California / Other USA Flashcards
What is California’s newest AVA?
2020 - Alisos Canyon (Santa Barbara - Los Alamos - Au Bon Climat)
2020 - Tehachapi Mountains - between Bakersfield and LA - north of Antelope Valley AVA
California Plate techtonics & geology
Franciscan formation : Farallon plate ‘subduction’ going under the North American Plate,
compression of Pacific and North American plates @ San Andreas Fault - Napa & Sonoma Volcanics!
What are California’s 5 overarching regional AVAs?
North Coast Sierra Foothills San Francisco Bay Central Coast South Coast
South Coast AVA
5 counties
Riverside San Diego San Bernardino Orange Los Angeles
Lytton Springs; Kronos; Bloom’s Field; Volcanic Hill; Los Alamos; Jensen, Marjory’s Vineyard, Raschen Ridge
Ridge, Zinfandel, Dry Creek; Corison, CS, St. Helena; Dom de la Cote, PN, Sta. Rita Hills; Diamond Creek, CS, Diamond Mountain; Au Bon Climat; Calera; Cristom; Hirsch
Mendocino Ridge AVA
only non-contiguous AVA, 1200 ft. elevation requirement
State minimum % - California
100%
Lake County subs (6)
Benmore Valley, High Valley, Kelsey Bench, Clear Lake, Guenoc, Red Hills
Lodi AVAs (7)
Clements Hills, Borden Range, Sloughouse, Jahant, Mokulumne River, Clarksburg, Alta Mesa
Mendocino sub AVA monopoles
McDowell - McDowell Valley winery;
Cole Ranch - Esterlina
Which 2 rivers conjoin in Mendocino
Navarro and Russian
What 7 AVAs are nested entirely within Mendocino AVA
McDowell Valley, Yorkville Highlands, Anderson Valley, Cole Ranch, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Eagle Peak
Not nested-
Mendo Ridge
Dos Rios
Covelo
What were the most predominant grapes in Napa Valley pre-prohibition?
“Mixed Blacks” -
Alicante Bouschet
Petite Sirah
Zinfandel
Carignan
How big is Napa Valley compared to Bordeaux?
1/8th the size (45,000 acres vs. 290,000)
What is the current average price per ton of grapes in Napa?
$7,000/ton for Cabernet, about half as much for other grapes
Examples of wineries still practicing“old school” Napa winemaking
Corison Phillip Togni Cain Spring Mountain Vineyard Dunn Stony Hill Heitz Mayacamas
Pioneering producers of Carneros?
Saintsbury,
Etude
Carneros Creek
Bouchaine
Where does the elevation cut-off start for Howell Mountain AVA? Why?
1400 ft- above fog line
most between 1400 and 2200
100% merlot, 100% cabernet franc in Napa?
Keenan merlot and cab franc, Duckhorn 3 Palms, Switchback Ridge, Arietta, La Jota CF, Gallica CF, Larkin, Palazzo, Ovid Hexameter (CF dominant)
Stags Leap Wine Cellars Estate vineyard Cabernet Bottlings
Fay, SLV, Cask 23
Top 3 reds in the Judgement of Paris
SLV 1973;
Chateau Mouton,
Chateau Montrose;
4th - Haut Brion
What rootstock proved faulty in the 1980s
AxR 1
California’s 1st commercial syrah vines?
Gary Eberle, Paso Robles
Paso Robles Producers
Saxum, Tablas, Daou, Linne Calodo, Austin, Justin, Eberle
Which California sub-AVAs are located in Amador County?
California Shenandoah Valley
Fiddletown
Which California sub-AVAs are in El Dorado County?
El Dorado
Fairplay
Where is Marcassin vineyard located?
Fort-Ross Seaview
What are the sub-AVAs of RRV?
Green Valley & Chalk Hill (PN, CH, Zin - above fog line)
Green Valley AVA is distinguished by…
uniform Goldridge sandy loam, much foggier and cooler