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Love Letter To California

California - not just a famous hotel in a catchy song, nor the hook of the theme tune to arguably the greatest TV show of all time (if you know, you know). It’s all of this, but perhaps most importantly one of the world’s largest wine producing regions.

In a throw-back Tuesday edition of WineDown, we re-visit the ins and outs and ups and downs (and ups) of this iconic corner of the winemaking world.

California

Let’s do the numbers first. The USA is the fourth-largest wine producer in the world, and California contributes 81% of that output. Which, when you think about it, really makes California the world’s fourth-largest wine producer.

The state is divided into six regions, from Southern California down near the Mexican border; through the Central Coast (between L.A. and San Fran); the Inland Valleys (Lodi and Sacramento); the Sierra Foothills (on the way up to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe); the North Coast (home of Napa and Sonoma); and Far North California up to the Oregon border. Of its 58 counties, 49 are wine-producing, and there are 140 AVAs (American Viticultural areas) – of which Napa was the original.

A Little History

Wine came to California in 1769, when Franciscan missionaries brought settlers up from Mexico, establishing a mission and planting the first known vineyard. As they moved north along El Camino Real, they created a string of missions from San Diego to Sonoma – each with its own vineyard for sacramental (and recreational) wines. 

Commercial growing started in the 1830s - in a vineyard located in what is now downtown Los Angeles; and another on the current Disneyland site in Anaheim. In 1848, gold fever brought a massive surge of thirsty fortune-seekers and immense wealth to the region. Prospecting was hit or miss, but wine was a sure thing. By 1890, California was producing almost 11 million cases per year. 

Phylloxera

As any producer will tell you, the gods of wine dislike easy success. So, in the 1890s they sent phylloxera to the Golden State. It was a devastating blow. By the turn of the century, California’s vineyards had been decimated. But determination and hard work prevailed: Vineyards were uprooted and re-planted using vitis vinifera grafted onto phylloxera-resistant native rootstock. California was on its way back! 
Hold that thought...

Prohibition

The introduction of Prohibition in 1919 was the last straw for a battered industry. A lonely few producers managed to hold on, making sacramental wines, or producing table grapes; while a small handful - bankrolled by wealthy motion-picture companies from nearby Hollywood - managed some naughty covert operations.

But essentially the wine industry was bankrupted. Prohibition remained in place until 1933, when it was finally repealed. It was a long, hard road back, through a Great Depression and World War II, but growth was steady and sure. 

International Acceptance

Expansion in the 1960s (this is when Robert Mondavi built his Napa winery) was followed by international acclaim in the seventies, when California sensationally took out top white AND top red at the Judgment of Paris, 1976. France was understandably appalled. They had submitted some of their finest wines (Château Mouton Rothschild; Château Haut-Brion) but were humbled by the New World upstarts. One (French) judge was so infuriated, she demanded her ballot back. The world giggled in guilty delight: California had won our hearts.

Key Region: Sonoma

Beautiful Sonoma on California’s North Coast stretches from San Pablo Bay in the south to the Mayacamas Mountains in the east and north. It’s a winey wonderland of dramatic mountains, fog-shrouded valleys, sun-beaten plains, and vineyards everywhere. The complex topography makes for a wide range of micro-climates and terroirs - and this is what makes Sonoma special. 

Zinfandel and Cab Sauv thrive in the hot, bright sun-trap valleys like Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley; but where the famous San Francisco fogs penetrate the topography (in places such as Los Carneros), it gets downright chilly. This is where you’ll find great cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Look for, full-bodied Cabernet and Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chablis-like Chardonnay, and zesty sparklings.

Here’s a surprise: Sonoma grows more Pinot Noir than any other county in the state. 

Key Region: Napa 

Located just north of San Francisco, and bordering Sonoma in the east, Napa Valley runs northwards in between two mountain ranges. The Mayacamas in the west tend to block any cooling oceanic influences, so Napa is generally warmer than Sonoma (except for its southern-most and high altitude AVAs).

The USA’s most famous wine region (a string of Hollywood movies will do that for you) is surprisingly small. But although it’s a mere 30 miles long and a few miles wide, Napa produces some of the country’s most sought-after wines - from some of the most diverse microclimates and soil profiles on earth. In addition to rich, expressive Cabernet and Chardonnay, expect to find velvety Merlot, silky Pinot Noir, and bold, spicy Zinfandel.

Here’s a surprise: Napa accounts for just 4% of California's wine. 

California and Penfolds...?!

Yes, you read that right. This partnership goes way back, around 20 years or so to be exact when Penfolds winemakers took a handful of our prized vineyard cuttings and stuck them in the fertile Californian soil. Fast forward to today and this generation of winemakers are picking up where their predecessors left off, sourcing grapes from the best of our Californian vineyards to form the Penfolds California Collection.