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Wines from California

The California is the leading wine-producing region in the United States and, on its own, ranks as the world’s fourth-largest wine producer, behind France, Italy, and Spain. Its winemaking history dates back to the 17th century, when missionaries brought back European grapevines that had been imported to Latin America by the Conquistadors.

The main reasonCaliforniais able to produce wine is the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The amount of sunshine is optimal for ripening the grapes, and the cool fog along the coast moderates high temperatures, creating ideal conditions for producing complex wines.

California's wine-growing region consists of 6 subregions:

- Northernmost California: California's smallest wine-growing region.

- North Coast: One of the coolest wine-growing regions, it is home to more than half of California's wineries, including the most prestigious ones such as Napa and Sonoma.

- Central Coast: South of San Francisco, the climate is fairly mild. Some of California's oldest vineyards are planted there.

- Sierra Foothills: The vineyards planted on former Gold Rush mining sites near Nevada produce wines with very intense aromas.

- Inland Valleys: The world's most fertile agricultural region, it is the cradle of large-scale production.

- Southern California: Located between Los Angeles and San Diego, the region is home to California's highest vineyard, at an elevation of 1,300 meters.

These California regions boast a wide variety of grape varieties. But if there’s one grape variety thatCaliforniacan truly call its own, it’s Zinfandel—a variety native to Croatia and known as Primitivo in southern Italy. Zinfandel expresses itself in many different ways. At one extreme, it can be a very popular sweet rosé called “White Zinfandel”; at the other, a powerful, full-bodied red with over 16% ABV. However, the best reds feature aromas of raspberry jam and black pepper or wild blackberries and spices. This depends on how and where the grapes are grown.

With its great topographical and climatic diversity, some of the world’s most creative winemakers, and a wide range of grape varieties,Californiahas established itself as a global leader in quality wines.