Highlights of winegrowing areas
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Northern California Coast
The Northern California Coast region is a land of rugged shoreline and
pounding surf, of towering redwood forests (the famous sequoia trees are
found here) and rushing rivers, of verdant hills and bountiful vineyards.
The world-renowned wine areas of Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties are
located just north of San Francisco.
Mendocino County
The first vineyard was planted in 1850, following the Gold rush. Prohibition
nearly put a stop to the region's wine industry, only the efforts of the
Parducci family kept wine being made in Mendocino County. In the 1970's
and 1980's Mendocino wineries, led by Parducci Wine Cellars and Fetzer
Vineyards, gained acclaim and international distribution.
Directly north of Sonoma County, 150 kilometers north of San Francisco,
Mendocino is a rugged, mountainous and heavily forested region. Its vineyards,
about 6.000 hectares, generally lie along the drainages of the Russian
and Navarro Rivers and their tributaries, and on sun-exposed ridge-tops.
There are 37 wineries in Mendocino County, spread out over these 8 AVA's:
Mendocino, Anderson Valley, Cole Ranch, McDowell Valley, Redwood Valley,
Potter Valley, Mendocino Ridge and Yorkville Ridge. More information:
Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance. www.mendowine.com
Napa County
To the Wappo Indians who first inhabited the valley, Napa meant "a
land of plenty" . Early explorers such as George Yount planted grapes
in the valley around 1840. Charles Krug is credited with establishing
the first commercial winery in 1861, and by 1889, there were 140 wineries
in operation. Most disappeared during Prohibition, but with the repeal
in 1933, Napa Valley's wine industry began its renaissance. From 1960
to 2000, the number of wineries grew from just 25 to well over 240. 100
years after the first wine boom in Napa valley, the region again enjoys
a worldwide reputation for its high quality wines. Located just 1.5 hours
from San Francisco, the valley, with 16.300 ha. of vineyards, is bounded
on both sides by mountains and stretches 45 kilometers in a northwesterly
direction. Its width ranges from 8 kilometers at the widest point near
the city of Napa in the south, to just 1,5 kilometer where the valley
narrows near the town of Calistoga in the north. The Napa River runs through
the valley. The following 12 viticultural areas are located within the
Napa Valley appellation (North to South): Howell Mountain, Chiles Valley,
Spring Mountain District, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Atlas Peak,
Stags Leap District, Mount Veeder, Yountville, Wild Horse Valley and Los
Carneros. More information: Napa Valley Vintners Association. www.napavintners.com
Sonoma County
As early as 1812, Russian colonists planted grapes at Fort Ross on the
coast. But it was the Spanish Franciscan Padre Jose Altimera who laid
the foundation for the wine industry in Sonoma when he planted grapes
at the mission in 1823. Count Agoston Haraszthy from Hungary, considered
the "father" of the California wine industry, purchased a vineyard
in Sonoma in 1857 and renamed it Buena Vista. In 1861, he was commissioned
by the California legislature to study viticulture in Europe. He returned
the following year and brought over 100.000 cuttings of prized grape varieties
from France, Italy and Spain to Sonoma.
Today, there are 11 distinctive appellations within Sonoma County; Alexander
Valley, Chalk Hill, Dry Creek Valley, Knights Valley, Los Carneros, Northern
Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County Green Valley,
Sonoma Mountain and Sonoma Valley. The 180 wineries in Sonoma produce
award-winning wines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel
and Chardonnay. Sonoma's vineyards cover an area of 19.800 ha. More information:
Sonoma County Wineries Association. www.sonomawine.com
Central California Coast
The Central California Coast region stretches from San Francisco, via
Monterey to Santa Barbara - about a six-hour drive on Highway 101, which
the Franciscan monks used to call "El Camino Real" - the highway
of Kings. There is a variety of wineries tucked away in the many valleys
in the wine regions of Livermore Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey
County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County.
Livermore Valley
Nestled at the foot of the coastal range east of San Francisco Bay, the
25 km. long Livermore Valley has been home to California viticulture since
the early 19th century. Over 100 years old, it is one of California's
most historic wine appellations. When a Livermore vintage won the Best
of Show at the International Exposition in Paris in 1889, it gave the
state its first international gold medal, and the Livermore Valley international
acclaim as a wine producing region.
