California Makes Funny Wines

Alsace	Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling
Beaujolais	Gamay
Bordeaux	Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Burgundy	Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay
Chablis	Chardonnay
Champagne	Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
Languedoc- Roussillon	Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Marsanne, Mourverdre, Roussanne, Syrah
Loire	Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscadet, Cabernet Franc
Provence	Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Rhone-North	Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah, Viognier
Rhone-South	Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Syrah, (Châteauneuf du Pape)
Vouvray	Chenin Blanc

If there is no Burgundy grape, then just how can California produce a Burgundy wine? Or a Chablis? Or a Chianti? The truth is, they can't. The truth is they are taking unfair and improper advantage of the extraordinary reputation developed over the years by these famous growing regions. Reputations that were earned and recognized only after decades and decades, and in some cases centuries, of consistently producing superior quality wines. Some vineyards in these growing regions date back to the time of Caesar and Christ.

In addition to California taking indecent liberties with the names of these great growing regions of the old world, California also abuses its own fine growing regions. For example, California vintners will print on their label "Napa Valley" or "Sonoma” etc. This will lead the buyer to conclude the wine inside the bottle is a fine wine from a great growing region when in fact the grape used to make the wine may have come from Blythe or Barstow. All the wine maker needs is a Post Office Box in Napa. Even if the wine was bottled in Napa or Sonoma, it doesn't mean the grapes came from there. This miscreation is a gross injustice to the quality wineries, that attentively grow, cultivate and harvest their own grapes, and create their wines all within the legal boundaries of the appellation on the label.

And, if that is not enough, the vintner will print on the label, "Reserve,” "Grand Reserve,” "Special Reserve,” "Great Estate" or some other of several seductive terms, all of which mean absolutely nothing. Those titles are simple marketing gimmicks. In France, Italy and Spain those terms and names are important. They refer to the age of the vine, the number of vines per acre, the size of the grape, the number of grape clusters on the vine, the maceration process, the ageing process and the length of ageing. In California, "Estate Bottled" does mean something. It means the grape in the bottle must have come from the vineyard whose name is on the bottle. Well, at least from the same area as the vineyard. Well, at least 75% of the grapes.

California has some truly great growing regions. Actually five. North Coast, Central Valley, Sierra Foothills, Central Coast and South Coast. The North Coast is, by far, the most renowned. This region contains the appellations, or sub-regions, of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley. California's finest wines are produced in this area. I don't wish to denigrate the Central Coast which include the fine regions of Paso Robles and the wonderful Santa Maria Valley.

It just amazes me that the wineries of those fine appellations do not negotiate with the American Viticultural Area (AVA) and demand enforcement of the very simple regulations for labeling wine. The losers in this situation are the discriminating wineries which produce the excellent, superior quality wines that come from these areas yet are bundled in with all of the other inferior, commercial, second-class and in some cases downright shoddy wines that come from the same areas, and of course, you and me, the wine consumer, who will pick up a bottle of California wine and, unless we are familiar with one or several of the nearly 1,000 wineries, do not have a clue to its contents.

The problem has to be shared with the premium wineries who refuse to expend the effort for proper classification, the shoddy wineries who wish to remain buried in the glamor of Napa, Sonoma, etc. and the United States government. The AVA comes under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. (BATF) The BATF is a law enforcement agency designed to collect taxes or catch crooks such as smugglers who try to avoid taxes. Moonshiners!

The French "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC) and the Italian "Denominazione di Origine Controllata" (DOC) are government law enforcement agencies who are NOT interested in collecting taxes or capturing "moonshiners" but are concerned only with insuring that what the winery puts on the label is what the winery puts in the bottle. For example, if a French winery places "Pauillac" on its label, you are guaranteed that the grapes were grown in a vineyard in Pauillac, the wine was macerated, aged and bottled in Pauillac and it was all processed under very strict conditions which will produce the wines for which this appellation is famous. The "Pauillac" appellation consists of 2,400 acres and is inside the Haut Médoc region, which is inside the Médoc region, which is inside the Bordeaux region. You know exactly where the grapes and the wine came from. Should the winery wish to place "Reserve" on the label, the wine must be aged, in oak barrels, an additional (depending upon the appellation) three to twelve months. If they wish to place "Grand" or "Special" reserve on the label, the wine must be aged, in oak barrels, an additional three to twelve months beyond the required "Reserve" ageing. The AOC and the DOC even dictate the age of the vine, the size of the grape, the number of grapes on the stem, the number of vines per acre, the maceration process, the ageing process, the length of ageing, what kind of container the wine is aged in and if the oak barrels are to be new or used.

Those law enforcement agencies, AOC and DOC, were created specifically to guarantee (vintage variations aside) the quality of the wine.

The BATF guarantees the taxes were collected.

California Wine Regions

Actually, California has made considerable progress in the last decade restraining their abuse of naming local wines after the great French and Italian growing regions. Those dishonorable marketing practices are now employed only by the low quality, mass market wineries and the producers of jug wines. However, their deceptive and dishonest labeling practices continue unabated. It's time California, its growers, its vintners and the AVA grow up and correct this deficiency. The winners will be the high quality wineries and the consumer. The losers will be the wineries that take more pride in the quality of their bank account than they do in the quality of the wines they produce.

My good friends and fellow wine afficionado's, Darren Sieben and Larry Lozensky, have introduced me to three marvelous California Cabernet's. Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa - $50, Kendall-Jackson Great Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa - $35, Berringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa - $75. These are all outstanding Cabs that will hold their own against any wines out of Bordeaux or any other wine growing region in the world. Unfortunately, the California labeling practices conceal the true quality of these fine wines and bury them within the throng of mass producers. In addition to those wines mentioned above, both Kendall-Jackson and Berringer market $7 table wines. The grapes for the table wines do not come from the same vineyards as the grapes for their quality wines. However, if you don't know the producer, you will have difficulties selecting the best wine. You will have the price to guide you, but the label won't help.

On the lighter side:

California Has A Sense Of Humor

Last year, after his daughters wedding, my dear friend Bruce Jackson presented me with a bottle of "Stu Pedasso, Sonoma Beach" (say that real fast a couple of times) Zinfandel. The label and narrative on the tag attached to the bottle provided me with a considerable number of laughs. After a couple of months I pulled the cork and discovered the wine was ready to drink. I admit to being pleasantly surprised on the quality of this “humorous” zinfandel. The wine was fresh, fruity, medium bodied, had a good nose and a balanced finish. This is a wine you can have fun with and still enjoy. The Stu Pedasso website link is provided below. Take a few minutes to lighten up your day and peruse the site.

	There is no Burgundy grape. Burgundy is a growing region in France and a true Burgundy wine is a Pinot Noir which MUST come from Burgundy, France.
	There is no Chablis grape. Chablis is a growing region inside the Burgundy growing region of France and a true Chablis wine is a Chardonnay which MUST come from Chablis, France.
	There is no Chianti grape. Chianti is an appellation in the growing region of Tuscany, Italy and a true Chianti wine is a Sangiovese blend which MUST come from Chianti, Italy.
	There is no Champagne grape. Champagne is a growing region of France and a true Champagne is a blended wine made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petit Meunier grapes which MUST come from Champagne, France.