Santa Clara Valley - Wine Region of the Day

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Santa Clara Valley received its designation as an AVA in 1989. Situated over 332,800 acres, Santa Clara Valley is a larger AVA containing sub-appellations San Ysidro and Pacheco Pass. The soil in the area is made up of gravelly loam, clay, and sandstone. The climate in Santa Clara Valley is moderate to warm with daily temperatures in the high 80s during the peak of growing season. Winds blow in and cool the valley from the San Francisco Bay to the north and the Pacific Ocean via Monterey to the south. The region is known for Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

Solado Creek - Wine Region of the Day

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Salado Creek received its designation as an AVA in 2004. Situated on 2,940 acres, the region is located in northern Stanislaus County, California, near the town of Patterson. The creek as well as many other geographic features in the area were named by Spanish explorer, Gabriel Moraga who explored the San Joaquin Valley from 1806-1811.

The wine region lies at the eastern base of the Diablo Mountains at the western edge of the valley.  Salado Creeks flows from the mountains and crosses the California Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal eventually ending in the San Joaquin River. The viticultural area is part of the flat, flood plain from Salado Creek and its tributaries and is made of the heavier alluvium.

The soil in the region is an alluvial fan of clay and sandy loam which come from shale and sandstone parent materials. These Ensalado soils are well draining and deep which forces the vines to dig deep, strong roots in search of water. This process forces the vines to concentrate their efforts into the fruit, making a deep, robust flavor.

The region is protected from marine air by the Diablo Mountains and exist in a “thermal belt” at the edge of the larger San Joaquin Valley making this belt zone the only places where citrus grows in the San Joaquin Valley. The climate of Salado Creek has warmer cool season temperatures but consistent cooling breezes do flow from the north making its warm season cooler than the rest of the valley. Salado Creek is known for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Viognier.

Santa Cruz Mountains - Wine Region of the Day

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The Santa Cruz Mountains received their designation as an AVA in 1981. Situated across 322,000 acres, the Santa Cruz Mountains are located between San Francisco and Monterey and contains the sub-appellation Ben Lomond Mountain. Vines are planted at varying elevations throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains between 900 and 2,500 feet above sea level. Soils in the region vary, between clay and Franciscan shale; that is layered over bedrock made of decomposing limestone. The Santa Cruz Mountains feature many different microclimates across its differing terrain and elevations. Vines planted on western slopes take the brunt of Pacific Ocean wind and cold while inland east-facing slopes receive none of the harsh effects of the ocean and are considerably warmer. The cold climate and well-draining soils make the Santa Cruz Mountains a harsh growing area and the vines struggle as a result. This struggle leads to smaller yields of fruit, but a deep condensed flavor in the grapes. The most popular plantings in the Santa Cruz Mountains are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

March 10th - This Date in Wine History

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Hugh Johnson

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.

  • Johann Rudolf Glauber was born and died on this date in 1604 and 1670.  He was a German-Dutch alchemist who wrote about improvements in wine making and is considered an early chemist or chemical engineer.
  • Paul Draper winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California was born in 1936. 
  • Hugh Johnson OBE, British author and wine expert was born in 1939.

Consumes River - Wine Region of the Day

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Unlike most of the Lodi area American Viticuttural Areas which mainly grow red wine grapes, the Cosumnes River appellation produces a significant amount of white wine.  Located between Sacramento and Lodi, California the Cosumnes River appellation is located in the low river plains among wetlands, levees, sloughs and creeks.

The name of the area as well as the river comes from the native Miwok peoples words for the type of people who settled in the area.  Cosumnes refers to the residents being the “Salmon People”.  Salmon still run in the river up to Rancho Murieta as the river draining west of the Sierras that has no major dam.  Because of this, the area is subject to occassional flooding or may even dry up at times.  The topography of the region slopes downward from the highest points in the eastern portion of the appellation to the southwest corner.  The river runs downstream through the AVA until in converges with the Mokelumne River and then into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta leading to the Pacific.

 This topography allows cool moist air to travel up the river delta cooling the river valley and creating maritime and inland fog in the region which cools the environment but is dissapated by the moderate winds blowing down from the Sierra Nevadas.  The soils are young and alluvial near the many water sources with older San Joaquin series deep, red, gravelly loamy clays covering fanning over the region.

Like many of the new Lodi  AVAs there is only one winery in the Cosumnes River Viticultural Area.  The property has been a working ranch for five generations and began planting grapes on the property in 1993. Cold weather vines do well here, and the region is known for its Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Sierra Pelona Valley - Wine Region of the Day

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The Sierra Pelona Valley received its designation as an AVA in 2010. Situated across a ten-mile stretch, the Sierra Pelona Valley is part of the high desert region in Northern Los Angeles County. The Valley ranges from 2,400 to 3,400 feet above sea level, and the soils are comprised mostly of alluvial clay. The region's desert climate features a large diurnal swing in temperature, sometimes up to 50 degrees. This diurnal swing extends the growing season but also makes the grapes vulnerable to damage from a late spring frost. The region is known for its Zinfandel production.

