CALIFORNIA Flashcards
CALIFORNIA-IN GENERAL
- IT EXTENDS 1100KM FROM NORTH TO SOUTH & THERE ARE VINS THROUGHOUT MOST OF ITS LENGTH
- LATITUDE:PLAYS SMALL ROLE DETERMINING VINS CLIMATE
- INF OF CALIFORNIA OCEAN CURRENT=MUCH MORE CRUCIAL
- NORTH OF LOS ANGELES(MOST VINS LOC)THE COAST LINE OF CALIF.:MOUNTAINOUS=SHIELD MUCH OF STATE FROM COOLING EFFECTS OF OCEAN
- COLD AIR ACCOMPANIED BY FOGS:DRAWN FROM OCEAN IN THE EVENING=LOWERING NIGHT TIME TEMP
- TIME IT TAKES FOR THE SUN TO BURN OFF THE FOG IN THE MORNING=COOLING INF EXTENDS WELL INTO THE DAY
- COOLING EFFECTS CAN BE SO DRAMATIC IN VINS NEAR THE COASTS=SOME YEARS GRAPE CAN STRUGGLE TO FULLY RIPEN
- COOLING EFFECT CAN REACH WELL INLAND FROM THE GAPS IN THE MOUNTAINS
- MONTEREY & SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES: VALLEYS LIE AT THE RIGHT ANGLES TO THE OCEAN=ACT AS FUNNELS FOR THE COLD AIR
- CENTRAL VALLEY: HOT/ NO EXPOSURE TO THE OCEAN
- LACK OF RAIN DURING RIP. SEASON
- WATER SHORTAGES: REAL CONCERN=DRIP IRRIGATION W PRAC.
- THE SCARCITY(KITLIK) OF AUTUMN RAIN ALWAYS ALLOWED GR GROWERS TO LEAVE THE GR ON THE VINE LONG INTO THE SEASON
- THIS EXTRA “HANG TIME”=VERY RIPE GR W/ VERY CONCENT FLAV&VERY H SUGAR L
- MORE RECENTLY: GREATER APPRECIATION OF FRESHNESS=MANY GROWERS NOW PICKING SLIGHTLY EARLIER
NAPA COUNTY-NORTH COAST
NAPA VALLEY AVA:RUNS NORTH TO SOUTH FOR 50KM, ONLY 5 KM WIDE
- MOST EXPENSIVE VINS LAND & SOME OF THE MOST PREST. WINERIES OF CALIF.
- WEST: MAYACAMAS MOUNT. FORM THE BOUNDARY W SONOMA COUNTY
- EAST:VACA MOUNT. SEPARATE THE NAPA V. FROM NORTHERN PART OF CENTRAL V.
- VINS:BOTH ON VALLEY FLOOR & ON EACH VALLEY SIDE & DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF SMALL AVAs
- A NUMBER OF COOLING INF=PROV. A DIVERSE RANGE OF CLIMATES=RANGE OF DIFFERENT W STYLES
- MOST SIGN. INF: MORNING FOGS & COOL AFTERNOON BREEZES FROM SAN PABLO BAY=MODERATE TEMP OF VINS TO THE SOUTH OF THE V
LOS CARNEROS AVA-NAPA COUNTY-NORTH COAST
REMEMBER: MORNING FOGS & COOL AFTERNOON BREEZES FROM SAN PABLO BAY MOD TEMP OF THE VINS TO THE SOUTH OF THE V
LOS CARNEROS AVA:
- MOST SOUTHERLY VIN AREA ON THE V FLOOR
- EXTENDS INTO SONOMA COUNTY
- COOL ENOUGH TO BE A SOURCE OF=HQ PINOT NOIR&CHARDONNAY=STILL WINES & TRAD. METHOD SPARKLING W
NAPA COUNTY-NORTH COAST
STAGS LEAP DISTRICT
YOUNTVILLE
OAKVILLE
RUTHERFORD
- MOVING ALONG THE VALLEY FLOOR: CLIMATE WARM ENOUGH TO RIPEN CAB. SAUV.
