USA Flashcards
California regions
North Coast AVA — Napa — Sonoma — Mendocino — Lake — Marin — Solano
Central Coast AVA — Alameda — Contra Costa — Monterey — San Benito — San Francisco — Luis Obispo — San Mateo — Santa Barbara — Santa Clara — Santa Cruz
Central Valley (not an AVA)
Sierra Foothills AVA
South Coast AVA
California North Coast County
- Napa County
- Sonoma County
- Mendocino County
- Lake County
Which of the following best describes the climate of the Anderson Valley and it’s best-known style of wine?
Cool climate / sparkling wines
Which governmental body controls the production and sale of beverage alcohol?
Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the Treasury Department — since 2002
Prior to 2002 — it was BATF
Who is credited with importing European vinifera vines to California?
Agoston Haraszthy
What has the most dramatic influence on the climate of Columbia Valley AVAs?
Rain Shadow Effect from the Cascade Mountains
Which AVAs are in the Sonoma County?
Russian River Valley
The Willamette Valley is best known for which grape variety?
Pinot Noir
For a Rutherford AVA Merlot, what is the minimum % of Merlot that must be in the wine?
75%
Name 3 California Sparkling Wine Producers and their wine
Moët et Chandon — Domaine Chandon
Louis Roederer — Roederer Estate
Tattinger — Domaine Carneros
Name the First and Second AVAs approved in the United States
Augusta, Missouri (1980) — was the first AVA approved in North America in 1980
Napa Valley, California (1981)
Name the country where winemaking began on the American continent
Mexico — winemaking since 1521
pre-dates North and South America
For Pinot Noir — state the Oregon % requirements for varietal labeling
Minimum 90% for Pinot Noir
Name the AVAs of New York
- Finger Lakes — largest and fastest growing
- Hudson Valley
- North Fork of Long Island
- The Hamptons, along Island
- Long Island
In which state did winemaking start in USA?
New York State
Who is Andre Thelistcheff
He was a Russian immigrant who was the father of grape growing in the USA.
In 1967, his first wines were released under the name Ste Michelle Vintners
Which states are there wineries in the USA?
Wineries in ALL 50 states
American Appellation System
American Viticultural Area (AVA)
— guidelines finalized in 1978
— Augusta, Missouri was the 1st AVA in 1980
— Napa Valley was the 2nd AVA in 1981
— defined as “delineated grape growing area”
— as of 2019, there are 246 established AVAs throughout the US
Who is Robert Mondavi ?
— one of the pioneers of American wine
— Robert Mondavi Winery established in 1966
Paris Judgement Day of 1976
— Chateau Montelena
Prohibition in the US | 1919 — 1933
— cripples alcohol industry
— fewer than 100 wineries by 1933
— after repeal, each state granted the right to set its own alcohol laws
Top California Meritage Style Producers
Opus One Cain Five Rubicon Joseph Phelps, Insignia Viader Dominus
Meritage Wine
— a group of American Vintners formed the Meritage Association in 1988
— these wines are handcrafted red or white wines blended from the “noble” Bordeaux grape varieties
— Meritage Wine is considered to be the very best of the vintage
— no single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend
Zinfandel origins
— it was thought that Zinfandel was a native variety of California
— DNA profiling in the Mid 1990s, led by Carole Meredith at UC Davis, had proven that the origins are in fact Croatian as Crljenak Kaštelanski
— Other synonyms: Primitivo in Italy and Tribidrag in Croatia
Top California Zinfandel Producers
Turley Ridge D-Cubed Ravenswood Rosenblum Peachy Canyon Storybook Mountain Seghesio Brown Family Rafanelli Robert Biale
Top California Rhône Style Producers
Tablas Creek Bony Doon Qupé Edmund St. John Gregory Graham Failla Alban
Top California Pinot Noir Producers
Merry Edwards — Russian River Valley Rhys Williams Selyem Kosta Browne Pisoni Calera Littorai Dehlinger Rochioli
Top California Cabernet Sauvignon Producers
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars — ARTEMIS — Napa Valley Robert Mondavi — Napa Valley Chateau Montelena Caymus Harlan Araujo Chappellet Corison Dunn Heitz
Too California Chardonnay Producers
Kristler Patz & Hall Stony Hill Chateau Montelena Talbott Hanzell Peter Michael
Top California Sauvignon Blanc Producers
Merry Edwards Dry Creek Peter Michael Spottswoode Grgich Hills Mail Georgia
AVAs that overlap Washington and Oregon
Columbia Valley AVA
Walla Walla Valley AVA - within Columbia Valley
Columbia Gorge AVA - within Columbia Valley
What AVA is located in both Napa Valley and Sonoma
Los Carneros AVA
Mayacamas Mountain Range
a short mountain range—stretching just 52 miles (80 km) in a northwest-southeasterly direction—but it is very well-known to wine lovers as the range that forms the dividing line between Napa and Sonoma counties. However, the famous Napa/Sonoma divide only accounts for about 30 miles of the famous mountains’ total length of 52 miles.
Napa Valley Climate
The diurnal swing that Napa is known for, with nights quickly cooling down after sunset, helping to preserve the grapes’ natural acidity
- Diurnal swing was also in full effect in 2021
Napa Valley 2021 Vintage
2021 vintage:
- was cooler than 2020
- diurnal swing was in full effect
- Harvest began first 2 weeks of September, slightly earlier than average (for most)
- dry conditions also reduced yields
The diurnal swing that Napa is known for, with nights quickly cooling down after sunset, was also in full effect in 2021, helping to preserve the grapes’ natural acidity.
Given the steady weather and lack of wildfire risk, winemakers had the luxury of time when deciding to pick.
For most, harvest began in the first two weeks of September – slightly earlier than average, but not drastically so.
The year’s dry conditions reduced yields, which was not surprising, though “sometimes harrowing” as Andy Erickson (of Favia, and star consultant winemaker) described. The resulting clusters were lighter than normal, comprised of small berries with thick skins.
