California Flashcards
Where do we find the ‘Edna Valley’ AVA ?
- Sub-region of San Luis Obispo AVA
Which AVA region of California is considered the coolest ?
- Santa Maria Valley AVA
Where do we find the ‘Mount Harlan’ AVA ?
- Sub-region of San Benito AVA
Name the Vaca Mountains AVAs of Napa Valley.
- Howell Mountain
- Chiles Valley District
- Atlas Peak
- Wild Horse Valley
- (North to South)
Name the Mayacamas Mountains AVAs of Napa Valley.
- Diamond Mountain District
- Spring Mountain District
- Mount Veeder
- (North to South)
Which AVAs border the Rutherford AVA ?
- North is Saint-Helena
- South is Oakville
Name an AVA south of Los Angeles
- Temecula Valley
- San Pasqual
- Ramona Valley
In which AVA can we find the Château Montelena winery ?
- Calistoga AVA, Napa
- Established in 1888 as A.L. Tubbs Winery
- Established in 1940 as Chateau Montelena
- 1973 vintage Chardonnay made by Milijenko ‘Mike’ Grgich won a blind tasting in Paris 1976
- No malolactic. Only French oak barrels are used, with a minimal percentage of new oak (less than 10%).
In which AVA can we find the Diamond Creek Vineyards winery ?
- Diamond Mountains District AVA, Napa
- Established in 1968
- “suitcase” Bordeaux clones rumored to have originated at Château Haut-Brion
- Vines, planted on St. George rootstock, survived 1980s’ bout with phylloxera, now nearly half a century old.
- Diamond Creek was the first Napa Valley winery to crack the $100/bottle mark at retail, in 1987.
- In 2020, the winery sold to Champagne Louis Roederer
- All wines are aged in 100% new Nevers French oak barrels for up to 22 months
What is the style of Schramsberg Vineyards winery ?
- Sparkling Wines
- Traditonal Method
- Located in Diamond Mountain District AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find the Robert Mondavi winery ?
- Oakville AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find the Caymus winery ?
- Rutherford AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find the Beringer winery ?
- St. Helena AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find those major producers : Heitz – Corison – Freemark Abbey – Joseph Phelps
- St. Helena AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find those majors producers : Chimney Rock – Clos du Val – Shafer.
- Stags Leap AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find those major producers : Dominus – Napanook
- Yountville AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find the Inglenook winery ?
- Rutherford AVA, Napa
In which AVA can we find those major producers : Jordan – Silver Oak – Stonestreet – Rodney Strong
- Alexander Valley AVA, Sonoma
True or False ? The soils of Chalk Hill AVA, Sonoma, are made of chalk.
- False
- Quartzite abundant white volcanic ash
- There is no chalk in the soils, the name is due to the color
In which AVA are those major producers : A. Raffanelli – Ridge-Lytton Estate – Teldeschi Vineyard
- Dry Creek Valley AVA, Sonoma
What is the major grape varietal of Fort Ross – Seaview AVA, Sonoma ?
- Pinot Noir
In which larger region of California can we find Fountaingrove District AVA ?
- Sonoma
- 600 acres under vine
- Est. 2015
- Cab. S. – Merlot – Syrah
In which AVA are those major producers : Dutton Estate - Iron Horse Vineyards - Keefer Ranch
- Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA
In which AVA are those major producers : Joseph Swan – Rochioli - Ritchie - Williams-Seylem
- Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma
Tell us about Opus One.
- 1979 joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild (of Mouton)
- Located in Oakville AVA, Napa
- 1981, the Opus One partnership acquired the To-Kalon “Q Block” from Robert Mondavi Winery
- Bordeaux approach to viticulture = high densities common in France, rather than the traditional wide-spacing
- Predominantly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, but five principal Bordeaux varieties are at the estate.
Tell us about Robert Mondavi.
- Robert and his brother (Peter) fought over mangement of the family estate (formely Charles Krug Winery)
- The winery was founded in 1966, in Oakville AVA, Napa
- The To-Kalon Vineyard, originally planted by H.W. Crabb in 1868, formed the core of the property.
- First in Napa to employ French oak barrels exclusively for aging wine
- Among the original adopters of temperature-controlled, stainless steel fermentation tanks
- 1968, Mondavi rebranded Sauvignon Blanc as “Fumé Blanc,”
- Winery sold in 2004 to Constellation Brands, for 1B$
- Robert died in 2008
Who is Geneviève Janssens ?
- Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi Winery (since 1997)
- Wine Enthusiast’s 2010 “Winemaker of the Year,”
What is the white wines result, from no 1 to 10, of Judgement of Paris 1976 ?
