CA - Central Coast Flashcards
What are the boundaries of Central Coast AVA?
- San Francisco Bay - North
- Santa Barbara County - South
What AVAs lie directly east and south of San Francisco Bay?
- Livermore Valley (North West)
- Santa Cruz mountains
- Ben Lomond Mountain (within Snta Cruz)
- Santa Clara Valley
- San Ysidro District
- San Fransisco Bay
Climate of Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
- cool coastal
- high altitude vineyards interspersed in redwood forests
Two celebrated vineyards in Santa Cruz Mountains (one eventually sad)
- Ridge - Monte Bello
- Bonny Doon Estate Vineyard (eventual victim of Pierce’s Disease)
- ->replanted as Le Cigare Volant
Who founded Bonny Doon?
Randall Grahm (1983) -Rhone Ranger!
What succeeds in warm inland Livermore Valley? Notable producer?
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Wente
What AVA in the San Francisco Bay is not included in the Central Coast AVA?
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
What county is south of San Francisco Bay and what two valleys are within?
Monterey County
- Salinas Valley (Lettuce)
- Carmel Valley
What does Monterey County generally produce? Why is this a shame?
- bulk wine
- cool coastal area promised success w/ one of longest growing seasons
Dominant grape of Monterey AVA?
Chardonnay
>50%
What is the main grape of Santa Lucia Highlands? What larger AVA is it within?
Notable vineyard?
- Pinot Noir
- within Monterey AVA
What River flows from the San Fran Bay down through Monterey and Paso Robles?
Salinas River
2 AVAs of note in the Gabilan Mountains?
- Mount Harlan AVA
- Chalone AVA - name of producer there too
Where is Garys’ Vineyard? What is it known for? 2 producers
- In Santa Lucia Highlands within Monterey AVA
- Top Pinot Noir
- Miner, Siduri
Where does Calera make wine?
Mount Harlan AVA in San Benito County AVA
Central Coast
What county is south of Monterey?
San Luis Obispo
Where is San Benito County in relation to Monterey?
East
How large is San Luis Obispo’s Paso Robles AVA? How many nested AVAs, when were they approved?
612,309 acres
-11 nested- approved 2014
How does the climate and soil in the western sub-AVAs of Paso compare to those East of the Salinas River?
Western AVAs of Paso Robles
- Adelaida District
- Willow Creek District
- Templeton Gap District
- Santa Margarita Ranch
- York Mountain (not a sub of Paso)
- *Cooler marine air funneled through Templeton Gap
- limestone and calcareous soils
Eastern AVAs of Paso Robles
- San Miguel District
- Estrella District
- Geneseo District
- El Pomar DIstrict
- San Juan Creek
- Highlands District
- Creston District
- *Sandier soil
- warmer and more arid climate
What is the Pass of the Oaks?
Nickname for Paso Robles
-named for local Oak trees
Who planted first Syrah vines in the state of CA? When? Where?
- Gary Eberle
- 1975
- Paso Robles
- (Steinbeck vineyard)
Who is Gary Eberle?
- Planted 1st syrah in CA
- took over fam’s Estrella River Winery
- helped found Paso AVA in 1983
- opened his own Eberle Winery 1983
What notable estate in Paso Robles is the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel a partner in? Who was the American counterpoint?
- Tablas Creek
- Robert Haas (Vineyard brands - wine importer)
How did Tablas Creek contribute to Rhône varieties infiltrating Paso?
- Tablas Creek Nursery
- 1990 - imported vines and rootstocks from Beaucastel
- 3 year quarantine
- As of 1993, available to multiply and sell clonal material
What is Hospices du Rhône?
- World’s largest Rhône wine celebration
- held annually in Paso, Blackberry farm, and Rhône
3 AVAs of San Luis Obispo County that are not in Paso?
- York Mountain (right next to Paso - West)
- Arroyo Grande
- Edna Valley - cool coastal - PN/Chard
Where does CA’s coastline sharply bed, trending E-W instead of N-S
Point Conception
What County is below San Luis Obispo?
Santa Barbara
Name some founding Rhône Rangers in the 80s
Randall Grahm - Bonny Doon Vineyard Joseph Phelps - Joseph Phelps Winery John MacCready - Sierra Vista Winery Bill Crawford - McDowell Valley Vineyards Fred Cline - Cline Cellars Winery Steve Edmunds - Edmunds St. John Bob Lindquist - Qupé Wine Cellars
Two sub-AVA Valleys of Santa Barbara
- Santa Maria Valley (North)
- Santa Ynez Valley (South)
4 Sub AVAs of Santa Ynez Valley
Which is the most recent?
- Sta. Rita Hills
- Ballard Canyon
- Los Olivos (2016)
- Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (2009)
Why and when did Sta. Rita Hills AVA become abbrev.
2006 after legal dispute with Chilean winery of the same name
What two mountain ranges define Santa Barbara
San Rafael Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains
Who planted the original vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills? When? What vineyard?
Richard Sanford
1971 - Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
What is the region climate of Santa Barbara?
Region 1 maritime
Where is the longest growing season in CA?
Santa Barbara
What pop culture event boosted awareness and interest in the wines of Santa Barbara?
Sideways (2004)
Santa Barbara Producers
Santa Maria Valley:
- Au Bon Climat (Jim Clendenon)
- Bien Nacido Vineyards
- Qupé - Bien Nacido
Sta. Rita Hills:
- Brewer-Clifton
- Sea Smoke
- Melville
- Liquid Farm
Santa Barbara County:
- Lieu Dit (Railsback and Willett)
- Sandhi (Rajat Parr) - mostly Sta Rita
Notable giant vineyard in Santa Maria Valley AVA planted to premium varieties?
Bien Nacido
Qupé
Who makes Ceritas? Where do they source grapes from?
John Raytek
Santa Cruz Mountains, the West Sonoma Coast, and the Anderson Valley
Producers: Santa Cruz Mountains
- Domaine Eden
- Mount Eden
- Kathryn Kennedy
- Rhys
- Ridge
Producers: Santa Lucia Highlands
- Hahn
- Kosta Browne
- Miner
- Twomey
- Siduri (also in Willamette)
