United States Flashcards
Name some native grapes to the US
Vitis labrusca (the Concord grape) Vitis rotundifolia (the Scuppernong grape) Vitis aestivalis (the Norton grape)
Agoston Haraszthy
Hungarian-born, Agoston Haraszthy arrived in Sonoma in 1849, where he founded Buena Vista, one of California’s oldest commercial wineries. Dubbed the “father of California wine,” the colorful Haraszthy introduced more than 300 varieties to the state, collected as vine cuttings during his European travels.
Charles Krug
Founded his eponymous St. Helena winery in 1861, the oldest in the valley.
Jacob Schram
Schramsberg in 1862
Beringer
Napa’s oldest and continuously operating winery, founded in 1876
Gustav Niebaum
Finnish immigrant Gustav Niebaum founded the legendary Inglenook Winery in 1880
André Tchelistcheff
Russian winemaker trained in France, who oversaw the production at Beaulieu (1938). He introduced the Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a new benchmark in quality for American wine, and brought new standards of hygiene and techniques to California, including temperature-controlled fermentations and controlled malolactic fermentation.
Robert Mondavi
First harvest in 1966. 1968, Mondavi singlehandedly made Sauvignon Blanc saleable by renaming it “Fumé Blanc” and aging it in oak
Dr. Konstantin Frank
Formerly a janitor at Cornell University, demonstrated in the face of tremendous skepticism that Vitis vinifera could grow successfully in the Finger Lakes. His Vinifera Wine Cellars, founded in 1962, achieved praise with Riesling and sparkling wines and ignited a new interest in noble varieties in New York
David Lett
In 1965 he planted his first Pinot Noir grapes in the Willamette Valley, pioneering the varietal style for which the valley would become internationally known.
Labeling laws in the US
If labeled by country, state, or county: 75%
If labeled by AVA: 85%
If labeled with a single vineyard: 95%
Vintage laws
If an American or imported wine in the US uses a vintage date, the wine must carry an appellation smaller than a country. For wines labeled with an AVA, a minimum 95% must come from the stated vintage; for wines labeled with a state or county, the minimum is relaxed to 85%. Wine with a varietal designation must contain a minimum 75% of the stated variety
Five major grape growing AVAs of California
North Coast Central Coast South Coast San Francisco Bay Sierra Foothills
What are the counties of the North Coast AVA
Napa Sonoma Mendocino Lake Solano Marin
What are the AVAs of Napa County?
Napa Valley Calistoga Diamond Mountain District Chiles Valley District Spring Mountain District Howell Mountain St. Helena Rutherford Oakville Yountville Wild Horse Valley Carneros Mount Veneer Stags Leap District Atlas Peak Oak Knoll District Coombsville
