Five More Things to Love About California Wine

There are plenty of reasons to love California wine. TNTC, as microbiologists might say (too numerous to count). For those lucky enough to live in California, there’s probably a winery within easy driving distance. If not, you’re still likely to find a Golden State bottle worth a pop at your neighborhood grocer, not to mention the great prices and choices that abound at wine boutiques and big-box warehouses. 

Kenneth Volk wines from Santa Barbara and Paso Robles include many rare heirloom varieties. 

With only a week left in September, designated by the Wine Institute as California Wine Month, you can still find wine events worth attending up and down the state. If you'd rather stay put, tap into your wine stash or drop by a favorite California wine seller to enjoy a more intimate taste of California wine.

No matter where you choose to sop up all that California goodness, here are five more things to love about California wine, listed in no particular order.

How green are our valleys?

California wineries and vineyards have embraced sustainability with 1,800 now participating in the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Altogether, they represent nearly three-quarters of all winegrape acreage and case production. Consumer choice is also driving greater sustainability efforts. A recent study showed that one in three wine consumers considers the environmental or sustainable impact of the wines they purchase.

We are family

The vast majority of the state’s 3,800 bonded wineries – up from 1,700 in 2002 – are family-owned businesses. They have the stories, and the drama, to prove it.

  

Show us the money

California winegrowing activities have a huge impact on economic metrics, whether you count dollars-and-cents, tourism, employment or all of the above. More than 330,000 California jobs and 820,000 jobs nationwide are linked to California wine production. The Wine Institute’s 2012 California wine profile reported a statewide economic impact of $61.5 billion, which soars to nearly $122 billion on a national scale. 

Variety, volume and value

California winegrapes are sourced from 116 diverse winegrowing regions or American Viticultural Areas. By next year, there may be 11 additional AVAs drawn from the Paso Robles appellation alone. Beyond regional differences, the state’s winegrowers aren’t content to stay with the top white and red varieties, Chardonnay and Cabernet. California grows more than 25 white grape varieties and another 35-plus types of red grapes. Catarratto or Negrette, anyone?

2012: Another great California vintage

Despite climate change, California wines tend to show less vintage-to-vintage

variation than those from other parts of the world, be they from Old or New World regions.  California’s 2012 vintage was marked by an ideal growing season. The result was a larger grape harvest than the low-yielding 2011 crush from that chilly and more extreme vintage. Abundant sunshine in 2012 gave grapes what they needed to achieve excellent ripeness while the benign weather allowed flavor development that drinkers will appreciate in balanced and structured wines with excellent concentration.

We can all look forward to drinking to that.

With thanks to all California wine growers, pickers, producers, bottlers, makers, scientists, tillers, testers, retailers, publicists, supporters, drinkers, sommeliers, educators, writers, tasting room staff, cellar rats and everyone in between.  

September is California Wine Month

Even though September is half gone, you still have time to celebrate California's wine industry at festivities up and down the Golden State. Use your keyboard to take this roadtrip or find an event or tasting near you.

Photo courtesy Wine Institute of California

Just how much do you know about California's wine industry? Find out by taking this quiz based on the latest (2011) statistics provided by The Wine Institute.

Check your answers below. For each incorrect answer, your assignment is to open and share a bottle of California wine from a producer or region new to you. For each correct answer, please do the same for any of your favorite California wines.

A perfect score of 100% gives you the go-ahead to purchase or open a California wine from your special-occasion or wish list.

Good luck and salute!

1) Who is the world's fourth-leading wine producer after France, Italy and Spain?

2) True or False: California accounts for 90% of all wine made in the United States.

3) How many tourists visit California's wine regions in a year?

            a) 1 million

            b) 5 million

            c) 15 million

            d) More than 20 million

4) True or False: Over the past 20 years, the number of bonded California wineries has grown by more than 100%.

5) True or False: Most of California's 3,540 bonded wineries are family owned.

6)  What is the economic impact of California's wine industry on the state?

            a) $557 million

            b) $12.3 billion

            c) $61.5 billion

            d) $121.8 billion

7) Compared to other agricultural crops, where do California wine grapes rank in terms of statewide importance by value?

            a) #1

            b) In the top three

            c) #5

            d) Not in the top ten

8) True or False: California grows more than 110 different varieties of grapes.

9) Of California's 58 counties, how many grow wine grapes?

            a) Less than 20

            b) About half, or 26

            c) Most of them, or 48

            d) All 58

10) California wine accounts for what percent of all wine sold in the United States?

            a) 90%

            b) 75%

            c) 60%

            d) 50%

Answers:

1. California (also accepted: United States)

2. True

3.  d

4. True

5. True

6.  c (Note: Answer d is the national economic impact of California's wine industry.)

7.  b

8. True

9.  c

10. c (Note: All wine sold in the U.S. includes imported bottles.)

How did you do? Send this challenge to your wine friends by tweeting this.

Let us know what you're drinking as we raise our glasses to California wine, the pride of our Golden State.