California Wines

History of California Wines

The first plantings of wine vines (the lowly Mission grape) in California came at the hands of Spanish Jesuits in about 1770--some half-dozen years before those 13 colonies on the other side of the continent banded together to demand independence from Britain.

It was the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 that caused grapevine plantings in California to explode as winemakers did their best to satisfy tens of thousands of prospectors infected with both gold fever and a powerful thirst.

The first commercial winery in the state was founded in St. Helena in the Napa Valley in 1861 under Charles Krug. In later years, the Krug estate made its way to the Mondavi family.

It was in 1965 that Robert Mondavi left his family’s winery and founded his own in Oakville, California. The Mondavi winery paved the way for Napa Valley growth. Mondavi also catapulted the labeling of wines by variety; such as chardonnay or Riesling, instead of using the names from the regions of Europe.

The first Bordeaux style winery was created in Rutherford, California. It was called Inglebrook, begun in 1879.

By the 1890s, a nasty insect (phylloxera) had infested California's vineyards (and indeed, the vineyards of most of the world) putting a big hurt on the industry. A few decades later, Prohibition finished the job, killing off the weakened industry almost entirely.

With Prohibition, California winemakers were finished. Grape growers often found ingenious ways to skirt the letter of the law--selling grape juice to individuals along with packets of yeast and explicit instructions on how to keep the two ingredients apart lest combined they turn into wine.

Unfortunately, the thick-skinned grapes they planted were designed to endure bouncy train trips East, not to taste particularly good as wine. These homemade wines could only tarnish California's image as a legitimate winemaking state after Prohibition's repeal in 1933.

Recovery from Prohibition was a long, slow journey. Quality grapes had been replaced by sturdy grapes built for travel, wineries had closed down, equipment was in disrepair.

It was a mess. Public tastes were not up to snuff either: wine had become more associated with winos than epicureans. As a result, most of the wines in the first decades after Prohibition were sickly sweet or fortified.

By the year 1950, American produced wine had become quite popular and was regularly exported to several countries. Much of the success in American wines is said to have been attributed to a devastating disease that attacked vineyards in Europe, but nonetheless, California wine was winning competitions world wide.

It wasn't until the 1970s that Americans began to catch on to wine as an enjoyable and important mealtime companion. By then, varietals like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot had been planted in California vineyards and wine makers had done away with the unfortunate habit of calling California wines "burgundy" or "chablis" (generic labels designating nothing other than that one was red, one was white) in favor of varietal labeling. Now wines would be labeled according to the grapes that were in the bottle.

California knew it had arrived on the world wine scene in 1976, when California wines went head to head against the best French wines in a blind tasting held in Paris. California wines were judged best in both red and white categories. With that, California wines were back on the map.

Today, 9 of every 10 bottles produced in America come from California wineries. And the industry itself is a major tourist attraction, drawing some 14.5 million tourists every year, making it the second largest tourist attraction in California, bigger than Hollywood and second only to Disneyland.

Climate

But what makes California so well suited to vineyard growth? Climate and soil. The climate of California’s Napa Valley, one of the two most popular wine growing regions in that state, resembles that found along the Mediterranean.

The valley boasts several microclimates due to the various geographical influences that surround the region. The valley floor at the southern end is much cooler during the growing season because of its location near San Pablo Bay, while the northern floor remains much warmer because it is more closed in.

The soil is complemented with sediment from the receding Bay, as well as ash deposits from Mount St. Helena. The productivity of these soils is augmented by lots of rain, making an ideal grape growing climate.

Fine wines are among one of the most difficult products to produce, but California seems to have the edge. Their white wine production accounts for forty percent of the wine produced in the state, and California whites are recognized throughout the world for their superiority.

The growing season in Napa Valley begins relatively cool and rainy, with a late spring. The long summers are moderate, which encourage growth and berry size. This leads to excellent production.

