16.2 US: California Flashcards
California has approximately ___% of the total vineyard acreage of the US and produces approximately ___% of US wine.
80/81%
What are the five “super AVAs” of California?
- North Coast (Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Marin, Solano Counties)
- Sierra Foothills
- San Francisco Bay
- Central Coast (Between Oakland and Santa Barbara)
- South Coast (Below LA)
What counties are included in the North Coast AVA?
Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Marin, Solano
What “super AVA” are Napa and Sonoma counties part of?
The North Coast AVA
What large production area of California does not fall within the boundaries of any of the “super AVA”s?
Central Valley
The Central Valley is to the East of the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay AVAs - the northern tip of the Central Valley is sandwiched between the North Coast AVA and the Sierra Foothills AVA.
When were grapes first planted in Napa Valley? When was the first Napa Winery established?
1830
With the first winery established in 1860.
There are now 400+ wineries in Napa.
Approximately how many wineries are in Napa today?
400+ wineries
Which is a geographically larger area? Napa or Sonoma?
Sonoma
What are three geographical features that influence Napa’s growing conditions?
Mayacamas Mountains (West), Vaca Mountains (East), San Pablo Bay (South)
What are the three leading red grapes of Napa?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Pinot Noir
What are the two leading white grapes of Napa?
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
The text groups the Napa AVAs into three general categories. What are they?
Valley Floor
Elevated
Southern
Starting with Yountville, cite Napa’s 8 valley floor AVAs from South to North.
Yountville
Oakville
Rutherford
St. Helena
Calistoga
Spring Mountain is to the West of St. Helena. Chiles Valley District is to the East.
Stags Leap is to the East of Yountville
The Stag’s Leap AVA is East of which Napa Valley Floor AVA?
Yountville
True or False:
Yountville is far enough south to receive the benefit of cooling breezes from the San Pablo bay.
True. Yountville is noted for its moderate climate.
Is the Chiles Valley AVA in the foothills of the Mayacamas or the Vacas mountains?
The Vacas mountains.
Cite the 4 AVAs noted in Napa’s Southern area.
Carneros
Oak Knoll
Coombsville
Wild Horse
What are the five higher elevation AVAs of Napa cited in the text?
On the West/Mayacamas Mountains:
- Mount Veeder
- Diamond Mountain
- Spring Mountain
On the East/Vaca Mountains:
- Howell Mountain
- Atlas Peak
What is unique about Napa’s Howell Mountain AVA?
This is the only Napa elevation whose boundaries are elevation specific.
What is the Napa AVA with the elevation specific boundaries?
Howell Mountain AVA
What is the approximate split between red wine and white wine production in Sonoma?
2/3 Red
1/3 White
The Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, the Petaluma Gap AVA, and the West Coast Sonoma AVA are all subregions of which larger AVA?
The Sonoma Coast AVA
This covers a large part of the Sonoma coastline - running parallel to the Pacific from the San Pablo Bay to the Mendocino border. This area is heavily influenced by the proximity to the ocean. Cool climate, high rainfall.
What is the Petaluma Gap?
It a 15 mile wide area of low lying hills that creates a wind gap in the coastal mountains of California. This provides significant cooling effect on the area.
Where in Sonoma County is the Russian River Valley AVA?
In the center of the county.
What are the two noted subregions for the Russian River valley?
Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA: Fog, Sandy Soils
Chalk Hill AVA: White, Volcanic Soils
Chalk Hill AVA is well known for robust Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Which Sonoma AVA is well known for robust Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, grown in white, volcanic soils?
Chalk Hill AVA
Where is the Sonoma Valley AVA?
In the Southeastern part of Sonoma - between the Sonoma Mountains on the West and the Mayacamas to the East.
What is the Moon Mountain District Sonoma County AVA known for?
A mountainous area with red, iron rich, volcanic soils.
It’s on the western side of the Mayacamas, bordering Napa.
What are the key three types of wine produced in Carneros?
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Sparkling
There are six subregions/AVAs noted for Sonoma’s inland areas. What are they?
- Dry Creek Valley (noted for Zinfandels)
- Rockpile (noted for Zinfandels - NW tip of Dry Creek)
- Alexander Valley (not to be confused with the cooler Anderson Valley of Mendocino)
- Pine Mountain/Cloverdale Peak (NE tip of Alexander Valley - noted as one of the highest elevation growing areas of CA)
- Knights Valley AVA (foothills of Mayacamas)
- Fountaingrove District (foothills of Mayacamas)
This inland areas of Sonoma is cited for its elevation, noting it is amongst the highest vine growing elevation of all of California: ______________________.
Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak AVA
Which Sonoma AVA is cited for its red, iron rich, volcanic Soils?
Moon Mountain District Sonoma County AVA
Where is the Anderson Valley AVA?
Mendocino
This is one of the coolest wine growing regions in California.
How do the Anderson Valley AVA and the Alexander Valley AVA compare/contrast?
Anderson: Mendocino, cool climate, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Wine production
Alexander: Sonoma, warm climate, Cabernet Sauvignon
What is unique about the Mendocino Ridge AVA?
The land is not connected (it is noncontiguous) - only the areas at 1200 ft + in elevation are included in the Mendocino Ridge AVA.
This area is referred to as “Islands in the Sky”.
What does “Islands in the Sky” refer to?
The Mendocino Ridge AVA is created though elevation requirements of 1200 ft+ - thus creating a noncontiguous areas of vine growing.
There are many old vine Zinfandel plants here - but Pinot Noir is being planted more regularly here.
What is the smallest AVA in the state of California?
Cole Ranch AVA in Mendocino
Between the Russian River on the East and the Anderson Valley on the West.
Named for John Cole, he planted the first vines in the area in the 1970s. (60 acres)
Where is Lake County, CA?
10 miles north of Calistoga, at the intersection of the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains.
Due north of Napa.
Describe the climate/growing conditions of Lake County.
Though inland, it is cooler than other areas due to Clear Lake. Cited for young, volcanic soils.
High elevation vineyards with cited high air quality maximizes sun exposure, resulting in grapes with thicker skins, more anthocyanins, tannins, and polyphenols - and reduced pyrazines.
Lake County is cited for its high elevations (1500-3000 ft), volcanic soils, and pure air quality.
What does this combination of factors bring to grape growing?
Increased solar potential / sun exposure, resulting in riper grapes with:
- thicker skins
- more polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins
- less pyrazine
And, less humidity with greater diurnal shifts, allowing grapes to retain their acidity.
What area does the Central Coast AVA of California cover?
Coastal areas, parallel to the Pacific, from San Francisco to Santa Barbara - with the exception of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA and the Ben Lomand Mountain AVA.
What types of wine is the Central Coast AVA known for?
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Other lighter to medium body wines
What are the three wine producing counties noted for the Central Coast AVA?
Monterey County
San Luis Obispo County
Santa Barbara County
20% of California’s Chardonnay is produced in which county?
Sonoma
Napa
Monterey
Santa Barbara
Monterey
The more southerly location of Monterey County would be suggest it is a warm climate for grape growing.
Why is this not the case across the entire county?
This is one of the few areas where California’s mountains run East/West instead of North/South. This creates a vacuum effect that pulls colder air downward - thus making this area a cooler climate growing region.
Where is the Paso Robles AVA?
San Luis Obipso County
This is a large growing area with great variation in elevation - producing a variety of grapes.
Cited for Syrah
Where is the Paso Robles AVA?
In San Luis Obispo County - it is a large growing area with significant variation in elevation, producing a wide variety of grapes.
Do the mountains in Santa Barbara run East West or North South?
East West - which has a significant impact on the growing climate.
What is the largest subregion/AVA of Santa Barbara County?
Santa Ynez Valley (runs east/west) - produces a variety of grape types
True or False: The Central Valley region of California produces 55% of its total grape production.
True - but a good proportion of production is not destined for wine. It is for table grapes, raisins, etc.
It is a key source of grapes for bulk wines.
Where is the Lodi AVA?
East of San Francisco Bay, part of the Central Valley
Lodi and its sub-appelations enjoy a largely Mediterranean climate. More than 70 different grape varieties are grown here.
The Bechtold Vineyard of the Lodi AVA is home to some of the world’s oldest vines of: ________________.
Cinsault
What US AVA do these sub-appellations belong to?
Alta Mesa
Borden Ranch
Clements Hills
Cosummes River
Jahant
Mokelumne River
Sloughhouse
Lodi Ava (part of Central Valley)
Where is the Sierra Foothills AVA?
East of Sacramento and the Central Valley, on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Is the Sierra Foothills AVA a large production AVA?
No. Though geographically large, this area is home to only roughly 1% of California’s total wine grape acreage.
In what part of California did California’s wine industry begin?
Southern California
