California Viniculture

Question 1

Winemaking in California tends to be….?

Answer 1

Ultra-hygienic and controlled.

Question 2

Characteristics of Californian wine.

Answer 2

Ripe fruit = upfront fruit and higher alcohol.
Acidification is allowed but trend is rather to source grapes from cooler areas.
Chaptalisation is not allowed.
Wood is widely used.
Trend toward naturally occuring ambient yeasts.

Question 3

Name the 5 most planted varietals in California

Answer 3

1. Chardonnay
2. Cabernet Sauvignon.
3. Pinot Noir
4. Merlot.
5. Zinfandel.

Question 4

Best Chardonnay growing areas in California.

Answer 4

Best quality from low yielding vineyards in the cooler coastal areas.
Northern California. Anderson Valley (Mendocino County). Russian River Valley (Sonoma County). Carneros area, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria Valley.

Question 5

Characteristics of Chardonnay in California.

Answer 5

Depth, richness, concentration, aging ability.
Ripe, rich intense fruit flavours.
Apple, fig, mellon, pear, peach, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit.
Spice, honey, butter, butterscotch and hazelnut.
Good acidity.
Complexity through barrel fermentation, sur lie aging, malolactic fermentation and oak aging.

Question 6

Cabernet Sauvignon growing areas in California.

Answer 6

Best in Napa.

Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap District, Mt Veeder and Howell Mountain.

Question 7

Characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon in California

Answer 7

Rich textures,
Opposing flavours. Berries and herbs
Uncommon depth.
Richness and concentration.
Longevity.
Black cherry, cassis, forest floor, sandalwood, eucalyptus and mint.

Question 8

Pinot noir growing areas in California.

Answer 8

Best quality from the cooler areas.
Anderson Valley - 50% is now Pinot noir (Mendocino County). Russian River Valley (Sonoma County). Carneros area and a few spots along California’s Central Coast.

Question 9

Characteristics of Pinot noir in California

Answer 9

Raspberry, Strawberry.

Fine grained texture, elegance

Question 10

Merlot growing areas in California.

Answer 10

San Joaquin, Napa, Monterey, Sonoma, Sacramento.

Question 11

Characteristics of Merlot in California

Answer 11

Soft, approachable and luscious character that appeals to new and regular red wine drinkers. Lost popularity to Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir and Zinfandel.

Question 12

Zinfandel growing areas in California.

Answer 12

All over California. Like hot, dry climate with cool nights. Best from old hillside vineyards on rocky alluvial soils.
Best. Dry Creek Valley, Napa, Sonoma, Sierra Foothills (one of USA’s largest), Paso Robles and Amador.

Question 13

Styles of Zinfandel in California

Answer 13

Several Styles.

1. Claret style. balance, harmony, finesse. Ripe, juicy,complex flavours of cherry, raspberry, wild berry, plum, currant, and spices. restrained tannins and mild oak.
2. Big Full-bodied. Ultra ripe, intensely flavoured, firm tannins for aging.
3. Late harvest and Port-style. Very ripe, raisins, high alc. chewy tannins.
4. Field blends. Amongst the best. old vines planted together with Alicante, Petit syrah and Carignan.

Question 14

Characteristics of Zinfandel in California

Answer 14

Ripe red and black fruits.
Raspberries, jammy cherries, strawberries, red plums
Spice, pepper and jam.

Question 15

What is a Meritage Wine?

Answer 15

Meritage are Bordeaux-style red and white wines made by members of the Meritage Alliance.
A brand created to promote their proprietary blends.
Intended to promote blended wines from California.
The wines must be made from at least two of the permitted grape varieties in the red or white wine categories, with no single variety making up more than 90 percent of the final blend.
Founded in 1988.
Amalgamation of the words “Merit” and “Heritage”.

Question 16

1st and second AVAs in the US

Answer 16

Augusta, in Missouri—in late 1980, and Napa Valley gained AVA status in 1981