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WINE REGION
California
Country USA

California is the birthplace of the viticulture in the United States, the largest and most important wine region in the country. In the 16th century, Spanish missionaries have planted vines in Mexico and shortly after that in 1769, the Franciscan monk Junipero Serra has established the Mission "San Diego" in California where he planted the first vine in the United States.

California is a huge country with its 1300 km alongside the west coast of the country and varied topography and climate. The modern history of the region has begun in 1976, after the notable Paris Judgment, where top wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux were blind-tasted alongside top wines from California. The result was several of the American wines rated higher than the French wines by a mainly French jury, competition that gave wines of California a big boost and popularity in Europe.

The climate in California varies immensely as well as the soil types which is more diverse than in any other wine-growing region in the world. The climate in the region is so complex that five separate zones based on a temperature system between April and October needed to be created. A specific climate event occurs alongside the whole Californian pacific coast, the heat of the sun is considerably softened by the cool winds and fog of the Pacific Ocean and between April and September when there is hardly any rainfall, making the need for many vineyards to be artificially irrigated.

The laws in the region are quite simple and not so restrictive like in Europe, as the addition of aromatic oak extracts and various aromatic substances are permitted. A varietal wine must be made at least 75% of the grape specified on the label, and if it is stated one of the five counties on the label 75% of the grapes must come from the same one. If the AVA (American Viticultural Area) is written on the label, 85% of the grapes must come from the same AVA, and if a specific vineyard is named, 95% of the grape must come from it.

There are 5 main wine regions/districts including North Coast, Central Coast, Inland Valles, Sierra Foothills and Southern California. These 5 districts are separated in counties, which are consisted of AVAs. The main grape varieties of California are Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, by far the most planted, followed by Merlot, Pinot Noir, Colombard, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Barbera, Garnacha and many more.

Nowadays, California is home to some of the largest wineries and wine companies in the world, and it is also home to a number of boutique wineries, some of which attract ridiculous prices for their cult wines. California produces 90% of the total wine production of the USA. California also produces a considerable amount of Sparkling wine and many French Champagne houses have established wineries there. Overall, the region is one of the fastest-growing and most surprising in the world, due to its climate and topography, as well as its liberal wine laws.

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir 
  • Zinfandel
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Chardonnay
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Pinot Gris
  • Viognier
  • Syrah
  • Colombard
  • Riesling
  • Barbera
  • Douce Noir
  • Pinotage
WINERIES
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OSCAR-APPROVED WINES FROM California

    RED
    Lambrusco Giano,
    Fondo Bozzole
    £12.95
    ADD TO CART
    RED
    Lambrusco Giano,
    Fondo Bozzole
    £12.95
    ADD TO CART
    RED
    Lambrusco Giano,
    Fondo Bozzole
    £12.95
    ADD TO CART
    RED
    Lambrusco Giano,
    Fondo Bozzole
    £12.95
    ADD TO CART

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