Leona Valley - Wine Region Of The Day

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Leona Valley 

Leona Valley received its designation as an AVA in 2008. Located on 8,751 acres, Leona Valley is located in North Eastern Los Angeles County. Leona Valley features well draining nutrient rich alluvial soils. The Leona Valley is a high desert climate with hot days and cool evenings. The grapes receive daily sun during the height of the growing season, and the 2,700-foot elevation of the vineyards ensures a cool evening and a longer growing season. The region is known for its production of Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Malbec.

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Manton Valley - Wine Region Of The Day

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Manton Valley 

Manton Valley received its designation as an AVA in 2014. Situated on 9,800 acres, Manton Valley is located in Tehama and Shasta Counties in Northern California. The region is known for its distinctive red volcanic soils, which are mostly a gravelly loam. The terrain is mostly foothills with growing elevations between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. The Manton Valley is washed in daily sunlight and is dry and arid during the day. The nearby mountains provide a cooling effect on the region, lowering the nightly temperature and creating a large diurnal swing. This diurnal swing allows the grapes to stay on the vine longer and develop a balanced acidity and tannin structure. The region is known for its production of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chalone - Wine Region Of The Day

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Chalone

Chalone received its designation as an AVA in 1982. Sitting on 8,640 acres, the region is located in the Gabilian Mountains situated in both Monterey and San Benito counties. Chalone features limestone and decomposed granite soil. With sunny days and cool evenings, the region has a large diurnal temperature swing allowing the grapes a longer time to ripen and balance their acidity. Chalone is known for its distinctive mineral flavor that it imparts on its vines. With only 300 acres under vine, the majority of the production is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Fountaingrove District - Wine Region Of The Day

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Fountaingrove District 

The Fountaingrove District received its designation as an AVA in 2015. Situated on 38,000 acres, Fountaingrove is located in Sonoma County. Most of the soils are derived from Sonoma Volcanic and Franciscan Formation bedrock and consist of volcanic materials, such as pumiceous ash flow tuff and basalt lava. The Fountaingrove District is located on the western slopes of the Mayacmas Mountains and features low, rolling hills as well as higher, steeper mountains with southwest-facing slopes. The Sonoma Mountains, along the region's southwestern boundary, shelter Fountaingrove from the strongest marine breezes and heaviest fog, but an air gap in the mountains does allow some cooling air and fog into the region. The moderate temperatures within the Fountaingrove District are suitable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Viognier grape varieties.

May 28th - This Date in Wine History

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Alfred de Vergnette de Lamotte

Alfred de Vergnette de Lamotte

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature This Date In Wine History, we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

  • André de Gironde, Comte de Buro was appointed the last Grand Bouteiller of France (master of the royal wine cellar) was appointed in 1731. The position was abolished with the Revolution.
  • French eonologist, Alfred de Vergnette de Lamotte died in 1886. He is best know for his work on wine preservation but was outshone by fellow Frenchman, Louis Pasteur.
  • The Bardolino DOC designation was established in 1968

Suisun Valley - Wine Region Of The Day

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Suisun Valley 

The Suisun Valley received its designation as an AVA in 1982 and is located on 15,000 acres in Solano County, California. Suisun Valley features a range in elevations from 200 feet on the floor of the valley to over 2,000 feet up on Oak Hill. The region features varying soils depending on the location. In the valley, the soil is sandstone, deep and well draining. In the foothills, the soils are more volcanic in nature. The Suisun Valley receives daily sunshine but due to its proximity to Suisun Bay, it has foggy and cool nights with coastal breezes flowing through the valley during the day. The variety of soils, temperatures and growing elevations gives Suisun Valley great versatility in its varietals with more than twenty varieties of wine grapes being produced. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Syrah, Viognier, Riesling, and Zinfandel.

South Coast - Wine Region Of The Day

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South Coast 

The South Coast received its designation as an AVA in 1985. Situated over 2,237,503 acres, the South Coast includes sub-appellations Cucamonga Valley, Malibu-Newton Canyon, Ramona Valley, Saddle Rock-Malibu, San Pasqual Valley, and Temecula Valley. There is an array of soil types and microclimates across the South Coast, allowing the region to show its diversity in the production of many different varietals. The region produces Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Trebbiano, Viognier, and Zinfandel.

May 27th - This Date in Wine History

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Flag of Belgium

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature This Date In Wine History, we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

  • The Barbera d'Alba DOC and Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC were created in 1970 
  • Côtes or Coteaux de Sambre et Meuse and the geographical designation Vin de Pays des Jardins de Wallonie was designated in Belgium in 2004
  • Spain's Manchuela DO was established in 2004

Happy Canyon Santa Barbara - Wine Region Of The Day

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Happy Canyon - Santa Barbara 

Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara received its designation as an AVA in 2009. Sitting on 23,940 acres, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara is located on the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County. The soil is a mixture of loam and clay loam and is known for imparting a mineralogy to the grapes. The soil is considered infertile, causing the vines to grow smaller in size and focus their efforts on the fruit. The mornings climate often features low lying fog that gives way to afternoon sun. The daytime temperatures oven break 90 degrees during the peak of the growing season. The region is known for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Syrah.

May 26th - This Date in Wine History

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Vincent Voiture

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature This Date In Wine History, we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

Vincent Voiture, French poet and author was born in 1648.  He was the son of rich wine merchants.

McDowell Valley - Wine Region Of The Day

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McDowell Valley 

The McDowell Valley AVA is located on 540 acres in southeastern Mendocino County, California. The appellation consists of sloped bench land at elevations as high as 1,000 feet that overlook the Russian River to the west. McDowell Valley is colder than the surrounding areas of Mendocino County. There is currently only one winery operating within the boundaries of the AVA, McDowell Valley Vineyards.

