 |
Your California Wine Guide
Please check here for
California wine gifts.
When it comes to wine in the United States, a quote from Jed Clampett is most appropriate..."California is the place you want to be”.
* If California were a separate country, it would be the fourth largest wine producing region in the world. France, Spain and Italy top the list. * With its location on the western edge of the country, its varied terrain, and its numerous micro climates, California is ideal for grape growing. Wine grapes are grown in almost every county in the state. *Today there are over 2500 wineries in California. Just 10 short years ago there were only about 1000.
California wineries are so varied. They range from the big guys - Gallo, Mondavi, Franzia, Sterling, Bealieu, Chalone, Beringer, and Kendall-Jackson ( most of whom are now owned by large corporations) to numerous wonderful, small family owned wineries. The picture above was taken at Zenaida Cellars in Paso Robles. Paso Robles is one of the up and coming wine regions in the state. If you're planning a visit, first examine the different wine growing areas you'd like to explore. Depending upon your level of wine expertise, you can do this one of two ways. One way is to examine the legally defined California wine regions or AVAs. The other is to examine the most visited wine areas in California, starting with a California Wine Country Map. But First...A Little California Wine History Wine grapes were first planted in California in the late 1700s by Franciscan missionaries as they established the Catholic missions. It is said the first vineyard was planted at Mission San Diego de Alcala in what is now historic Old Town San Diego. In the mid 1800s the first European wine vines were imported to the state by Agoston Haraszthy, who later began the first California winery, Buena Vista. Buena Vista winery in the Sonoma Valley still produces wine today. Neighboring Napa Valley’s first commercial winery was established by Charles Krug in St Helena in 1861. The California wine industry suffered an enormous setback in 1913 when Prohibition took effect, but by the mid 1960s it was regaining momentum. An event that changed the face of California wine making forever was The Judgment of Paris, a blind tasting held to compare the best of California with the best of French Bordeaux and Burgundy. California wines swept the competition in both the red and white wine categories. California wines have continued to gain worldwide prominence ever since. We hope our California Wine Guide and its related pages are helpful. Please check back for regular updates.
|
