Top 100 wines of California
Discover the top 100 best wines of California as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of California and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of California
California is the largest and most important wine region in the United States. It represents the southern two-thirds (850 miles or 1,370 kilometers) of the country's west coast. (Oregon and Washington make up the rest. ) The state also spans nearly 10 degrees of latitude.
With its mountains, valleys, plains and plateaus, California's topography is as Complex as its Climate, offering winemakers a bewildering array of terroirs. California wines have only gained worldwide recognition in recent decades (especially after the 1976 Paris ruling). However, the state's wine history goes back more than 200 years. European vines were first planted in the 18th century, when settlers and missionaries moved up and down the West Coast.
Discover the grape variety: Zinfandel
From Croatia where it is called crljenak kastelanski or pribidrag. According to genetic analyses carried out by Professor Carole Meredith of California University in Davis (United States), it is related to the Croatian plavac mali and Zinfandel. It is also found in South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Germany, Bulgaria, Albania, Italy under the name of Primitivo, Malta, Greece, Portugal and to some extent in Croatia. In the United States (California), it is one of the most widely planted grape varieties, having been introduced in the 1830s well before Primitivo. In France, it is registered in the official catalogue of vine varieties on the A1 list under the name Primitivo.
Food and wine pairing with a wine of California
wines from the region of California go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of mexican beef tacos, lamb tagine with vegetables and preserved lemons or rabbit provencale (mario style).
News from the vineyard of California
Champagne still fizzing on fine wine market in 2022
Champagne prices jumped on vintages of several prestige cuvée labels in 2021 and the sector’s momentum on the fine wine market continued to appear strong in the first quarter of 2022. Louis Roederer’s Cristal has been particularly in demand and its newly released Cristal 2014 vintage was ‘selling like hot cakes’, according to a Bordeaux Index report on Champagne’s market performance – published last month. Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2014 has also sold quickly on release, said ...
Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma sold to Foley Family Wines
Foley Family Wines has returned to the acquisition trail in California by announcing its acquisition of Sonoma’s Chateau St. Jean from the Americas division of Treasury Wine Estates, owner of Penfolds in Australia. Foley said it ‘plans to restore the winery to its former glory’. A fee for the deal was not disclosed, but the purchase includes the historic 1920s chateau building, a 6,000-square-foot visitor centre, a winery facility and almost 32 hectares (79 acres) of estate vineyards. Fole ...
Bordeaux 2022 harvest: Vintage looks ‘very promising’
A ‘very promising’ vintage is expected, said the regional wine council (CIVB), as the Bordeaux 2022 harvest gets underway for reds. It’s still too early to judge fully and yields will be lower in some cases following heat, drought and also hailstorms during the growing season, yet the CIVB cited ‘attractive but small berries’ and healthy vineyard conditions during the crucial flowering period and for harvest. Europe has seen early starts to wine harvests in 2022 and the C ...
Top wines in regions and sub-regions of California
The best wines of California in other styles
- The best wines natural sweet of California in other styles
- The best wines pink of California in other styles
- The best wines red of California in other styles
- The best wines sparkling of California in other styles
- The best wines sweet of California in other styles
- The best wines white of California in other styles