US Flashcards
Named the Spanish missionaries who introduced wine to California
Fr. Junípero Serra
When and where is the first vineyards planted in California
The first vineyard was planted at the Mission San Diego in Southern California 1769 for religious purposesd
First non-native vines introduced to California
Listan Prieto, also Known as Palomino Negro, brought to the New World from the Canary Islands (Spain)
Father of California Viticulture
Hungarian Agoston Haraszthy, who introduced many vitis vinifera varieties to Northern California from vine cuttings collected on trips to Europe
A Missouri viticulturist developed method of grafting
George Hussmann, a Missouri viticulturist develops method of grafting European vines onto American rootstocks in 1873, thus saving the legacy of French wine
Three important persons contributed to US wine development
– Fr. Junípero Serra
– Agoston Haraszthy
– George Hussmann
The period of prohibition era in US
– 1920 to 1933
– Fewer than 100 wineries remain (down from more than 2,500 in 1919)
The revolutionary winery which focuses on the concept of varietal wine
Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville founded in 1966, was the first new winery built in the Napa Valley since the 1930s
In 1965, Robert Mondavi left the Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley to strike out on his own
Year of the Paris Judgement
– 1976
– set up by the British wine merchant Steven Spurrier in Paris to celebrate the 200th birthday of the USA
– the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon as the top wines over white Burgundies and classified growth Bordeaux
The originate of Yountville in Napa Valley
The town of Yountville in Napa Valley is named after George Calvert Yount
What is the macroclimate of Coastal California
Mediterranean climate
– Vineyards receive most of their annual rainfall during the winter and early spring
– The summer growing season is generally warm and dry
How many hours of sunshine is needed for photosynthesis to help ripen grapes
Vines need an average of 1,300 hours of sunshine during the growing season
What is the soil temperature and air temperature needed for vines growing
– soil temperature of 10°C in order to transport minerals and water from the soil to all parts of the vine.
– Vines need air temperatures between 10°C and 20°C
– Black grapes require warmer temperatures to ripen, generally in the 21°C range
Two major climate influences that affect the California wine regions
–The Pacific High pressure System, and
– California Current
Major rivers and lakes of California
Napa River – Napa Valley
Russian River – Sonoma County
Sacramento Delta system – Lodi
Clear Lake – Lake County
River in Napa Valley
Napa River
River in Sonoma County
Russian River
River in Lodi and the Delta
Mokelumne River
Water body in Lake County
Clear Lake
Napa River
– approximately 88km long
– flows southeast though the valley
– The river begins in near Mt. St. Helena flows south to join the north end of San Pablo Bay
Russian River
– flows through Mendocino and Sonoma counties, with approximately 180 km long
The longest river in California
Sacramento River – the longest
Russian River – 2nd longest
River in Monterey County
– Salinas River –The longest river in the Central Coast region
– Salinas Valley, home to the San Bernabe AVA
(Monterey County’s largest wine reigon)
Salinas River
– The longest river in the Central Coast region, with approximately 282 km long
– The river begins in southern San Luis Obispo County, eventually connecting with the Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean
Monterey County’s largest wine region
San Bernabe AVA in the Salinas Valley
How the elevation, on hillsides or in mountain foothills, mitigate warm temperatures
As temperature decreases by approximately 0.6°C every 100 m in elevation
Mountains in Napa Valley
– Mayacamas, form the western border
– Vaca Ranges, form the eastern boundary
Notable mountains and mountain range in California
– The Coast Range (N. Coast Ranges + S. Coast Ranges)
– the Sonoma Mountain for Sonoma Valley
– the Mayacamas for Napa Valley
– the Vaca Ranges for Napa Valley
– the Santa Cruz Mountains for area
California’s largest vineyard area
– The Central Valley
– covering over a third of California’s surface area
– accounts for over 75% of all wine made in the state
Mayacamas Mountain
– Part of the Inner Coast Ranges of the North Ranges
– Forms the western border of Napa Valley
– Home to several important mountain AVAs including Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Diamond Mountain District
Vaca Mountain
– Located in Napa and Solano Counties, the easternmost of the Inner Coast Ranges
– The Vaca Mountains form the eastern boundary of Napa Valley
– Home to mountain AVAs, including Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak
The Santa Cruz Mountains
– Part of the Coast Ranges and form a ridge down the San Francisco Peninsula and separate the San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley from the Pacific Ocean
– The mountains continue south to the Central Coast bordering Monterey Bay and ending at the Salinas Valley
– The range passes through the counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey
What is the range of latitude in California
California runs between 42 and 32 degrees of latitude north
Name one of the coolest Napa AVA
Los Carneros AVA
– This AVA is split between Napa (40%) and Sonoma (60%)
Which sub-AVAs also included in Sonoma Coast AVA
– Fort Ross-Seaview AVA
– Petaluma Gap AVA
Mount Harlan AVA
– Only one winery: Calera
– Up to 670m high, one of the highest, coolest and driest AVAs in California
The smallest AVA in Santa Barbara County
Ballard Canyon AVA
What is the AVA designation on a wine label indicated?
The use of an AVA designation on a wine label requires 85% of its grapes to be grown in the stated AVA.