Rockpile - Wine Region of the Day

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The Rockpile AVA is located on 15,400 acres in Sonoma County, California. The AVA was established in 2002 and is located northwest of the town of Healdsburg. The name originates from a local mountain top named Rockpile Peak. The mountain has a steep elevation of over 800 feet above sea level. The steep slope of the Rockpile area is an average of 18 inches deep with small rocks and gravel mixed in the soil, which allows for excellent drainage. All of the elements of the soil combine to cause the vines to struggle mightily to produce, giving vines from Rockpile low yields and intense fruit flavors. The high elevation of the region means that the vines are above the fog line that creeps in from the Pacific Ocean and makes for a very moderate climate. The area is most well known for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel.

Rockpile Ranch was founded in 1867 by Tennessee Carter Bishop who started as a sheep farm but later planted the first wine grapes in the area in 1872.  He was joined in the endeavor by S.P. Hallengren whose descendants continue to produce wine grapes in the appellation.

March 6th - 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.

  • Australian viticulturist, Dr. Richard Smart was born in 1945 
  • Max Schubert, Australian winemaker responsible for Penfolds Grange Hermitage died in 1994
  • Colorado's West Elks AVA was designated in 2001
  • Ernest Gallo died in 2007

Squaw Valley-Miramonte - Wine Region of the Day

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The Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA is 44,690 acres located 40 miles east of Fresno, California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The region is rural with rugged hills covered with boulders and oak woodlands with elevations between 1,600-3,500 feet above sea level.  The slopes of the vineyards range from 15% to 40% which requires virtually all work to be done by hand.  The elevation and slopes allow cool evening temperatures to drain into the valley below which helps grapes growing in the region to produce more sugar and higher anthocyanins (red wine pigments).  Grapes grown in the AVA include: Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmènere, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel.

March 2nd - 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.

  • St. Benedict of Nursia was born in 480.  He is the saint invoked against poison.  His monks tried to poison his wine and then his bread but he was saved by miracles.
  • Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, the future Pope Leo XIII was born in 1810.  He appeared in ads for Vin Mariani a wine and coca leaf tonic.
  • The Texas High Plains AVA was designated in 2003.

Santa Margarita Ranch - Wine Region of the Day

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The Santa Margarita Ranch AVA is the most southern portion of the original Paso Robles appellation.  The Santa Margarita Ranch started as an agricultural satellite location for the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Mission, was responsible for producing wheat and wine grapes beginning in 1774.  The mission was then known as Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia.  It was later identified as a rancho or land grant.

The area is found between the La Panza and Santa Lucia Mountains in the Santa Margarita Valley with the Salina River running throughout.  The elevations in the appellation range from 900 feet at the riverbank to 1,400 feet at the highest point.  Santa Margarita Ranch receives moderate marine influences with ocean breezes coming through the Cuesta Pass but these are less than the air currents in the Templeton Gap AVA further downstream.  Santa Margarita Ranch averages 29 inches of precipitation per year, more than the majority of the Paso Robles sub-appellations as a result of these breezes and also because of the elevation of the Santa Lucia Mountains.

The majority of vineyards in the environs are found on the valley floor where cooler temperatures tend to pool.  There is a small aquifer in the area that is used for frost protection as well as irrigation.  The soils overlaying this basin consist of alluvial loams and gravels and some clays created from the surrounding Monterey shale, Santa Margarita sandstones and older Cretaceous rocks.  Grapes being produced in the region include: Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Zinfandel.

San Francisco Bay - Wine Region of the Day

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The San Francisco Bay received its AVA designation in 1999. Sitting on over 1,566,713 acres, San Francisco Bay is a large AVA containing the sub-appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District, and Santa Clara Valley. A small number of wineries are located in and around the San Francisco Bay, including on Treasure Island and the Former Alameda Naval Air Station. Due to its size, there are multiple temperature zones contained within the AVA, ranging from cold, windy, and foggy, to hot and sunny. The region is known for producing Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, and Zinfandel.

