valley’s borders were
established.
• These smaller or sub-appellations have more
uniform terroir and are more suited to particular
grape varieties.
– As of 2004, Napa County was home to 14 different AVAs
as well as being part of the North Coast appellation.
– The valley’s numerous terroirs allow for the production
of many different varieties of grapes, but market demand
makes Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay the most
widely planted varieties.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• The Los Carneros AVA
– The southernmost area of Napa County’s viticultural
regions is the Los Carneros appellation, commonly
referred to as Carneros.
– It is made up of the flatlands and low hills and extends
into both the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.
– Being the closest of Napa County’s appellations to the
maritime influences of the San Pablo Bay, the region is
known for its cool and breezy weather. This climate
makes it ideal for cool climate grape varieties such as
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• The Oak Knoll, Yountville AVAs
– Moving up the valley is the Oak Knoll appellation just
outside the city of Napa, and then the Yountville AVA
that is situated around the small town of the same name.
– Being relatively close to the cooling influences of the
bay, these appellations encompass a moderate zone
between the cooler climate to the south and the warmer
appellations further up valley.
– As in Carneros, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are popular
as well as Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• Stags Leap AVA
– The Stags Leap district lies to the east of the
Yountville AVA
– Being on the east side of the valley, Stags Leap
receives more afternoon sun than the west side
of the valley and is slightly warmer.
– Cabernet Sauvignon is the variety for which the
AVA is best known.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• The Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena AVAs
– Moving up the valley, the Oakville, Rutherford, and St.
Helena AVAs lie in succession.
– The three AVAs are home to many wineries and have
some of the Napa Valley’s best-known and historic
operations.
– These regions cover a number of soil types and
microclimates that are suitable to many varieties of
grapes, including Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and red
Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• The Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain, Diamond
Mountain,and Howell Mountain AVAs
– The first three AVAs lie above the valley floor in the
Mayacamas mountain range on the west side of the Napa
Valley, and Howell Mountain lies opposite them on the
east side of the valley in the Vaca Mountain Range.
• The Mt. Veeder appellation extends from the
foothills to the west of the city of Napa for nearly
13 miles to the northwest.
– This appellation is suitable for many varieties of grapes
including Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Bordeaux reds.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• The Spring Mountain AVA begins several miles
north of the Mt. Veeder Appellation and directly
west of the St. Helena AVA.
– It is warmer than the Mt. Veeder appellation but also has
a varied mix of sedimentary and volcanic soils.
• The Diamond Mountain AVA is contiguous to the
northern border of Spring Mountain and directly
west above the town of Calistoga.
– It is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• The Howell Mountain Appellation is a high
region that begins at 1,400 feet and is well
above the cool evening breezes and fog that
comes into the valley in the summertime.
– It is one of the older sub-appellations established
in the Napa Valley, and the district does well with
Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Sub-Appellations of the Napa Valley (continued)
• Other Napa Appellations
– These final three Napa County appellations are
more limited in production than the other Napa
appellations and are not as widely used by
wineries.
• Atlas Peak
• Chiles Valley
• Wild Horse Valley
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Sonoma County
• Sonoma County lies directly to the west of Napa
County. Its eastern border is the ridge of the
Mayacamas mountain range and extends westward
to the Pacific Ocean.
• On the south it is bordered by the San Pablo Bay
and Marin County, and to the north it is bordered by
Lake and Mendocino counties.
• Sonoma leads all other coastal counties in
production of premium wine grapes with more than
59,000 acres producing over 180,000 tons of fruit,
40 percent more than Napa County.
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Sonoma County (continued)
• Its history goes back to the time of the missions,
and its early successes helped to establish the wine
industry in Northern California.
• Sonoma County wines are among the most famous
in the state and rival those of the Napa Valley in
quality if not quite in price.
• The first vineyards were planted in the county in the
1820s at the site of the Sonoma Mission.
• Sonoma County’s fertile soils and temperate climate
made it a natural setting for many diverse types of
agriculture.
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Sonoma County
• Invariably the similarities and proximity of Napa
and Sonoma invite comparisons.
• Both appellations have comparable histories and
played parallel roles in the development of
California’s premium wine industry.
• Additionally they are both large regions with a
number of diverse terroirs that are well suited to a
wide variety of grapes and wine.
• Sonoma wine country, being generally in less of a
limelight than Napa, is often less crowded and more
rustic in character.
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Regions of Sonoma County
• In Sonoma County, like all of California’s coastal wine
regions, the ocean has a moderating effect, keeping the
winter warmer and the summer cooler.
• The cooling effects of the ocean are channeled through
valleys and broken up by the county’s mountain ridges.
– Inland the weather is warm and appropriate for grape varieties such
as Cabernet Sauvignon.
– Near the coast the climate is very cool and vineyards are better suited
for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.