Varietals

In the year 2001, Chardonnay accounted for 21% of the grapes produced in California, with Cabernet Sauvignon at fifteen percent, Merlot at eleven percent, Zinfandel at ten percent and French Columbard at eight percent. These constitute the top five winegrapes produced in the state.

California white varieties include popular items such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, along with production of the less popular Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscats, and Gewurtztraminer.

The most popular white wine produced in California is the Chardonnay. It's easy to drink and compliments a variety of foods. Chardonnays range from light to rich, with a host of fruity undercurrents.

Kendall Jackson

Perhaps one of the most common Chardonnays to come out of this region is the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. It has a medium body with wonderful oaky tones that are complimented by vanilla, pineapple, peach, and apple flavors that finish smoothly.

Kendall Jackson Chardonnay has won acclaim for many years from prestigious sources. It has earned wine ratings of 89 from Wine Advocate and an 85 from Wine Enthusiast. This wine comes from one of the top producing wineries in the Northern California Sonoma Valley.

Founded in 1982 by the Jackson family, Kendall Jackson Vineyards began making history immediately, earning the first ever Platinum Award from the American Wine Competition in 1983. They produce some of America’s favorite wines.

California Red Wines

While California wines include excellent whites, they are not to be discounted for their red wines either. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular of the California wine varietals. It has a robust flavor but is not a heavy wine.

The close runner up to the Cabernet is the Merlot. This California favorite is very full bodied with a deep red overtone. One of the lighter reds that is commonly produced in the region is the Pinot Noir. California Pinots comprise some of the most sought after wines in the state.

Of the top thirty wine producing companies in the United States, nine of the top ten are based in California, with the number one company being E & J Gallo. It has winemaking facilities in Modesto, Livingston, Sonoma, and Napa which produce seventy-five million cases of wine each year.

E & J Gallo includes such formidable wineries as Frei Brothers, Gallo of Sonoma, Redwood Creek, Turning Leaf, Bridlewood Cellars, Anapamu Cellars, Indigo Hills Winery, Mirassou Vineyards, Rancho Zabaco, and Louis M. Martini. These ten vintners produce over 443,000 gallons of wine, making them the largest producers in the country.

Top California Wines (according to Wine Enthusiast)

The best Cabernet Sauvignon was a Shafer, Hillside Select. It has been noted as the perfect Cabernet, and acclaimed as Cabernet of the year, according to The Wine News. It is a bold and powerful wine, with black fruit flavors complimented by chocolate and vanilla.

The best Merlot comes from Beringer. The Bancroft Ranch, Howell Mountain vintage is rich and screams of blackberry and black cherry fruits.

An affordable Pinot Noir tops the list, and that is the Merry Edwards Klopp Ranch. It offers a wonderful bouquet with vivid flavor. Only 1,250 cases were released in 2003, making this an excellent cellaring and investment wine. It's possible that this is already unavailable.

The best of the Red Zinfandels is the Rancho Zabaco 2004 Toreador, Monte Rosso Vineyard. The Wine Enthusiast says: "It is cultivated from old vine zinfandel that relishes in a bold aroma. Again, here is a wine ripe for storing, with only 650 cases produced."

On to the Chardonnay, one of California’s most notable varietals. 2006 offered many wonderful selections, but the Grgich Hills, Estate Grown Chardonnay tops the list. It is classy and aromatic with an oaky finish.

Visit The Vineyards

When experiencing California wines through tours, it is highly recommended to visit the quaint, antiquated smaller vineyards, as opposed to more commercialized operations. These smaller wineries produce some excellent varieties, and offer tastings of their best vintages. The staff is always ready to spend quality time with you, making the trip well worth it.

Larger vineyards, such as Sterling, boast over 200,000 visitors, the state’s most commercialized wine producer. Their productivity and fiscal aptitude are apparent at any visit, as you will only be afforded lower end wines to sample, and will not be given any individual attention.

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