Distinctive Appellations of California

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Leo Mills
6 years ago
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1 Distinctive Appellations of California Andrew Waterhouse Reunion 2012, University of Notre Dame

2 Wine Appellations of Origin Created in 20 th Century Protection of Champagne and other areas Goals Protect consumer-authenticity Protect producer-market control Wide market acceptance Wine and other products

3 Controlled Appellations-Traditional Some regulated practices in wine Grape varieties Cultivation practices - irrigation Basic winemaking style Red, white, dry, sweet, bubbly, oxidized Production practices Harvest sugar level, aging regime Sensory outcome - typicity

4 Semi-Generic Labels in US Use of traditional EU place names Only major market still using them Market pressure Napa Champagne California Burgundy Texas Chianti California Chablis

5 American Viticultural Areas Appellations define only geography No traditions to keep Resistance to mandates Limited knowledge about most suitable grapes But evolving knowledge and specificity in longer established areas

6 Evolution of Napa Plantings Temperature gradient Cool South-Chardonnay, Pinot noir Central-Bordeaux varieties, most red, and Sauvignon blanc Warm North-Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah

7 Napa Appellations Carneros St Helena Oakville and Oak Knoll

8 Nota Bene These wines were selected because they are good examples of the appellation, and they were available for the reunion Some of the data is from vintages that might have been different from the wine poured

9 Domaine Carneros Brut, Los Carneros Coolest region in Napa Sparkling Wine Not Champagne (Tattinger) Identical production, grapes, winemaking, bottle fermentation Chardonnay, Pinot noir, (Pinot Meunier) High acidity 8 g/l, 9 g/l sugar

10 J Lohr Carol s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, St. Helena (Napa Valley) Warmer region of Napa Harvested at 24 Brix Two harvest dates Two yeasts to enhance flavors Residual sugar 4 g/l, acid 7.3 g/l Alcohol 14% WM: Jeff Meier Charitable support for breast cancer

11 Franciscan Merlot Oakville and Oak Knoll (Napa) Heart of Napa (Bordeaux) Blend of Merlot and Syrah, CS, Petit Verdot Alcohol 13.5% Constellation WM: Janet Myers

12 Sonoma Appellations Dry Creek Sonoma Coast Russian River Valley

13 Sonoma Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chard Sonoma Coast cool region Different fog profile Vine Hill vineyard well drained Cutrer vineyard cool and alluvial soil Blend. Need 85% from Sonoma Coast 80% barrel ferment (5 year) 9 month Traditional CA style, 13.9% Alc WM: Mick Schroeter

14 Gary Farrell Russian River Pinot Noir Russian River- direct to Pacific Ocean Cool breezes in PM and morning Pinot noir from Burgundy, specific growing conditions required Alcohol 14.1% Winemaker: Theresa Heredia Vincraft ownership (VC)

15 Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Zinfandel Dry Creek away from marine air Warmer days, fog arrives later, but still cool overnight Famous for Zinfandel Petit Sirah, Cabernet, Syrah, other Rhone grapes 89% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Syrah 15% Alcohol WM: Eric Cinnamon E&J Gallo

16 Paso Robles Appellation Warm region Limited marine influence Cooling at night

17 J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles Very well suited for CS, other warm climate grapes High daytime temps, cool nights 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot,5% Petit Verdot, 4% Petite Sirah, 1% Syrah, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec 14% alcohol 12 Months in barrel WM: Steve Peck

18 Barefoot California Muscat Grapes from San Joaquin valley No appellation Muscat is hottest wine in market +90% growth in 2011! (3% share) Surprising interest Lacks vanilla flavor profile Replacing White Zinfandel WM: Jennifer Wall E&J Gallo

19 Controlled Appellations in California? Homogenous plantings Reputation and investment to protect Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap Bordeaux style wine

20 UC Davis Viticulture and Enology

21 Research and Teaching Winery

22 Viticulture and Enology Degrees BS and MS Interdisciplinary scientific training Chem, micro, plant bio, stats, tech Can apply to MS w/o enology Combination of science and art Links to industry across the globe International internships (funded)

23 Wine Summary Appellation Variety Brand Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon J Lohr Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Sonoma Cutrer Carneros Sparkling Domaine Carneros Russian River Pinot Noir Gary Farrell Dry Creek Zinfandel Rancho Zabaco St Helena Sauvignon blanc J Lohr California Muscat Barefoot Oakville and Oak Knoll Merlot Franciscan

Cool Climate Deep Dive

Cool Climate Deep Dive What does cool climate mean? Let s start at the beginning: (Still THE text book for UC Davis Viticulture 101) What does cool climate mean? Climate directly influences grape quality: