photo by ever_jean

Principal grapes: Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Style: Bold, Fruity, Long Length
Noteworthy: The origin of 'varietal' labeling

History

California makes a ton of wine and outside of Europe it's arguably the world's most important wine producer. Cali is also the birthplace of modern wine labeling. In the early days Californian wine producers decided to immitate France and named their wines after famous French wine regions in order to raise sales. A flood of cheap "Burgundies" and "Chablis" were cranked out of Californian valleys (most of which did not even use the traditional grapes used to make a real Chablis (Chardonnay) or Burgundy (Pinot Noir), resulting in mass confusion.

Eventually the Wente Brothers from Wente Vineyards rebelled against this madness and pioneered marketing their wine using grape varietal names such as "Chardonnay" instead. The sucess of the new varietal based naming scheme pushed other Californian wineries to follow suit. This new naming standard spread across the rest of the New World, (and some of the old) in the years that followed. "Shiraz", "Chardonnay", "Merlot" and many other grapes are now commonly known, and thus the varietal "brand" was born.

The Wines

Californians and the winemakers of Napa Valley have pushed and upped the anté of what a wine can become for decades. Napa is most famous for developing wines that have very distinct regional characteristics yet still fruity and powerful enough to have mass appeal. In general, Californian producers kick flavors into overdrive and push for maximum fruit. Red grapes are left on the vine until the tannins in the grape skins melt to a glossy soft texture in the hot Californian sun. Like Californian skateboarders and thrill seekers, the winemakers of California strive for above all else, prolonged "hang time" in their wines; flavors that hit your mouth and stay there forever.