THERE IS MORE TO CALIFORNIA THAN NAPA AND SONOMA

California is the third largest state in the nation and the entire state sits within the earth’s latitudinal wine belt. Because its coast is exposed to the Pacific Ocean and receives reliably consistent eastern blowing winds off the ocean, there are climates ideal for viticulture spanning from its far northern border to its far southern border, even spreading inland in the central north. As a result, the state accounts for over 84 percent of the total wine production in the United States.

Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/wine-production-by-state

Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, in the North Coast region of California are the two of the most well-known winemaking regions in California, mainly because before the American Viticulture Area (AVA) system was established* they had already gained international reputations. In 1966, Robert Mondavi founded his business in Oakville in Napa Valley and revolutionized the US wine industry by producing sophisticated, dry wines that he presented to a global audience. Other established families like the Grange family and the Doumani family followed suit in the region and then in 1976 a bottle of wine from Napa Valley (1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon) won the famous “Judgment of Paris” tasting event and Napa Valley was officially put on the international wine map. Sonoma, next door, is the birthplace of California, and its vineyards among the first and still home to the state’s oldest commercial wineries. Eighty-five percent of the wineries are still family owned. Both regions were among the first to be designated AVAs (in 1981), and both have a thriving wine tourist industry that maintain their name recognition in the wine industry.

Source: https://wineinstitute.org

At the height of their international popularity, Napa and Sonoma also benefited from growing French varietals that were the staple of the most famous wine regions and appellations in France, i.e., Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.  And yet Napa and Sonoma combined account for only 10 percent of the state’s total wine production. There are over 150 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in California that grow hundreds of different types of varietals that are native to all parts of Europe. We’ve selected wines from three regions, two in the Central Coast and one inland in the Sierra Foothills.

Source: TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) AVA Explorer

Contra Costa County is in the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. In March 2024, the TTB sanctioned the Contra Costa AVA covering over 167,000 acres. The region is known for its sandy soils and a climate affected by the cool moist air at night from the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay countered by considerable heat during the day. Although the Contra Costa AVA is brand spanking new, the area has been growing grapes and producing wine since 1846.

Both the soil and weather are challenging for vines but are equally challenging for the survival of pests such as phylloxera, so vines that survive are sturdy and old, some up to a century old. Most Contra Costa vineyards rely on head-trained, dry-farmed vines—meaning no irrigation, which yields lower volumes but highly concentrated fruit with intensified flavor. Field blending is common, where different grape varietals that are grown in the same vineyards are fermented together, reflecting the traditional approach used by early vineyard owners. Winemakers in the region tend to use neutral oak barrels to allow the fruit’s natural complexity to shine and they work with field blends of varietals.

Featured November Amaro Wine Club California wine: Keep Wines Field Blend Vanderkous Vineyard Contra Costa County (2019)
VARIETALS: 45% Merlot, 35% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah

Winemakers Jack Roberts and Johanna Jensen each come to Keep Wines with deep backgrounds. Jack was the Assistant Winemaker at Matthiasson Wines and Johanna was formerly with Scholium Project and Broc Cellars. Their goal is to create wines with minimal manipulation, and to do the work themselves from vineyard to bottling.

The pair have chosen to keep to traditional Contra Costa County winemaking methods by creating a field blend wine from the grape varieties that grow together in the same vineyard, which is called the Volcano as it was planted on its own distinct peak (Solitude Peak). Most of the Volcano is planted with Sangiovese and Merlot with a few rows of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah to add backbone to the field blend. For the 2019 vintage, they decided to bottle it earlier for a leaner, lower alcohol version.

The image on the bottle is of Beverstone Castle, an 11th century Norman stronghold in Gloucestershire, England where Jack’s father was born and raised. All that remains of the castle besides the indentation of the moat is the “keep” where they protected the wine from invaders.

FOOD PAIRINGS: grilled beef or lamb, hearty stews, roasted root vegetables, mushroom-based dishes, semi-hard cheeses, rustic pasta with rich tomato sauces

Jack tending to the Volcano vineyard.