- RUTHERFORD: LEAST INF FROM SAN PABLO BAY=WARMEST DURING THE DAY=RED WINES: MOST POWER & STRUCTURE
- MERLOT: W P IN THROUGHOUT THESE AVAS
- CHARDONNAY & S.BLANC:MAIN WHITE VAR/ RIPE TROPICAL F
SAINT HELENA AVA & CALISTOGA AVA-NAPA COUNTY-NORTH COAST
- IN THE NORTH OF THE V THESE AVAS: WARMEST DAYTIME TEMP=MOST CONCENT. FULL BODIED WINES IN V
- COOL AIR THROUGH THE CHALK HILL GAP IN MAYACAMAS MOUNT.=PROV RELIEF FROM OPPRESSIVE AFTERNOON TEMP & MUSH COOLER NIGHT-TIME TEMP=HELP TO RETAIN ACIDITY
- CAB SAUV.:FOCUS
- ZINFANDEL & SYRAH: ALSO GROWN
HOWELL MOUNTAIN & ATLAS PEAK AVA-NAPA COUNTY-NORTH COAST
- MANY OF THE VINS ON THE VALLLEY SIDES LIE ABOVE FOG LAYER=COOLED BY THEIR ALTITUDE (INSTEAD)
- ASPECT=IMP EFFECT ON VINS CLIMATE
WEST FACING VINS: HOWELL MOUNTAIN AVA & ATLAS PEAK AVA=GET FULL EXPOSURE TO THE HOT AFTERNOON SUN=WARMER THAN THOSE FACING EAST
- INC(DIAMOND MOUNTAIN DISTRICT AVA , SPRING MOUNT. DISTRICT AVA, MOUNT VEEDER AVA)
- GIVING=FULLER-BODIED W W/ HIGHER ALCOHOL L
- RED WINES OF THE VALLEY SIDES: GREATER L OF TANNIN & LESS RICHNESS ON PALATE THAN THOSE ON VALLEY FLOOR
- CAB SAUV:PRINCIPAL VAR
- MERLOT, CAB.FRANC, ZINFANDEL: GROWN DEP.ON LOC
- CHARDONNAY:MAIN WHITE VAR/ CITRUS & STONE F W/ HIGHER L OF ACIDITY THAN THOSE OF THE V FLOOR
SONOMA & MENDOCINO COUNTIES-NORTH COAST
- LARGER THAN NAPA COUNTY
- GREATER VAR OF CLIMATES
DUE TO A BREAK IN COASTEL RANGES(PETALUMA GAP)=RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY AVA=VERY COOL, FOGGY CONDITIONS
-BEST KNOWN: HQ, ELEGANT PINOT NOIRS, CHARDONNAYS, SPARKLING W FROM SAME VAR
DRY CREEK VALLEY AVA:PLANTED DENSELY BOTH ON HILLSIDES & V FLOOR
- HILLSIDES ABOVE FOG LAYER=HOME TO HQ OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
- VALLEY FLOOR VINS=BETTER SITUATED TO SAUV. BLANC
- RHONE VAR & CAN SAUV: ALSO POPULAR
ALEXANDER VALLEY AVA: WARMER STILL & ITS WINES
- MORE FLESHY & F BODY THAN THOSE OF THE OTHER SONOMA AVAS
- PART. REP FOR: SOFT-TEXTURED, F BODIED, CAB. SAUV
- INT. VAR:PERFORM WELL
SONOMA COAST AVA: WEST OF THESE AVAS, EXTENSIVE
- CLIMATE: GREATLY INF BY COLD PACIFIC OCEAN
- VINS P ON: SOUTH FACING SLOPES=HELP MAX RIP
SONOMA VALLEY AVA: TOWARDS THE SOUTH OF SONOMA COUNTY, RUNS PARALLEL TO NAPA V
- SIMILAR TO NAPA V=COOLED BY BREEZES & FOGS FROM SAN PABLO BAY
- HQ CHARDONNAYS
- OLD VINE ZINFANDELS
MENDOCINO COUNTY-NORTH OF SONOMA (LARGE & VERY DIVERSE)
ANDERSON VALLEY AVA: VERY COOL
-SOURCE OF GR AROMATIC WHITE W: RIESLING, GEWURZTRAMINER, SPARKLING W
MENDOCINO AVA: IN COMPARISON, EXP MUCH WARMER, DRIER COND
- PROTECT. BEHIND THE COASTEL HILLS THAT RISE UP 900 METERS
- THE WINES: F BODY W SOFT TANNINS
- OFTEN MADE FROM: CAB. SAUV, ZINFANDEL, SYRAH
