The Spanish influence on most California wine is quite obvious. A vineyard was always part of the building of a California mission village during the 18th century. The grapes were grown for use in religious sacraments as well as for daily life. Early vine cuttings came from Mexico from the common black grape. The original mission grape plantations would primarily use the common black grape or "Mission Grape" as it was often called.

The gold rush period in California saw the biggest growth in residents as well as wineries in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. During this time well known wine companies such as Buena Vista Winery, Charles Krug Winery, Inglenook Winery and Schramsberg Vineyard were founded.

California Wine Regions

There are several areas that produce California Wine. There are 4 vicinities in particular.  The number one vicinity is referred to as the North Coast area which is located north of San Francisco comprising of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. The second district would be the Central Coast areas west of San Francisco which reaches down into the Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Santa Maria Valleys. Third on the list is the South Coast region which denotes the area south of Los Angeles all the way to Mexico which includes the Temecula Valley, Antelope Valley, San Pasqual, Ramona Valley, etc. The fourth region is the Central Valley which includes, of course, the central valley and the Sierra foothills and Lodi.

Varieties of Grapes and Wines

The types of grapes available in the California wine country is almost as varried as its people. For instance, there are the French, Italian, Spanish grapes and new hybrids springin up each year.

You have probably heard of most of the popular grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. They also grow red wine grapes that you may be familiar with such as the Barbera, Grenache, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. They are also known for the white wine grapes of Chenin blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris,etc.

The New World Style California Wine

California wine is commonly called "New World" wine.  Because of the consistently warm weather they tend to use a riper grape that gives the wine a fruitier flavor as well as higher alcohol levels. The oak aged California wine making process produces a wonderful full body taste.

California Wines Earn High Marks

California wines are garnering national and international merit. California is one of the most diverse winegrowing regions in the world and also one of the best sources for the premier wine of the month club.  Another wine club worth mentioning is the California wine club which offers offers premium California wines at great pricing.

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About California Wine

The impact of the first Spanish settlers on the California wine industry is huge. The Spaniards first planted vineyards in the 18th century as each mission was established. Grapes were needed by the Catholic monks for reigious ceremony as well as basic provision. These vineyards were planted with the common black grape which was imported from Mexico. Up until the 20th century this variety, also known as the “Mission Grape”, was the dominant grape.

The famous “California Gold Rush” increased the population in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys and some of California’s oldest wineries were started during that period. Notable wine producers like Buena Vista Winery, Charles Krug Winery, Inglenook Vineyards, and Schramsberg Vineyard were created during this period.

California Wine Zones

There are several areas that produce California Wine. They are separated in to 4 separate locations.  The number one vicinity is referred to as the North Coast area which is located north of San Francisco comprising of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. Second is the Central Coast of California that are areas west of San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara County that includes well known places such as the Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and more. Thirdly, there is the South Coast locales of Los Angeles, Temecula, Antelope, Romona Valleys on down to the Mexican border. The Central Valley is the fourth vicinity that would comprise of the Sierra foothills, Lodi and of course, the central valley.

Types of Grapes and Wines

The California Wine country grows hundreds of variety of grapes. You will find fine French, Italian and Spanish grape varietals and flavorful combination grapes coming from the agricultural community quite often.

You will recognize such names as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir and more. You have tasted some of their red wine grapes like Barbera, Grenache, Malbec and Sangiovese. Some white grapes are the Chenin blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, and Riesling to name just a few.

New World Style Wines

California wine is commonly called "New World" wine.  California wine is produced with a riper grape which gives it a rich, fruity flavor and higher alcohol content. The oak aged California wine making process produces a wonderful full body taste.

California Wines Earn High Marks

California wines are garnering national and international merit. California is one of the most diverse winegrowing regions in the world and also one of the best sources for the premier wine of the month club .

Post from: Cheap Pewter Goblets

A Brief History of California Wine

Wine Of The Month Club Video

If you love to drink the “nectar of the gods” then joining a wine of the month club can provide you with more than just a few benefits. Many people are choosing wine as their hobby because it is considered slightly more refined than “kegger parties” or “making homemade lye soap”.

Joining a wine of the month club offers the opportunity to meet other enthusiasts and taste a lot of wines you may otherwise never have the chance to try.

A lot of vineyards and bottlers are choosing to promote themselves by starting their own wine clubs. If you’re interested in joining a wine club yourself, then read on; I’ve listed the five biggest benefits to joining a wine club – there’s more to it than the opportunity to drink some wine you may not be able to come across at your local grocery store or liquor shop.

1. Keeping it under wraps……It comes delivered in a plain brown wrapper so your neighbors don’t get suspicious (Very helpful if you have very uptight covenants for your suburb).

• Wine clubs deliver wines via UPS in plain brown boxes. Your nosy neighbor won’t be able to see what’s being delivered to you – a good thing, since it’s none of their business!

2. Impress your friends. You’ll be able to amass a wine collection including some harder to find bottles at a low price. You can point to that garage Petite Syrah in your collection and tell friends that it sells at auction for hundreds of dollars (after all, they don’t have to know that you didn’t pay anywhere near that much for that bottle).

3. Make Money. You can host your own wine tastings from bottles in your collection. You could even choose to charge a fee for attending your tasting.

4. Saves Time and Effort. Being in a wine club can keep your wine collection well stocked, all without having to run out to buy wine. You’ll never have to run out at the last minute to find a bottle for dinner again!

5. Pranks! One of the benefits of wine clubs is that you’ll be able to fool your friends.

• You can have a taste-off. While you know exactly what’s in that bottle right down to the vineyard and the vintage, your friends won’t. Even if your friends have very discerning palates and can name the grape, you’ll still beat them every time – until they catch on, that is.

• Fill the empty bottles of really good wine with cheap stuff that you bought on sale and serve them to any of the pretentious snobs that you might know…. You know the ones that we are talking about, I'm sure. Make sure that others get the best wine you have and only your select guests should have glasses filled with your special "house wine".

Then you can watch the wine snobs raving about how wonderful the $3 wine from the grocery store is, right along with everyone else (who are drinking something good). If you can keep a straight face until the bottles are empty, you’ll have a riot once you reveal the prank.

Post from: Cheap Pewter Goblets

5 Reasons To Join A Wine of The Month Club