California Wine

Although European wines are held in fine standing in the world of wine and wine enthusiasts, California wines can also hold their own admirably. There are two major wine regions in California; the San Francisco Bay coastal region and the Central Valley region.

Some of the finest grapes grow in the Sonoma, Santa Clara, Livermore, and San Benito Valley. Anyone who appreciates fine wine will also identify easily with the Napa Valley. The San Joaquin Valley is known to produce some of the sweetest, fortified wines. It is the San Joaquin Valley where most of the California wines are produced, with mass plantings of over 50%. The wines produced there are inexpensive but well- produced adding to their popularity; consistently bringing about a nice blend of table wines at a reasonable price. Making names like Ernest & Julio Gallo and Almaden household words. The reason that California has the ability to produce such outstanding and high volume wines is because of the different climates all over the state.

During the Gold Rush of 1849 many of the early settlers decided to plant grapes along with their crops. Then the European settlers arrived and together these pioneers grafted together their grapevines, forming a hardier growth.

Then Prohibition hit and with the prohibition came the end of wine making for profit- except for those who insisted they only made sacramental wines. According to Kevin Zraly author of Windows on the World The Complete Wine Course:
“During Prohibition people used to buy grape concentrate from Californians and have it shipped to the East Coast. The top of the container was stamped in big, bold letters: CAUTION: DO NOT ADD SUGAR OR YEAST OR ELSE FERMENTATION WILL TAKE PLACE!

Of course we know the formula by now: Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol. Do you want to guess how many people had the sugar and yeast ready the very moment the concentrate arrived?”

One of the benefits of being in the wine making industry in California is the availability of modern technology to assist in growing the best grapes. Spinning cone columns and reverse osmosis have replaced straining the juice through cheesecloth to remove all the impurities.

Many argue that modern technology is ruining the terroir of the traditional wines. Terroir is a French term meaning “taste of the earth” and broken down, it simply means that when you sip wine for the first time, you should taste the history and the culture of the wine blended into the flavor. Technology, experts argue takes that uniqueness out of the wine, replacing it with an almost sterile taste evoking little or no memories.

Technology has certainly allowed bottles of inexpensive, yet flavorful wine to dominate the marketplace. Whereas European wines are few-and-far between (since they don’t mass produce wine but concentrate on just a few wines) the wines produced are high quality and bring with them a high price tag. Today, the wine industry is blooming.





Wine Home Wine Essentials Wine Types Wine Fermentation Food and Wine Wine Making Wine Tasting Wine Racks Glossary of Wines Regional Wine Australia Wine French Wine California Wine German Wine Shopping Buying Wine Online	WineWine.com.au / Region / California Wine California Wine Although European wines are held in fine standing in the world of wine and wine enthusiasts, California wines can also hold their own admirably. There are two major wine regions in California; the San Francisco Bay coastal region and the Central Valley region. Some of the finest grapes grow in the Sonoma, Santa Clara, Livermore, and San Benito Valley. Anyone who appreciates fine wine will also identify easily with the Napa Valley. The San Joaquin Valley is known to produce some of the sweetest, fortified wines. It is the San Joaquin Valley where most of the California wines are produced, with mass plantings of over 50%. The wines produced there are inexpensive but well- produced adding to their popularity; consistently bringing about a nice blend of table wines at a reasonable price. Making names like Ernest & Julio Gallo and Almaden household words. The reason that California has the ability to produce such outstanding and high volume wines is because of the different climates all over the state. During the Gold Rush of 1849 many of the early settlers decided to plant grapes along with their crops. Then the European settlers arrived and together these pioneers grafted together their grapevines, forming a hardier growth. Then Prohibition hit and with the prohibition came the end of wine making for profit- except for those who insisted they only made sacramental wines. According to Kevin Zraly author of Windows on the World The Complete Wine Course: “During Prohibition people used to buy grape concentrate from Californians and have it shipped to the East Coast. The top of the container was stamped in big, bold letters: CAUTION: DO NOT ADD SUGAR OR YEAST OR ELSE FERMENTATION WILL TAKE PLACE! Of course we know the formula by now: Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol. Do you want to guess how many people had the sugar and yeast ready the very moment the concentrate arrived?” One of the benefits of being in the wine making industry in California is the availability of modern technology to assist in growing the best grapes. Spinning cone columns and reverse osmosis have replaced straining the juice through cheesecloth to remove all the impurities. Many argue that modern technology is ruining the terroir of the traditional wines. Terroir is a French term meaning “taste of the earth” and broken down, it simply means that when you sip wine for the first time, you should taste the history and the culture of the wine blended into the flavor. Technology, experts argue takes that uniqueness out of the wine, replacing it with an almost sterile taste evoking little or no memories. Technology has certainly allowed bottles of inexpensive, yet flavorful wine to dominate the marketplace. Whereas European wines are few-and-far between (since they don’t mass produce wine but concentrate on just a few wines) the wines produced are high quality and bring with them a high price tag. Today, the wine industry is blooming.

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