- Château Montelena, 1973
- Roulot, Meursualt-Charmes, 1973
- Chalone Vineyards, 1974
- Spring Mountain Vineyard, 1973
- Joseph Drouhin, Beaune Clos des Mouches 1973
- Freemark Abbey Winery, 1972
- Ramonet-Prudhon, Bâtard-
Montrachet, 1973 - Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet les Pucelles, 1972
- Veedercrest Vineyards, 1972
- David Bruce Winery, 1973
What is the red wines result, from no 1 to 10, of Judgement of Paris 1976 ?
- Stag’s Leap wine Cellars, 1973
- Château Mouton-Rotschild, 1970
- Château Haut-Brion, 1970
- Château Montrose, 1970
- Ridge Vinyards, monte Bello, 1971
- Château Léoville Las Cases, 1971
- Mayacamas Vineyards, 1971
- Clos du Val Winery, 1972
- Heitz Wine Cellars, Martha’s Vineyard, 1970
- Freemark Abbbey Winery, 1969
True or False ? USA red wines again got 1st rank at the 30th year anniversary of the Judgment of Paris.
- True
- 1st is Ridge Vineyards, Monte bello, 1971
- 2nd is Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, 1973
- 3rd is Mayacamas Vineyards, 1971 & Heitz Wine cellars, Martha’s Vineyard, 1970
Where can we find the Vérité winery ?
- Chalk Hill AVA, Sonoma
- Est 1998
- 3 cuvées : La Joie (Cab. S Pauillac)– la Muse (Merlot Pomerol) – Le Désir (Cab F St-Émilion)
- “La Joie” is currently the single most expensive Cabernet bottling produced from Sonoma County fruit.
What is the name of the project of Tim Mondavi (son of Robert Mondavi) ?
- Continuum Estate
- Est. 2005
- Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley AVA
- After the family estate sold to Constellation Brands in 2004, Tim (winemaker) sought another property
- Neighboring Chapellet at 1300-1600 ft.
- Organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
Where is located Pritchard Hill ?
- It’s hard to define its boundaries, since, not being a legal appellation, it doesn’t have any.
- Its “a hole” between Oakville, Howell Mountain, the Stags Leap District, Rutherford and Chiles Valley.
- Most of the vineyards are higher than 800 feet above sea level, and some rise to nearly 2,000 feet.
- Wines grown there qualify only for a Napa Valley appellation.
- Chappelet owns a trademark, and doesn’t want to share the name
Who has a signature wine called ‘Maya’ ?
- Dalla Valle
- Named after the owners daughter
- Cab S + Franc
What is the name of the californian project of the Moueix family of Bordeaux ?
- Dominus
- Yountville, Napa Valley AVA
- Est. 1982
Where can we find the Mayacamas Vineyards estate ?
- Mt. Veeder AVA, Napa
Where is located the Monte Bello Estate of Ridge winery ?
- Santa Cruz Mountains AVA (South of San Francisco)
- Lie at 2300 ft.
Where can we find Littorai estate ? Tell us about the house.
- Sebastopol, Sonoma
- Owns vines : Sonoma Coast AVA, Russian River Valley AVA, Anderson Valley AVA
- Est. 1993
- Biodynamic farming
- Top Pinots Noirs : Haven – Pivot – Platt
– A. Thieriot – Mays Canyon – Roman – Savoy – Cerise – One Acre - Minimal new oak use
Where can we find Domaine de la Côte estate ? Tell us about the house.
- Sta. Rita Hills AVA (in Santa Barbara wine region)
- Est. 2013
- Wine industry icons : Sashi Moorman - Rajat + vineyard manager Chris King
- Biodynamic
- The duo owns nearby négociant label Sandhi, as well as Evening Lands in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Tell us about Anthill Farms.
- Located in Healdsburg, Sonoma
- Est. 2004
- Webster Marquez, Anthony Filiberti, and David Low. They met while working at Williams-Selyem in 2003.
- Does not own or lease vineyards, instead working with a variety of North Coast sites.
- Aims to express vineyard site and vintage, preferring acidity and freshness to a ripe style
- Wines are aged mostly in neutral French oak
- It is not uncommon for alcohol percentages to hover around 13%.
What is the style of the ancient wine called ‘Angelica’ made by the Spanish missionaries (1769-1833) ?
- Fortified style, derived from the Mission grape
Which historical event is responsible for the California’s commercial wine boom in 1849 ?
- Gold Rush
- Lot of european immigrant
- They brought viticultural knowledge
Years of prohibition in USA ?
