The California Cabernet And Californian Wine

For most people, Napa Valley and Sonoma define California wine

. The critically acclaimed 2004 movie Sideways brought some attention so the Santa Ynez Valley as well, but for the most part, California wine country remains in these better known areas, with Napa being the most famous wine region of the United States. This is partly due to the number of popular wines that come out of California, which include affordable options and internationally respected vintages. Noteworthy California wines include the California Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel. California accounts for the vast majority of wine produced in the United States and has been essential to U.S. winemaking efforts for over a century.

The breadth of options from California and the range of prices available make finding the best wine from the state as much a matter of personal taste as it is an academic exercise. The first place to start is the most famous option, the California Cabernet. Cabernet Sauvignon has been called the "king of grapes" because of its dry, full flavor, popularity, and use in so many world-class wine blends. It is one of the many "new world styles" of wines coming out of California, in that despite being a European grape its growth and production in the warmer climate favors bolder fruit tones instead of the earthy, mineral-tasting style of Cabs that are common from European vintners. It's the second most popular wine in the country and the most widely planted grape in California.

The California Cab owes part of its fame to the 1976 wine tasting competition that brought the entire state to the international wine stage for the first time. A Cab of that year beat out several classic wine estates in a blind taste test by a French wine expert. The story has been turned into a movie, and it was the jumping off point for increased international respect to the region that offers so many different types of wine growing settings.

Merlot remains the most popular wine in the country, and California is one of the world's major merlot growing regions. It can be soft, easy for a new wine drinker to enjoy, and fruity enough to earn derision from wine experts. Or it can be grown and aged in barrels to produce a more complex flavor profile that lacks the flat flavor of softer bottles.

Pinot Noir sales in the United States increased by almost 20% after a character in the movie Sideways spoke of its quality. It is another California wine that has achieved international popularity for the ways it varies from how French Pinot Noirs' taste. It features the same type of higher fruitiness in flavor that is characteristic of California wines, though the Pinot grape prefers a slightly cooler climate. Many wine aficionados think a good glass of Pinot Noir is among the best possible wines to drink.

While California also grows many popular white wines, these three reds are head and shoulders more famous than any of the state's other wine products. People looking to try the flavors of the state should consider a California Cabernet first, and perhaps a Pinot Noir after that. But of course, the best way to experience these and other wines is with a wine tour of the state, which will offer countless other varieties as well.

by: John V

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