20. California Flashcards
Overview
- Largest producer in US
- Pacific coastline / Central Valley / The Sierra Nevada foothills
- Warm Mediterranean in general
o 2 key influences -> cold Pacific + mountain ranges - Topography -> more influential than degree of latitude
o Latitudes low for a wine region (32–42°) - Greater fertility on valley floor / Poorer sand and gravel at higher altitudes
- Majority are black
- Chardonnay (most), CS, PN, Zinfandel, Merlot, Colombard, Syrah, PG, SB
North Coast
o North Coast AVA -> largest in Cali, high-volume
o Mendocino County
§ Anderson Valley
* Cold air + fog funnelled inland along River
* P.N + Chard
* Small batche prem
North Coast, Sonoma County
§ Northern Sonoma AVA -> large
§ Alexander Valley AVA
* Warm climate (cooling influences by Petaluma Gap)
* C.S
* Small + Prem
§ Knights Valley AVA
* Warm temp + warm volcanic soils
* Full-bodied C.S
§ Dry Creek Valley AVA
* old vine Zinfandel + S.B
* Small + Prem
§ Rockpile AVA
* steep rocky slopes + must be above 244 m
* Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, CS, CF, Malbec, Petit
Verdot, Douro varieties
* Low Y, small batches
§ Russian River Valley AVA
* Evening Fog -> Petaluma Gap
* Yellow sandstone, rocky sandy clay loam (poor)
* P.N + Chard
* Small + Prem
* 2 sub AVAs
o Green Valley->cooler
o Chalk Hill -> warmer ->C.S + SB
§ Sonoma Coast AVA
* Includes some AVAs -> wide variety of climates +
grapes
* High-volume -> PN + Chard
§ Fort Ross Seaview AVA
* Vines must be over 280 m -> above the fog layer
(more sun)
* Chard, P.N, Syrah
§ Petaluma Gap AVA
* Wind conditions (high-speed) -> open to coast at
both ends
* P.N
§ Sonoma Valley AVA
* Mountain ranges -> shelter from cool Pacific winds
§ Sonoma Mountain AVA
* Most vines on E-facing, steep slopes -> up to 730 m
* Ripe CS, Merlot, Zinfandel,Syrah
§ Bennett Valley AVA
* Warm sheltered conditions -> cool air at night
* Syrah, Merlot, S.B, Chard
§ Carneros AVA
* Affected by fog + cold winds -> vines up to 200 m
* Best known for P.N + Chard
* Small + Prem
North Coast, Napa County
§ Globally HQ C.S
§ Whites -> SB + Chard
§ small% of California’s production -> but large% of retail value
§ Mayacamas mountains (W + N) -> shelter cold Pacific
§ Vaca mountains (E) -> protect from hot Central Valley
§ Open to San Pablo Bay in S -> cool air + fog
§ Soils -> rocky in mountains (thin), clay + sand (more fertile), alluvial benches (deep, rocky, mid-fertility)
§ Valley floor AVAs
* Carneros (PN, Chard), Coombsville, Oak Knoll, Yountville, Stags Leap, Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena, Calistoga
§ AVAs on Mountain Sides -> above fog
* Mount Veeder (coolest, SW), Atlas Peak (SE), Howell
Mountain (warmest, NE), Spring Mountain District
+ Diamond Mountain District (NW)
Central Coast, Livermore Valley AVA
§ E San Francisco Bay
§ Wines -> concentrated, ripe flavours + tannins, fresh
acid
§ Small, prem
Central Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
§ CS (elegant) , Chard + P.N
§ Small, prem
Central Coast, Monterey County
§ Large AVA
* Coolest areas (N)-> P.N, Riesling
* Warmer sites further inland -> CS, Merlot, Syrah, Zin
* Inexp + mid-priced, high-volume
§ Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
* Exposed to winds + fogs -> Bay
* Chard, P.N, Syrah
* fresh, high acid, early-drinking styles
§ Arroyo Seco AVA
* Warmer-> C.S, Syrah, Zin
* Cooler -> better suited to Chard, Riesling
§ Chalone AVA
* Chard + P.N
§ Carmel Valley AVA
* CS and Merlot
* Nearer the coast -> P.N + Chard
* Small, prem
Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County
Paso Robles AVA
* Large AVA -> calcareous soils
* Black grapes -> CS
* High-volume (inexp) -> small batches (prem)
Edna Valley AVA
* One of coolest AVAs
* HQ Chard + P.N
Arroyo Grande Valley AVA
* One of coolest AVAs
* HQ Chard + P.N
Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
§ Chard + P.N -> most common in cooler areas
§ Syrah-> warmer sites
Santa Maria Valley AVA
* N portion of county
* P.N + Chard
Santa Ynez Valley AVA
* Includes 4 sub-AVAs
* Sta. Rita Hills AVA -> cool temp
o PN, Chard, SB, Viognier, Syrah
o Small, prem
* Ballard Canyon AVA -> further inland
o Later-rip Syrah, Grenache
* Los Olivos AVA -> alluvial terraces (inland)
o Grapes -> mix of Bordeaux, Rhône, Italian
* Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA (inland)
o CS + SB
Central Valley
-> not an AVA
o Hot continental
o The Sacramento Valley -> N
o The San Joaquin Valley -> S
o High Y -> flat fertile areas
o High-volume (inexp) + small batches (prem)
o Colombard, Chardonnay, Muscat, Zinfandel, Merlot
Lodi AVA
§ Hot Mediterranean (cooling winds from San Fran Bay)
§ old vine Zin
Clarksburg AVA
§ Hot Mediterranean
§ Chenin Blanc + Petite Sirah
Sierra Foothills AVA
o old vine Zinfandel
o High-volume -> small
South Coast
o Many vines -> exposed to breezes from Pacific
o Chard, CS, Zin, Chenin
o Focus on Q rather than quantity
o High-volume -> small