• Sonoma County has been divided into a patchwork of
13 AVAs.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Sonoma Valley AVA
– Established in 1982, Sonoma Valley is the county’s oldest
AVA. Reaching from the San Pablo Bay on the south, 23
miles to the northwest, the appellation is framed by the
Mayacamas Range to the east and to the west by Sonoma
Mountain.
– Fog and cool ocean breezes can come into the valley
from the southern end of Sonoma Mountain or from the
north through Santa Rosa.
– On the southern end, the cooler climate is ideal for Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay, and in the midsections of the
valley, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon
is well suited to hillside vineyards that are above the fog
layer.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley AVAs
– The Sonoma Mountain AVA is above the valley floor on
the slopes of Sonoma Mountain from 400 to 1,200 feet.
The soils are primarily of volcanic nature and are very
well drained.
– The Bennett Valley region is on the western edge of the
Sonoma Valley between Sonoma Mountain to the south
and Bennett peak to the north. The moderate climate
makes it well adapted for Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Russian River, Chalk Hill, and Sonoma Green
Valley AVAs
– The Russian River AVA covers much of the lower
drainage of the Russian River.
– The western portion of the Russian River AVA is one of
the coolest in North Coast counties and excellent for
producing grapes such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and
Pinot Gris. Inland the climate becomes slightly warmer,
and varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel do
well.
• Within the Russian River AVA are two subappellations, Chalk Hill to the east and Sonoma
Green Valley to the west.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Dry Creek Valley AVA
– The Dry Creek Valley begins in the town of Healdsburg
and follows the path of Dry Creek, a tributary of the
Russian River, 15 miles to the northwest.
– In the lowlands along the banks of Dry Creek the soils
are more alluvial in nature, and in the bench land above
the flood plain the soils are more volcanic in origin.
– The appellation is best known for its Zinfandel, but
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
are also widely planted.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Rockpile AVA begins above Lake
Sonoma in the western section of the Dry
Creek AVA and extends to the Mendocino
County border.
– The area is very rugged, and the grapes grow
predominantly in hillside vineyards. Even though
the AVA is very young, it has already gained a
reputation for producing quality Zinfandel.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Alexander Valley AVA
– The Alexander Valley AVA is a wide valley created by the
upper section of the Russian River as it passes through
northern Sonoma County.
– It extends from just north of the town of Healdsburg 20
miles north to the Mendocino County line.
– Being more inland, it is slightly warmer than the Dry
Creek Valley and typically has deep, fertile, sandy loam
soils.
– The appellation is perhaps best known for its Cabernet
Sauvignon, but there are also extensive plantings of
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
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Regions of Sonoma County
(continued)
• The Knights Valley AVA
– The Knights Valley AVA is positioned between
Alexander Valley to the west and the upper Napa
Valley to the east.
– Being further inland it is one of the warmest of
Sonoma County’s AVAs and is well known for its
Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Sauvignon Blanc.
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Lake and Mendocino Counties
• The counties of Lake and Mendocino are part of the North
Coast AVA and lie directly to the north of Napa and Sonoma
Counties.
• As in Napa and Sonoma, the majority of the vineyards are
located in the valleys of the coast range.
• With the exception of Anderson Valley, the vineyards of
Mendocino and Lake Counties are further inland, and
mountains separate them from the ocean.
– These factors result in less of a coastal influence than in Napa and
Sonoma and consequently a warmer climate.
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Lake and Mendocino Counties
(continued)
• Like Napa and Sonoma, there is a long history of
agriculture with a diversity of crops.
– Similar to what happened in Napa and Sonoma, these
crops are giving way to grapes because of their greater
market value.
• The counties maintain much of their rural character
and to this day are less developed than in Napa and
Sonoma.
• The grape growing in Lake and Mendocino counties
is dispersed, and many of the 13 AVAs located
within these counties do not overlap or have
contiguous borders.
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The Central Coast AVA
• This huge viticultural area extends from the east side
of the San Francisco Bay all the way to Santa
Barbara in Southern California.
• It includes the grape-growing regions of Alameda,
Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco,
San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa
Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties.
• At nearly 5½ million acres the Central Coast is by
far the largest AVA in California.
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The Central Coast AVA (continued)
• Its size makes for such a great degree of variation in
terroirs that the designation means little except to
distinguish the cooler Central Coast vineyards from
those located in the warmer regions of California’s
interior.
• It is divided into a number of sub-appellations to
help differentiate its varied growing conditions.
• The winemaking history of the district dates back to
the time of the missions, and the region has seen
much new development in recent decades.
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The Central Coast AVA (continued)
• In the San Francisco Bay region in the
northern part of the appellation, the vast
majority of the historic vineyards have been
replaced by urban development.
– This includes the Santa Clara Valley, one of the
state’s best known wine regions in the early
1900s; today it is better known as the Silicon
Valley.
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The Central Coast AVA (continued)
• The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is located in the
hills of the coast range in Santa Cruz, San Mateo,
and Santa Clara Counties. The appellation is defined
by the land that is above 400 feet in elevation.