ALEXANDER VALLEY AVA-NORTH COAST
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS & MONTEREY-CENTRAL COAST
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS AVA
- DIVERSE REG IN THE NORTH OF THE CENTRAL COAST/ INC HILLSIDES LOC W INFERTILE SOILS
- SOME OF CALIF MOST ELEGANT CAB. SAUV PROD HERE/ MODERATE CLIMATE
- HQ CHARDONNAY & PINOT NOIR
MONTEREY AVA
- FOLLOWS THE PATH OF THE SALINAS V
- STRONGLY INF BY PACIFIC OCEAN
- CHARDONNAY & PINOT NOIR:HEAVILY P CLOSER TO THE COAST=STRONG COOL WINDS BLOW IN ON A DAILY BASIS
- MERLOT, CAB.SAUV., SYRAH GROWN: FURTHER ALONG THE V COOL WINDS BECOME LESS EVIDENT
- NUMBER OF AVAS ON SLOPES SURROUNDING SALINAS VALLEY WITHIN MONTEREY COUNTY
- IN PART: SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS AVA: SOURCE OF HQ CHARDONNAY W CITRUS & TROPICAL F FLAV & BALANCED ACIDITY
SAN LUIS OBISPO & SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES-CENTRAL COAST
- BOTH LOC IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF CENTRAL COAST
- HERE, MOUNT. LIE EAST-WEST RATHER THAN NORTH-SOUTH=ENCOURAGING THE FLOW OF COOL OCEAN BREEZES ON TO THE MAINLAND
PASA ROBLES AVA (IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY)
- NOTABLE PLANT OF CAB. SAUV, MERLOT, SYRAH
- 2 DISTINCT ZONES:
EAST: HOT, SUNNY WEATHER, DEEP FERTILE SOILS PRO SUPPLE FRUITY W FOR HV BRANDS
WEST:COOLED BY MARINE AIR, GAINED REP FOR HQ ZINFANDEL, RHONE VAR
SANTA MARIA VALLEY AVA (SANTA BARBARA COUNTY)
- SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER & WELL SUITED GROWING
- PREMIUM PINOT NOIR & CHARDONNAY
- IN LOW LYING AREAS FOG=CAN COVER VINS=SLOW RIP PROCESS & YIELDING W W/ CONCENT FRUIT BALANCED BY H ACIDITY
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY AVA
-SLIGHTLY WARMER / RED WINES FROM SYRAH & BORDEAUX VAR
STA.RITA HILLS AVA
- IN THE FAR WEST OF SANTA YNEZ/ MUCH COOLER & STRONGLY INF BY THE OCEAN LIKE SANTA MARIA V
- SPECIALISES: PINOT NOIR/ BACKED UP BY CHARDONNAY & A NUMBER OF AROMATIC VAR
CENTRAL VALLEY-IN GENERAL
- VAST/ ENCOMPASSES THE SACRAMENTO & SAN JOACQUIN VALLEYS
- PRO VAST MAJ OF CALIFORNIAN W
- MUCH OF ITS USED HV, INEXPENSIVE BRANDS
- CLIMATE:HOT & DRY
- IRRIGATION:W PRACTISED
- NEW GRAPE VAR: RUBIRED, RUBY CABERNET WERE BRED IN CALIF TO MAKE MOST OF THESE COND
- CAB SAUV, MERLOT, CHARDONNAY: W.P
- COLOMBARD, CHENIN BLANC, BARBERA: AS WELL
LODI AVA-CENTRAL VALLEY
- IT STRADDLES THE SACRAMENTO & SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTRAL V
- ALTHOUGH ITS GEOGRAPHICALLY W CENTRAL V, AVA LIES EAST OF HUGE SACRAMENTO DELTA=BENEFITS COOLING BREEZES FROM SAN FRANCISCO BAY
- MOST VAR ARE GROWN
- HOME TO SOME OF THE OLDEST & BEST: ZINFANDEL VINS IN THE STATE