Guenoc Valley - Wine Region Of The Day

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Guenoc Valley 

The Guenoc Valley AVA is in Lake County, California, north of the town of Calistoga. The AVA sits on 23,000 acres, and its grapes are grown at an elevation of 400 ft. The Guenoc Valley is small and comprised of a mix of Arroyo Seco and Conejo Loam soils deposited by former rivers to make the region one large alluvial fan. The Guenoc Valley is isolated from surrounding areas by rocky ridges, creating a small valley. Compared to surrounding areas, the Guenoc Valley receives less rainfall per year, but greater temperature variance throughout the year. The region is known for its Syrah production, but also produces Petit Verdot, Malbec, Semillon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Sierra Foothills - Wine Region Of The Day

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Sierra Foothills 

The Sierra Foothills received their designation as an AVA in 1987. Situated on 2,600,000 acres, The Sierra Foothills includes sub-appellations California Shenandoah Valley, El Dorado, Fair Play, Fiddletown, and North Yuba. The Sierra Foothills features a mostly volcanic soil structure, but also has regions of loam and alluvial fans. The climate in the region is Mediterranean due to the warm days and cooler evenings. The region is famous for first being settled during the California gold rush, with vines of Zinfandel being planted soon thereafter. Prohibition devastated the region's wine growing efforts, but many of the vines were just abandoned in place instead of destroyed. Many of these vines still survive today, giving the Sierra Foothills some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in the country.

May 27th - This Date in Wine History

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Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature This Date In Wine History, we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

  • The Barbera d'Alba DOC was created in 1970
  • The Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC was created in 1970 
  • Côtes or Coteaux de Sambre et Meuse and the geographical designation Vin de Pays des Jardins de Wallonie was designated in Belgium in 2004
  • Spain's Manchuela DO was established in 2004

 

Moon Mountain - Wine Region Of The Day

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Moon Mountain 

The Moon Mountain District Sonoma County is located on 17,000 acres in Sonoma, California and was designated as an AVA in 2013. Sitting in the high elevations above Los Carneros, the mountain has hills building upon themselves from 400 ft in elevation all the way to 2,200 feet above sea level. Being one of the most eastern points in the Sonoma Valley AVA, Moon Mountain shares a borderline with Napa Valley's Mt. Veeder AVA. The soil on Moon Mountain is volcanic in its origin and is well draining. The varying elevations mean the different pockets of terroir on the mountain vary from cool fog and winds off the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Ocean to prolonged sun exposure in the higher elevations. The signature wines of the region are Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

Fun fact: This appellation got its name from a Jack London book, "Valley of the Moon". Residents couldn't understand why there was a valley but no mountain of the moon and petitioned the United States Geological Survey to designate one. After 57 years, it was designated in 2008. 

May 20 - This Date In Wine History

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GRAPE CULTIVATION, WINEMAKING, AND COMMERCE IN ANCIENT EGYPT C. 1500 BC

GRAPE CULTIVATION, WINEMAKING, AND COMMERCE IN ANCIENT EGYPT C. 1500 BC

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature This Date In Wine History, we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

May 20 

Albano Carrisi, Italian singer, actor and winemaker was born in 1943. He is the owner of Carrisi Wine Company in Apulia.

Pope John XXI died today in 1277. One of the things accomplished during his 9 month papacy was to ensure that the cardinals electing popes were given sufficient food and wine during their deliberations. Previously, supplies with progressively restricted to ensure a quick election. 

Chalk Hill - Wine Region Of The Day

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Chalk Hill 

The Chalk Hill AVA is located in Sonoma County, California near the town of Windsor and is a sub-region of the Russian River Valley AVA. Chalk Hill became an AVA in 1988, and its name derives from the region's distinctive volcanic soil of chalky ash. The volcanic soil has given Chalk Hill a distinctive flavor to its white wine varietals like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Chalk Hill AVA consists of 1,650 acres, most of which are on the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains between 200 and 1,300 feet. The climate of the region is considered warm for the Russian River Valley, which combined with the relatively infertile soil, causes the grapes to struggle slightly in their development. This combination of infertile soil and a moderate climate leads to a late harvest and complex fruit flavors. Chalk Hill is known best for producing Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Napa Valley - Wine Region Of The Day

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Napa Valley 

Napa Valley received its designation as an AVA in 1981. Situated on 43,000 acres, Napa Valley is home to sub-appellations Los Carneros, Howell Mountain, Wild Horse Valley, Stags Leap District, Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak, Spring Mountain District, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Chiles Valley, Yountville, Diamond Mountain District, Coombsville, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, and Calistoga. The Napa Valley floor is flanked by the Mayacamas Mountain Range on the western and northern sides the Vaca Mountains on the eastern side. The floor of the main valley gradually rises from sea level at the southern end to 362 feet above sea level at the northern end in Calistoga at the foot of Mount Saint Helena. The Oakville and Rutherford AVAs lie within a geographical area known as the Rutherford Bench in the center of the valley floor. The soil at the southern end of the valley consists mainly of sediments deposited by earlier advances and retreats of San Pablo Bay while the soil at the northern end of the valley contains a large volume of volcanic lava and ash. Several microclimates exist within the area due to various weather and geographical influences in the different sub-appellations. The open southern end of the valley floor is cooler during the growing season due to the proximity of San Pablo Bay while the sheltered, closed northern end is often much warmer. The eastern side of the valley tends to be arid because winter storms tend to drop much more precipitation on the western mountains and hills. Napa Valley is known for its world-class production of Cabernet Sauvignon but also produces Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir,Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.