Discover the top 100 best red wines of California as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of California and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Powerful, sunny reds: dense Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (blackcurrant, chocolate, tobacco, ample tannins), spicy, jammy Zinfandel from the Sierra Foothills, silky red-fruited Pinot Noir on the cool coast (Sonoma, Russian River, Central Coast). Opulent, buttery Chardonnay, notes of yellow fruit and vanilla. Varied climate, from the hot interior to the Pacific-cooled coast. 80% of US production, 139 AVAs including Napa (1st AVA, 1981).
Fleshy, exuberant wines, cellar bottles.
Intensely coloured, supple reds with an ink-dark robe, smooth tannins and an ample palate of blackfruit (blackberry, blackcurrant), candied cherry, plum, spices and sunny notes. A teinturier grape with red pulp that deepens colour in southern blends; also a star as a single varietal in Alentejo DOC. Grown in Languedoc, Spain and California. French hybrid created in 1866 by Henri Bouschet (petit bouschet × grenache).
red wines from the region of California go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or poultry such as recipes of beef tongue with pickle sauce, uzbek pilaf or spanish omelette.
