A fundraiser in support of
The Citadel Theatre

California Wine Label Lingo By Natasha Susylinski, Edmonton-based Wine Consultant

January 2010

Californian wines are straight shooters when it comes to wine label language. They are very good at stating the grape varietals, where the wine comes, and a general description of the tasting notes. Wine laws in California require that the basics are printed on the label.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking at a California wine label:

Only 75% of the wine in a bottle has to be of the stated varietal. For example, if a label from California says that the wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon, this means that up to 25% of the wine can be blended from other grape varietals (and they don’t have to be mentioned on the label). Blending is very common and it doesn’t mean that the wine is of lesser quality — it’s a bit like blending spices for a pasta sauce, sometimes you need a bit of pepper or a pinch of basil. Wine can be the same way, winemakers blend all of the time. It helps them to keep their wines consistent from vintage to vintage or to add layers of texture and flavour to the finished product.

If an AVA (American Viticultural Area) is stated on the label, at least 85% of the grapes used for that wine must come from the AVA. For example, Dry Creek Valley would be a smaller AVA within a larger AVA and 85% of the grapes would have to come from within the legal boundaries of the Dry Creek Valley.

*AVAs are the system for defining growing regions in California. They can be any shape or size but they are regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). The designation of an AVA is typically based on geographical features of the area, soil, climate, elevation etc.

Smaller, or sub-AVAs are contained within larger AVAs. The main AVAs that will you need to know to navigate through our California Wine Fair are:

1. North Coast AVA
   This AVA is where we will find Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Carneros, Mendocino, Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley just to name a few.
2. Central Coast AVA — there is a North and South Central Coast
   In this larger AVA we will find the smaller AVAs of: Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County.
3. Central Valley AVA
   This is where 80% of the wine coming form California is produced. Lodi is a pretty common AVA within the Central Valley.
4. Sierra Foothills AVA
   This is one of the largest AVAs but you have to hunt to find wines from her as they are typically small boutique producers. The Sierra Foothills doesn’t necessarily produce the most amount of wine but its geographical boundaries stretch far.

If the wine hails from a specific vineyard, then 95% of the grapes have to come from the stated vineyard. Some wineries have special names for their specific vineyard sites and they can become famous.

Information is key to have when you go shopping for wine and lucky for us — Californian vintners make it pretty easy to understand. In blogs to come we will target specific smaller AVAs for wine picks to help you get to know California a bit better.

top

---

Californian wine owes a great deal of thanks to gold

November 10, 2009

Believe it or not, a pivotal moment in California’s wine industry was the Gold Rush in 1849. The population of California exploded with gold seekers and they changed the direction of wine in California forever.

With the influx of thirsty gold miners and immigrants from around the world, a new industry for California began. Although the gold miners weren’t concerned with grape varietal, oak aging or flavour profiles, they were interested in an intoxicating liquid called wine. Small wineries popped up around California, mostly near mining sites, which led to more and more wine drinkers. It took several years for consumers to develop a more sophisticated palate, but their demand is what has taken California from bulk sweet wine in jugs to some of the world’s most prestigious award-winning vintages.

As the wine industry grew in California it attracted wine makers and wine dreamers from all around the world. Many small families came to California with their European winemaking techniques and tried to recreate their success in a new land. Grape growers and wine makers were faced with many challenges including soil types, longer or shorter growing seasons, hillsides, mountains and bench lands, areas that were prone to floods, areas that were very desperate for water and areas that were flanked by water.

Through many difficult years of experimentation with different types of grape varietals and wine growing techniques, we have come to appreciate the complexity and diversity that California has to offer to the vine.