Stage 3
Wines by Region
USA
Chardonnay is the premier white variety in California. It was first planted in the 1940’s in Livermore Valley where the wines were produced using stainless steel and no oak and introduced the world to fruit led Chardonnay distinct from Burgundy. In Napa the wines can be opulent and exuberant if grown in the northern warmer part and crisper if grown at the San Francisco Bay end where cooling fog lowers the temperatures. Los Carneros in Sonoma is cool and windy which prolongs the ripening season and produces Chardonnay, which is light and delicate. Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo is famed for its Chardonnay, as are the wines from Santa Maria Valley, which are often likened to those from the Cote d’Or in Burgundy.
The coastal counties of Napa and Sonoma also produce some of the finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, which have high levels of silky-soft, ripe tannin levels and are deeply coloured with flavours of black cherry mingled with oak. The Merlot wines produced from these areas are full bodied with soft black fruit and flavours of fruitcake and oaky v anilla and coconut. California also produces blended Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the style of Bordeaux wines. These grape varieties are not so successful when grown in the hot Central Valley region and produce wines that are high in alcohol with cooked fruit flavours. Chardonnay from here will also have higher alcohol and lower acidity and can be a bit flabby.
Most of the regions in California are too hot to produce good quality Pinot Noir however, where the climate is cooler due to sea breezes or altitude some good wines are grown. These areas include parts of Sonoma and Napa counties such as Russian River AVA and Los Carneros AVA. The wines from these areas tend to be full-bodied, intensely fruity and have some animal and vegetal characteristics.
Sauvignon Blanc is not very popular in California, it does not appeal to the American palate possibly because the climate is too warm for the herbaceous characteristics to be retained. However some good wines are made in the Napa valley and are labelled Fumé Blanc.
These wines can be oaked to varying degrees and are not as full bodied as the Chardonnays from this region. Some vegetal characteristics usually show through.
Oregon in Washington State, which is north of California, produces some fine Pinot Noir wines due to the cooler climate, which is more suitable for this grape.