Going back to basics in pursuit of quality
Print Edition
California has been seen as a fine wine producer since Napa Valley wines trumped French Bordeaux and Burgundy vintages during a blind tasting in 1976 known as the “Judgment of Paris.”
The winners, a Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, have long since represented the lush and rich fruit driven wines synonymous with Californian wines.
The climate includes plenty of sunshine, which guarantees a long and consistent time frame for grapes to ripen.
Most of the vineyards stretch along the Pacific Coast, which brings fog and ocean breezes to balance the heat. Diverse soils, from sand and clay to granite and gravel, allow a variety of different grapes to thrive and attain wonderful character.
Californian winemakers are also known for being open-minded and keen to use technology to develop the full potential of their wines.
In some cases, they were criticized for paying too much attention to wine critics rather than terroir in order to obtain commercial success. However, in recent years, more winemakers have gone back to the basics and are trying to capture the terroir of their vineyards.
“California has more than 100 producing areas and more than 100 grape varieties. Both 2012 and 2013 are great vintages. The fruit driven character of wines from California goes well with Chinese cuisine,” said Linsey Gallagher, vice president of Californian Wine Institute, during a recent online virtual tasting between Shanghai and Napa Valley.
Gallagher says China has become the state’s most important wine export market. According to the annual report released by VINEXPO today in Shanghai, China is now the world’s largest red wine-consuming country, ahead of France and Italy.
Napa Valley and Sonoma County are along the northern coast of California. These two regions produce some of California’s best wines.
Napa is known for fruity Cabernet wines due to the warm climate and full-bodied buttery Chardonnay vintages brought by the use of oak aging and malolactic fermentation.
Napa’s Sauvignon Blanc (a classic white wine) distinguishes itself through its fresh and fruity flavors. Old World wines made from the same grapes tend to be more herbaceous such as those from the Loire Valley in France. Sonoma is known for its easy drinking Pinot Noir.
California’s central coast produces “supple yet powerful Syrah, Grenache and white Rhones with a Californian accent,” says Hugh Johnson, a leading wine writer in “Pocket Wine Book 2014.”
Further inland, vintners are known for producing quality Zinfandel, a robust jammy red wine.
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