– When the Central Coast AVA was approved in 1985, the
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was excluded so the
appellations were contiguous but do not overlap.
– The vineyards and wineries are generally small and
dispersed throughout the area, with many vintners
acquiring grapes from outside the appellation to
supplement their production.
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The Central Coast AVA (continued)
• In Monterey County, the Salinas Valley in particular has ideal
soils and climate for vegetable crops, but most growers
considered it too cool for wine grapes.
• In the 1970s wineries from outside the county, looking to
expand their production, established large vineyard
operations, and production rapidly grew.
– At first varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon were planted that were
ill suited to Monterey’s cool weather, and the results were far from
perfect.
– In the 1990s cool weather varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
were planted in the cooler northern part of the county and were
much more successful.
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The Central Coast AVA (continued)
• Today there are more then 40,000 acres (16,200
hectares) of grapes in Monterey County.
• Moving down the Salinas Valley from the coast are
the Santa Lucia Highlands, Arroyo Seco, San
Bernabe, San Lucas, Carmel Valley, and Hames
Valley AVAs, all located within the Monterey AVA.
– Generally, they have well drained soils, and the
appellations grow warmer the farther they are from the
bay.
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The Central Coast AVA (continued)
• To the east of Monterey County is San Benito
County.
– Like Monterey, the region has mix of large vineyards and
wineries as well as smaller producers.
– In the north the climate is cool and similar to that of the
Monterey AVA, though to the south the climate becomes
warmer.
– There are several sub-appellations: Cienega Valley, Lime
Kiln Valley, Paicines, Mt. Harlan, and Chalone AVAs.
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San Luis Obispo County
• San Luis Obispo County is located directly south of
Monterey County.
– The county has a dichotomy of large and small
producers.
• The largest AVA in the county is the Paso Robles
appellation.
– The appellation has experienced rapid growth in the last
20 years and currently has more than 20,000 acres planted
to wine grapes.
– Here the costal mountains block much of the cooling
influence from the coast, and the region is generally
warmer than Monterey AVA to the north.
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San Luis Obispo County (continued)
• South of the Paso Robles appellation, the weather
has a greater maritime influence.
• Here lies the Edna Valley AVA, which is much
smaller and considerably cooler than Paso Robles.
• The appellation is best known for Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir.
– Edna Valley’s southern location in the state makes for an
early spring budbreak. This, combined with the cool
summers, results in a long growing season.
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Santa Barbara County
• This last of California’s major viticultural areas
before reaching the vast urban areas of Los Angeles
had the earliest vineyards.
– The friars of the mission period were the first people to
plant grapes in the 1780s, but there was almost no further
vineyard development until the 1970s.
– The climate here is comparable to that in the southern
portion of San Luis Obispo County.
– White grapes outnumber reds by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1,
and the county is home to more than 40 wineries.
– The proximity to the Los Angeles urban area brings in
many visitors to Santa Barbara’s wine county.
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Santa Barbara County (continued)
• The two largest AVAs in the county are the Santa Maria
Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley.
• The Santa Maria Valley AVA begins about 10 miles inland on
the border with San Luis Obispo County.
– It is slightly cooler than the Santa Ynez Valley to the south, and
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are popular varieties.
• To the south the Santa Ynez AVA is a little warmer than the
Santa Maria region.
– Popular grapes are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah.
• Two smaller growing regions in the county are the Santa Rita
Hills AVA and the Los Alamos Valley.
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The Central Valley
• California’s great Central Valley extends for 450 miles
throughout the middle of the state.
• It produces 73 percent of the wine grape harvest and 99
percent of the state’s table grape and raisin production.
• There are many large vineyards, and these vineyards generally
produce a wine that has a more neutral flavor than coastal
vineyards.
– Central Valley grapes sell at an average of $300 per ton, whereas
Napa Valley grapes bring in more than $1,900 per ton.
• All of the state’s largest wineries are located in the Central
Valley.
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The Central Valley (continued)
• The Central Valley, in spite of its importance to the
wine industry, does not have its own AVA, and the
wines produced here are usually labeled as
“California.”
• The entire valley is warm, but the area just south of
Sacramento does receive some cooling influences
from the San Francisco Bay.
– This area, which is known as the Delta region, contains
the Central Valley's two most prominent AVAs of
Clarksburg and Lodi.
– The quality of the grapes grown in these AVAs is
considered superior to those grown further south;
consequently, they command higher prices.
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Summary
• California’s history and climate have made it the natural
center of wine production in the United States.
• Its diversity of growing conditions allows for the creation of
a wide range of wines.
• The increasing popularity of wine has resulted in the growth
of new winemaking regions outside of California.
• In 2005, all 50 states had bonded wineries, and there were 74
AVAs outside of California.
• In spite of the growth of these new wine regions, California
remains the nation’s most important wine producer.
© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.