One of the few valleys in California with an east-west orientation, the
Livermore Valley's proximity to the San Francisco Bay produces a very
favorable environment for growing wine grapes. Throughout the growing
season, cool foggy mornings give way to warm midday temperatures. By the
late afternoon, cool marine air rushes east to the much warmer Central
Valley. These winds bring with them the evening fog that once again launches
the Valley's climate cycle. Characterized by an unusually deep, rocky
soil, the Livermore Valley is ideally suited for the production of Bordeaux
varietals. Today, the valley is home to a dozen wineries. More information:
Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association. www.livermorewine.com
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural area was established in 1982 and
is now home to about 20 wineries. This coastal wine region is about 80
km. from San Francisco, just south of the famous Silicon Valley. The area,
with Los Gatos, Saratoga and Santa Cruz as its principal towns, can be
divided along the ridgeline of the low mountain range (with peaks of more
than 1.000 meters), into a Pacific Ocean-facing west half and a San Francisco
Bay-facing east half. This explains the plantings of Pinot Noir, concentrated
on the ocean-side, and of Cabernet Sauvignon, on the Bay-side. In addition,
Chardonnay is a widely planted varietal in this region. More information:
Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association. www.webwinery.com/scmwa/
Monterey County
As in most counties, it was the Franciscan friars who planted the first
wine grapes 200 years ago at the Mission of Soledad. Yet it was not until
the early 1960's that the full potential of Monterey County as a wine-producing
region began. UC Davis produced a report at that time classifying grape-growing
districts by climate. Monterey County was classified as "cool coastal
and temperate valley", ideal for growing grapes, putting the region
on par with other great wine regions in the world. Among the first companies
to plant grapes here were Wente, Mirassou, Paul Masson, J. Lohr and Chalone.
From those early beginnings, the vineyards in Monterey have increased
to almost 17.000 ha., 40% of these are planted to Chardonnay grapes. There
are some 50 wineries in the area, spread out over the 7 viticultural areas
in the county; Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley, Hames Valley, Monterey, San
Lucas, Santa Lucia Highlands and Chalone. More information: Monterey County
Vintners and Growers Association. www.montereywines.org
San Luis Obispo County
Although there was some wine being produced here 200 years ago, the modern
wine industry in this area began in the early 1970's with a new generation
of vineyard pioneers. The area became known for its excellent Zinfandel
wines. Under the guidance of wine legend André Tchelistcheff, some
of the regions first Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes
were planted. Today, San Luis Obispo County is home to over 60 wineries
and has a total vineyard surface of 8.000 ha., a 33% increase over the
year before. In addition, many wineries from other regions have realized
the potential of the county and have purchased vineyards here. It is fast
becoming one of the leading wine regions in California. The Wine Spectator
calls it "The next red-hot wine region", the Wall Street Journal
called it "The region that is gaining attention for zinfandel",
while others have called the region "The Provence of California".
Most of the vineyards can be found in the two principal growing regions,
Paso Robles and Edna Valley. Other appellations within San Luis Obispo
County are York Mountain, Santa Maria Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley.
More information: Paso Robles Vintners& Growers Association (www.pasowine.com)
or San Luis Obispo Vintners & Growers Association (www.sanluisobispowines.com)
Santa Barbara County
As many other coastal counties, Santa Barbara, 150 km. north of Los Angeles,
enjoyed a lively wine industry some 200 years ago. Yet modern wine making
began in the 1960's when researchers of UC Davis found that the combination
of climate, soils, geology and water offered great potential as a viticultural
area. 35 years after the first vineyard was planted, there are now more
than 30 wineries in the area, located primarily in two viticultural areas
north of the city of Santa Barbara: the Santa Ynez Valley and the Santa
Maria Valley. In 1999, vineyards covered 6.000 ha., a huge increase compared
to the 4.800 ha. just one year earlier. More information: Santa Barbara
County Vintners Association. www.wineriesofsantabarbara.com
Southern California
This area, which stretches from Los Angeles south to San Diego, is most
famous for its sunshine, sandy beaches, surfers, theme parks and movie
industry. Few people know that the area also has its own wine industry,
with Temecula being the most important wine region. Located an hour south
of LA, Temecula is a warm region with 1200 ha. planted to wine grapes.
More information: Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. www.temeculawines.org
Sierra Nevada
Remnants of the wild and woolly gold rush days tell the tale of this
region, where the discovery of gold in 1848 triggered one of the biggest
gold rushes of all time. For most visitors, dreams of finding gold and
instant riches have given way to the lure of historic sites, charming
bed and breakfast inns, quaint hotels, an abundance of outdoor recreation
and a variety of award-winning wineries located in the counties of Amador,
Calaveras and El Dorado. This wine region houses some 50, mostly small
family-owned wineries, and is particularly known for its robust Zinfandel
wines. More information: www.eldoradowines.org,
www.amadorwine.com
and www.calaveraswines.org
Central Valley
The Central Valley, situated between the coastal foothills and the western
slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, is the agricultural heartland
of California. Its major transportation arteries, Interstate 5 and Highway
99, link history-rich agricultural communities to produce-rich country-side.
Wine grapes are grown in the two main areas south of the State's capital
Sacramento, Lodi and the San Joaquin Valley. The area is best known for
its production of table wines. More information: Lodi Woodbridge Winegrape
Commission. www.lodiwine.com
