California wine explained. From mission vineyards to Napa Cabernet.

A young region with a turbulent history

Commercial winemaking in California only goes back to the late 1700s, when Spanish missionaries built a chain of missions along the Pacific coast. They planted Listán Prieto, a grape brought to the New World from the Canary Islands, and the wine was made for Mass. In the 1800s European immigrants arrived with the winemaking traditions of their homelands, and the Gold Rush brought a new wave of settlers who planted vineyards of their own.

Then came two disasters. Phylloxera, a tiny aphid that feeds on vine roots, devastated European vines, which led to the practice of grafting European varieties onto resistant American rootstocks. Prohibition followed in 1920, and by its repeal in 1933 the vineyards were in poor shape. The revival began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and in 1976 the Judgment of Paris, a blind tasting organized by Steven Spurrier, saw Californian wines beat famous French names in front of French judges. California was on the map.

Regions and climate

California is usually divided into six main growing regions: the South Coast, the Central Coast, the Inland Valleys (once called the Central Valley), the Sierra Foothills, the North Coast and the Far North. The episode focuses on the North Coast, home of Napa and Sonoma, and on the historic Sierra Foothills.

The North Coast is cooler than its sunshine suggests. Morning fog, coastal breezes and, in some vineyards, crisp mountain air balance the bright Californian sun. Sonoma, with vineyards that look out over the Pacific, is cooler than Napa further inland. In the Sierra Foothills, east of Sacramento, warm days are followed by cold air flowing down from the Sierra Nevada at night. This diurnal range lets grapes ripen slowly, building flavor without losing acidity.

Cabernet, Chardonnay and Zinfandel

Most American wines are varietal wines, labeled with a single grape. Chardonnay is the leading white grape in both Napa and Sonoma. Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of Napa, while Sonoma also favors Pinot Noir. The classic "Napa Cab" is rich, bold and oak-aged, with blackcurrant, boysenberry, licorice, vanilla, eucalyptus and dark chocolate notes. Its success with critics such as Robert Parker even inspired imitations in the Old World, the so-called Parker effect.

Chardonnay ranges from opulent, tropical and clearly oaked to newer styles with little or no oak that focus on citrus and freshness. Zinfandel, the same grape as Italy's Primitivo, which originally comes from Croatia, is the most planted grape in the Sierra Foothills. It grows on decomposed granite at around 1,200 to 3,500 feet. Its bunches ripen unevenly, giving moderately colored wines with bright raspberry and cherry fruit and a strong spiciness.

The experiment: how grapes become wine

Christy Canterbury MW and Andreas Larsson turn a kitchen into a winery to show the basics of fermentation. Yeast, either wild yeast from the grape skins or added cultured yeast, eats the sugar in grape juice and produces alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat. In cooler regions, sugar is sometimes added when grapes are not ripe enough.

It is a simple demonstration, but it carries an important idea for students: wine keeps evolving after fermentation, in tank, in barrel and in bottle. Watch how the experiment turns out, and how Andreas reacts when he tastes the result.

Food pairings and blind tastings

The hosts taste a Sebastiani Chardonnay from Sonoma, a rich style aged partly in new American, French and Hungarian oak, and Andreas pairs it with California crab cakes fried in butter. Later comes a classic all-American match for a bold red: a quality burger with caramelized onions, Gouda and truffle mayonnaise. Find out why raw onion is a problem for wine.

There are also two blind tastings, in which the hosts talk through color, aroma, structure and climate before naming a grape and a place. It is excellent practice for the tasting technique you need when you prepare for WSET Level 3.