Sierra Foothills vineyards

The Sierra Foothills, especially in the County of Calaveras, has been a winemaking region since the 1850s, with European immigrants planting vines during the Gold Rush. These are high altitude vineyards where the Vitis vinifera has learned to grow in rocky soil. As we’ve learned in wine clubs of the past (see Jan 2022: High Altitude Wines in particular), high altitude means a drastic drop in temperature during the night at which time the grape essentially shuts down. The more concentrated sunlight during the day gives the grapes a “suntan,” a deeper pigment concentration and thicker skin which protect the pulp from cooler temperatures at night, and all this makes for slow ripening grapes. The rocky, thin soil allows water to drain through it quickly, and gravity from verticality where vineyards are planted on slopes accentuates this drainage, so grapevine roots must grow deep to establish footholds.

Winemakers in the Sierra Foothills tend to embrace a hands-off approach, opting for spontaneous fermentation and aging in stainless steel or neutral barrels to highlight the purity of the grapes and terroir, but also the thick skins of the grapes add their own significant tannins that other lowland wines would have to get from oak aging.

Featured November Amaro Wine Club California wine: Forlorn Hope Queen of The Sierra Rorick Heritage Vineyard White Calaveras County (2023)
VARIETALS: Riesling, Chardonnay, Verdelho

Matthew Rorick has been the winemaker behind the Forlorn Hope wines since the inception of the label in 2005, and he tends the 75 acres of organically farmed vines himself at the Rorick Heritage Vineyard located 2,000 feet above sea level. Before this venture, Matthew repaired submarine telescopes for the United States Navy, was a professional skateboarder and built electric guitars by hand. Matthew is joined by Mara, a native of England, who spent a decade learning winemaking in Europe before settling in California and specializing in sparkling wine production. As would be expected Mara heads up the sparkling wine production at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. She also runs the daily winery activities with Matthew.

Rorick Heritage Vineyard

Paso Robles

Designated as an AVA in 1983 and covering over 600,000 acres, Paso Robles is among California’s largest AVAs in area. Although Spanish missionaries in 1787 can be credited with bringing wine grapes to the region, it wasn’t until after the Gold Rush in the 1850s that viticulture truly gained a widespread foothold in the region. After many European immigrants who came to northern California for the Gold Rush did not strike it rich, they moved south to pursue agricultural endeavors and brought their wine cultures with them. These first families eventually expanded their multigenerational estates and became the region’s first significant commercial wine grape growers.

The region is distinguished by incredibly hot days, but the nights are relatively cool in comparison. The soil is rich in volcanic soils and sedimentary soils providing lots of nutrients to vines. Due to the intense heat during the day, vineyards typically practice drip irrigation and canopy management to protect grapes from sunburn, and grapes are harvested early to avoid overripening. Winemakers use varietals native to southern France, Italy, and Spain which are adapted to the climate. In the cellar they often extend maceration for color and tannin extraction, and many age their wines in new American oak for added spice and boldness.

Featured November Amaro Wine Club California wine: Flying Cloud Zinfandel Paso Robles (2021)
VARIETALS: 84% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah

Stephen and Paula Dooley started Flying Cloud in 2003 with a goal to create food-friendly wines. They work with vineyards in different AVAs and for this wine their objective was to mimic the Primitivo wines of southern Italy, from a close relative, if not a clone, of Zinfandel. They targeted vineyards in the San Miguel District of Paso Robles: Jack Knife Vineyard for the Zinfandel Blind Faith Vineyard for the Petite Sirah. Jack Knife is 23 miles inland and 700 feet above sea level with well-drained, fine sandy loam soils. The temperatures were mild for this vintage, so a later harvest was possible. Fermentation was followed by malolactic fermentation, and the wine was bottled un-fined and lightly filtered.

FOOD PAIRINGS: smoked meats (e.g., brisket), grilled vegetables, hearty pasta dishes, BBQ ribs

Stephen and Paula Dooley