When we think of California Wine Regions, we think of Napa Valley.
This region launched California wines into stardom in 1976 at a blind tasting. Two Napa Valley wines smashed European favorites in Paris, awakening the world to California wines.
California is now the world’s 4th biggest producer of wine. California wines have global recognition and command great respect in the winemaking world.
Napa Valley is widely considered the best wine region in the United States. Yet, the fact is that there are wineries across all 800 miles of California. All California wine regions offer a range of superb wines.
California wine regions are perfect for winemaking. These regions are also diverse, with many differentterroirsand weather conditions. Many Californian wines have achieved great accolades from wine lovers everywhere.
Let’s Discover California Wine Regions
To help you discover what Californian wine is all about we’ll explore the state's wine regions.
Next time you enjoy a glass of California wine, pour a glass and read the label. You will notice it's from a geographical region called an American Viticultural Area or AVA.
There are many AVA’s, each one signifying a specific wine-producing region. Each of which is situated in one of the four main California wine regions.
With over 100 AVA’s and more than 1200 wineries, it would be quite difficult to try a bottle from each one.
So, here’s the lowdown on what you should know.
Region 1: South Coast
This California wine region has 115 wineries, mostly small boutique producers. This region is up-and-coming and showing a lot of promise. Best AVA’S are Temecula Valley, Malibu, and San Diego County.
Region 2: Central Valley
75% of Californian grape production comes from the California wine region of the Central Valley. This large region includes Fresno, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties. They produce wine for bulk usage.
Region 3: Central Coast
Paso Robles is one of the oldest and most famous AVA’s in this California wine region. Others of note are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Predominantly a red wine-growing region.
Region 4: North Coast
Now for the best of the best of all California wine regions!
Napa and Sonoma both are flagship Californian wine regions. Between these 2 areas, there are over 1000 wineries.
This region is the home of Cabernet Sauvignon. The area is also famous for its Merlot, Pinot, and Chardonnay varietals.
Other notable areas on the North Coast are Mendocino, and the Santa Cruz Mountains.
California Wine Regions Conclusion
Now that you have had our virtual tour, we hope you have started your voyage of discovering Californian wines. Now you can go and explore the California wine regions!
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