7 Great Wine grapes to try in wine country: California

  7 Great Wine grapes to try in wine country: California California boasts the Largest production of wine grapes in the United States. At 90 percent of the national wine grape production, you can stumble upon a great wine with world class taste. Whether sparkling, red, white or a blend, you will find a great wine that suits your taste and your budget. Here they are in all their glory and production. Pinot Noir Cabernet sauvignon Syrah Grenache Mourvedre Chardonnay Zinfandel Pinot Noir.. Black clusters! The Pinot Noir grape is known in California for its rich and fruit forward Characteristics. Balanced with earthy tones and very low residual sugar, produce a very Light, flavorful and dry wine. Enjoyed later in cellar life, they take on more complex notes that linger. Pinot Noir grapes, noticeably lighter taste are a result of thin skin, producing less tannins. Seen as a wine for all occasions and audience, you can certainly find a bottle that suits your taste with very little experimenting. Picture These black clusters of grapes are not always so dark. The Pinot Noir grape can be found as a Rose wine and even a still White. The terroir of the grape, presents itself with transparency. The coastal hills of California have become an established home for the Pinot Noir grape. This cooler climate with full sun is ideal for this delicate and finicky wine grape. There of the Wine Regions that have developed and established AVA and decades of vintages are in the Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon for Everyone. The Parents of this renowned grape are the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Two distinct wine grapes that by happenstance created the root stock for one of the most prolific wines that the world has ever seen. Profiled as the full-bodied Red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon grape produces fruit forward and dry heavy flavor with noticeably tannic mouthfeel. Green character and flavor present itself as a complex set of notes that are terroir driven. Picture With a hearty Stock and ability to establish in a diverse set of conditions, you can find a range of character and notes in the bottle. Cooler growth offers a strong and complex range in flavor and acidity while the warmer seasons and climate, broaden and intensify of the fruit, giving a jammy flavor. Syrah AKA the Shiraz. Syrah is a delicate cousin of Shiraz, as it is known in the hotter growing climates. A different name given to the same grape. This syrah grape alias takes on a stronger Fruit forward taste. Syrah takes on the complexities of its aging and growing climate, like the Cabernet grape. Sustained tasting notes are characterized by bold and smoky flavor. California growers favor this profile of the French influence of growing the grape in cooler climate. Opposed to a wine grown in the hotter weather of Australia, California Syrah will impart a more savory and acid driven wine. Grenache HOT HOT HOT and SPICY Grenache is a happy grape in the warm California sun. It has a strong heat and drought tolerance and has spent many a decade in California as a White varietal, like its counterpart the white Zinfandel. With its thin grape skin, you are presented with a soft palate feel and low tannins. You will find Vibrant Fruit and spicy notes complimenting this sweet grape. Grenache is characterized by relatively high alcohol content, due to the high levels of sugar and low tannins. Standing the test of time, Grenache has a long history in California. Picture It is Known most notably as a grape for blended wines by the Rhone Rangers GSM blend ( Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre ). Grenache plays nicely with blended wines, as it imparts a good amount of fruit without the strong tannins. Mourvedre for me Please. A boom bust story fell upon this revitalized grape in California. At its peak production, mourvedre grew on 2700 acres of land in the Jacquin Valley and surrounding. Mourvedre was grown for large scale production of blended wine for Bulk wine consumption. With only a third of that in production today, and under Rhone influence, this growing renaissance in California, has taken this grape to another level. Mourvedre’s very rich history as a blended wine has helped sustain this grape into its modern life as the third varietal of the GSM blend. Winemakers continue to craft and perfect in California. Characterized for its savory wines that produce a great variety of flavor. Strong earthy and gamey notes are complemented by soft red fruits. These Tannic grapes produce a character that blends well with other grapes in a smaller amount to give balance to the palate. Chardonnay , all day. The neutral profile of the Chardonnay Grape, brings the winemaker front and center. The wine making process and the terroir create a distinct white wine grape. California Chardonnay grapes are dominated by medium body Oak notes with Pear, Apple and plum. Crisp and mineral notes in Chardonnay gives it a refreshing and easy to drink wine. Young Oak barrel aging impart a flavor profile that balances the mouth feel and sweet fruit characters. Zinfandel , a Zin Fan. The distinct Savory character of the Zinfandel grape has had a dominant white and red grape take hold of California over the last several decades. 10% of all grapes grown in California are Zins. THe Grape has a unique growing habit that produces varying ripening stages in the same bunch. Winemakers in California have moved away from the white varietal and built a mature red that added some complexity to the spicy notes and backed out of alcohol content. Picture To give zinfandel a modern chance in California against the robust reds, winemakers are looking at technology to give their wine a boost. Using alcohol removing techniques such as reverse osmosis and spinning Cones, give way to a stronger range of flavor and reduction in the savory spice of the grape. Wine grape growing regions, have a great impact on the yield and production quality of wine. California’s vast rolling hills and Coastal and temperate climate, create regions that favor certain Varietals. With great choice and varietal, comes great responsibility… The AVAs of California are the foundation for getting a deeper understanding into these grapes. What’s an AVA? Find out more