What will you think of when we mention California? California orange? For avid drinkers, it is reminiscent of bold and powerful California wine, especially from Napa Valley. Do you know about them?
What is California Wine?
When others think of wines from the United States, they are most likely, referring to California wines. In fact, nearly 90% of American-made wines that are exported to other parts of the world are from California. You can expect to find a considerable range of traditional European (Vitis vinifera) vines, sparkling wines and American/European hybrids producing wine in California.
What makes California wine special?
In most of the wine-producing regions all over the world, they focus on curating a single type of wine or grapes, a few types at most. This is because of the soil.
However, in California, it is not the same case. California wines all come from perhaps the world’s most interesting soil and terroirs, making it a great choice for basically all wine lovers. Napa Valley yields wines not only different in terms of styles but also the grapes that are planted.
California belongs to the Mediterranean climate with a low-temperature difference between summer and winter. The weather is relatively warm and dry, accompanied by plenty of sunshine. As such, grapes that have been grown in the region are ripe easily. Their tannins, alcohol levels and bodies are all at a high level. However, if grapes are too ripe, the wine made from them will be too jammy and off-balance.
Luckily, thanks to the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay located in close proximity to California, cooling currents and breeze are brought to the region. Besides moderating the temperature, the acidity in the grape is retained and can balance powerful fruit flavor in wines. The unique climate in California and Napa Valley made the growth of almost all the noble varieties of grapes possible.
We have to remember two ‘C’ for the famous grapes in California: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. They are popular and brilliant wines in California. Other popular grape varieties such as Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Riesling are also available in California.
Why is California Wine pricey?
With a great variety of grapes, California wines come in multiple styles. If you are after wines with a ripe, rich, fruit-forward, sweet-tasting profile, that goal can surely be achieved by obtaining a bottle of California wine. For wine lovers that are into more traditional, mature and dryer flavors, it is also not so hard to find one from the Napa Valley region.
Apart from varying amounts of different red and white wine grape varieties planted in the Napa Valley, the major factor contributing to the extremely high wine price is, as usual, with greatness often comes high prices. As mentioned, the lush Napa Valley’s environmental profile is a near-perfect wine-growing trifecta. Premium wine quality is achieved with the combination of:
- Mediterranean-style, perfect climate with minimal rain, warm summers and winters
- Rich soil with over half of the types you could find on Earth!
- Diverse terrain with extreme elevation from sea level to 2,600 feet
Some of the best wines in the world are then produced in California and are highly sought after by wine enthusiasts around the world. The premier quality of California wines has been proved in the 1976 Judgement of Pairs. From there, California wines were blind tasted together with famous French wineries like Chateau Mouton, Chateau Haut Brion, Domaine Leflavie, and Joseph Drouhin. Result? French wines got double-killed in both the red and white wine categories!
Though Cab and Chardonnay are legendary, we should not miss other great grape varieties. Some of the cooler areas like Carneros can produce splendid Pinot Noir. According to the US wine law, even on the label stating Cabernet Sauvignon, there is a 25% margin for blending other grapes. This is the same case for origin and vintage to have 15% and 5% margins, respectively.
Another factor contributing to the high price of California wines is the cult wine culture in the States.
Some wineries produce extremely rare and limited wines with an over-the-top price tag. If you wish to grab a bottle directly from the winery? You have to wait for years or be blessed enough to win the lucky draw. Otherwise, the second-hand market is the only option. That’s the reason you can always find cult wine in wine auctions. Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate are two great examples.
If you are interested in getting a bottle of top-quality California and Napa Valley wine in Hong Kong to expand your wine collection, come explore our online shop’s vast selection! Free delivery is available to your doorsteps for orders over $2,500.