- 1920 – 1933
Which french well-known family is behind the Paso Robles, Tablas Creek project ?
- Perrin family, owners of Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Tablas Creek is part of the ‘Rhone Rangers’ movement, that begun in th 80s
Where can we find : Bien Nacido – Solomon Hills – Sanford & Benedict – Los Alamos – la Rinconada – La Encantada – Zotovich – Rita’s Crown – Dierberg ?
- Santa Barbara County
What is interesting and common between Santa Maria & Sante Ynez Valleys ?
- Both run East-West (rare transverse valleys)
The Livermore Valley is best known for which grape varieties ?
- Chardonnay
- Cabernet Sauvignon
True or False ? Napa Valley AVA is the second wine region nationally designated ?
- True
- Est. 1981
- After Augusta, Missouri
- Equally with Sonoma Valley AVA
At which estate used to work André Tchelistcheff ? Tell us about him
- Beaulieu Vineyard
- America’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker.
- In 1938, concentrated his efforts on defining a style for high-quality California Cabernet Sauvignon
- Mentor of a lot of highly praised winemakers of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
What do we refer to speaking of the ‘benchlands’ of Napa Valley ?
- In the valley floor AVAs, the best sites for winegrowing are usually on the alluvial fans, or ‘benchlands’
- Deep, fertile, sloping soil deposits composed of run-off from mountain streams.
- In these alluvial fans, vine can develop deep root systems.
Bennet Valley AVA of Sonoma is acclaimed for which grape varietal ?
- Merlot
Which Sonoma AVA is well known for old-vine Zinfandel ?
- Dry Creek Valley AVA
Name the oldest continuously operating winery in California ?
- Buena Vista
- Sonoma Valley AVA, the 1st appellation in the county established in 1981.
How was 2017 in Napa Valley ?
- Difficult
- Heat spikes near harvest
- Wildfires brought an abrupt end to the season
Major river in Anderson Valley ?
- Navarro
AVA shared between Mendocino County & Sonoma County ?
- Pine Mountain – Cloverdale Peak
Where is located Savoy vineyard ?
- Anderson Valley
How they delimited Mendocino Ridge ?
- Demarcated by elevations above 1,200 feet (limit roughly represent the fog line)
Most important AVA in Lake County ?
- Red Hills
Who planted the first vineyard in Napa ?
- Georges Calvert Yount
What are the four cuvées produced by Diamond Creek Vineyards ?
- Volcanic Hill
- Red Rock Terrace
- Gravelly Meadow
- Lake (usually blend in Gravelly Meadow, except for exceptional vintage)
Philip Togni Vineyard (Spring Mountain) is considered as a Old school or modern producer ?
- Old School
- 40% new oak
Who is famed for Kronos Vineyard ?
- Corison (St-Helena)
Where is located..?
- Bella Oak Vineyard
- Trailside Vineyard
- To-Kalon
- Eisele Vineyard
- Martha’s vineyard
- Napanook
- Bella Oak Vineyard - Rutherford
- Trailside Vineyard - Rutherford
- To-Kalon - Oakville
- Eisele Vineyard - Calistoga
- Martha’s vineyard - Oakville
- Napanook - Yountville
Who produced ‘The Judge’ Chardonnay ?
- Kongsgaard
What is the warmest AVA of Sonoma ?
- Knights Valley AVA
- Its the most protected from maritime influences
Where can we find ‘Goldridge’ soils ?
Russian River Valley : Sebastopol Hills & Green Valley of RRV
What Kistler is renowned for ?
10 single vineyard Chardonnay with the same heritage clone
(Also produces Pinot noir)
Moon Mountain is located within which AVA ?
- Sonoma Valley AVA
Name 3 important sites in Moon Mountain AVA ?
- Hanzell
- Monte Rosso
- Montecillo
What’s the name of the Taittinger project in Carneros ?
- Domaine Carneros
Where is located Abreu ?
- St. Helena AVA
Where is located Screaming Eagle ?
- Oakville AVA
Where is located Far Niente ?
- Oakville AVA
Where is located Château Montelena ?
- Calistoga AVA
Where is located Joseph Phelps ?
- St. Helena AVA
Where is located Beaulieu ?
- Rutherford AVA
Where is located Scarecrow ?
- Rutherford AVA
Where is located Opus One ?
- Oakville AVA
Where is located Dunn Vineyard ?
- Howell Mountain AVA
Where is located Eisele Vineyard ?
- Calistoga AVA
Where is located Corison ?
- St. Helena AVA