North Coast - Wine Region of the Day

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The North Coast received its designation as an AVA in 1981. North Coast is a super AVA encompassing grape-growing regions in six counties: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres and includes some smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of having its weather affected by the cool fog and breezes from the Pacific Ocean. The sub-appellations include: Alexander Valley, Anderson Valley, Atlas Peak, Bennett Valley, Benmore Valley, Big Valley Lake County, Calistoga, Chalk Hill, Chiles Valley, Clear Lake, Cole Ranch, Coombsville, Diamond Mountain District, Dos Rios, Dry Creek Valley, Eagle Peak - Mendocino County, Fort Ross-Seaview, Fountaingrove District, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Guenoc Valley, High Valley, Howell Mountain, Kelsey Bench-Lake County, Knights Valley, Los Carneros, McDowell Valley, Mendocino, Mendocino Ridge, Moon Mountain District Sonoma County, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, Northern Sonoma, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, Oakville, Petaluma Wind Gap, Pine Mountain-Cloverdale, Potter Valley, Red Hills Lake County, Redwood Valley, Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Rutherford, Solano County Green Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley, Spring Mountain District, St. Helena, Stags Leap District, Suisun Valley, Wild Horse Valley, Yorkville Highlands, and Yountville.

Saddle Rock - Malibu - Wine Region of the Day

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Saddle Rock - Malibu received its designation as an AVA in 2006. Situated on 2,100 acres, Saddle Rock-Malibu is located high in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County. Located just 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Saddle Rock's growing region sits at an elevation of 2,000 feet above sea level. Saddle Rock - Malibu has sandy, rocky soil, which is well draining and forces the grapes to dig their roots deep into the ground in search of water. The region is washed in sunlight during the day, but its high elevation allows for cooling nighttime effects that lengthen the growing season, allowing the fruit to develop good acidity balance. The hot days of Saddle Rock-Malibu make the region ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel.

Clear Lake - Wine Region of the Day

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The Clear Lake AVA is located in Lake County, California and located on 5,000 acres. Half of the area contained within the boundaries of the AVA is the actual Clear Lake itself. The lake is the largest natural lake found entirely within the state of California and is considered to be the oldest in North America due to its unique geology.  The presence of the lake has a great influence on the temperature and climate of the region, resulting in less variance between daily and nightly temperatures than in neighboring AVAs. The Clear Lake AVA is quite cool for California, which is suitable for grape varietals that enjoy the cold, like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

 The first wine grapes were produced by European immigrants to Lake County.  Prior to Prohibition Lake County produced more wine grapes than Napa but was able to recover after repeal due to a lack of transportation infrastructure. Prior to Prohibition, the wine produced from this area was of high quality, Charles Hammond, of Upper Lake, won prizes for both red and white wines at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893.  His vineyard, Ma Tel, however was destroyed by raising water after the construction of the Cache Creek Dam in 1914.

Lime Kiln Valley - Wine Region of the Day

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Lime Kiln Valley received its designation as an AVA in 1982 but has been home to vineyards since 1895. Situated on 2,300 acres, Lime Kiln Valley is located in San Benito County. The soil of the region consists of fine limestone and dolomite base, with top layers of sand and gravel loam above. Lime Kiln Valley has a mild diurnal cycle; the region has bright sunny days and moderate evenings. The region is best known for its production of Zinfandel but is also home to Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir as well a virtually extinct Bordeaux varietal, Gros Verdot.

Happy Canyon Santa Barbara - Wine Region of the Day

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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.

El Pomar District - Wine Region of the Day

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Another of the Paso Robles sub-appellations, the El Pomar is located in the center part of its parent.  The name, "El Pomar" means "The Orchard" and is a reference to the orchards that were initially planted in the area when it was settled in the 1880s.  The District consists of alluvial fans and old river terraces that have mixed sediments from the Monterey (marine shale), Paso Robles (non-marine mudstone and conglomerate) and Simmler (red sandstone) formations.  The temperatures are moderate and are considered ideal for Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, however there are many Rhone grapes like Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah as well.  El Pomar receives only 15 inches of rain per year but this amount is supplemented with marine breezes and fogs.

February 17th - 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.

  • In 1662, Samuel Pepys describes a dinner with Sir William Batten, Captain Cocke and Captain Tinker where he drank wine “upon necessity, being ill for want of it, and I find reason to fear that by my too sudden leaving off wine, I do contract many evils upon myself”.
  • California's Chiles Valley AVA was designated in 1999.

Borden Ranch - Wine Region of the Day

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Borden Ranch received its designation as an AVA in 2006. Sitting on 70,000 acres, Borden Ranch is a sub-appellation of the Lodi AVA and is located in Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties. The soils in Borden Ranch is alluvial with cobbles, clay pan, and clay loam. The terrain of Borden Ranch varies from around 50 to 500 feet above sea level, and the region is spot by the Dry Creek River. The climate features long sunny days with cooling breezes off the river. Borden Ranch, like much of Lodi, is populated by vineyards producing grapes to be sold outside the region. The varietals that are produced here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel.