June 14th - This Date in Wine History

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Leaving_Italy_for_a_better_life_1890sLivorno.jpg

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.

  • Bear Flag Revolt begins in 1846.  Anglo settlers in Sonoma, California, start a rebellion against Mexico and proclaim the California Republic.  The Anglos (mostly American) were prohibited from entering California without permission of the Mexican government and prohibited from renting or buying property.  
  • Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular for 1887 reports that the ship, Trinacria left the port of Leghorn (Livornio) with a cargo of wine bound for NYC.
  • The US Patent Office granted a patent for the Montebello & Co of Mareuil-sur-Ay, Marne, France for Champagne in 1910.
  • California's Chalone AVA was designated in 1982.

Central Coast - Wine Region of the Day

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Central Coast

The Central Coast was designated as an AVA in 1985. Situated across 280 miles from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, the Central Coast is home to sub-appellations Arroyo Grande Valley, Arroyo Seco, Ballard Canyon, Ben Lomond Mountain, Carmel Valley, Chalone, Cienega Valley, Edna Valley, Hames Valley, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Lime Kiln Valley, Livermore Valley, Monterey, Mt. Harlan, Pacheco Pass, Paicines, Paso Robles, San Antonio Valley, San Benito, San Bernabe, San Francisco Bay, San Lucas, San Ysidro District, Santa Clara Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, and York Mountain. The Central Coast is so vast that it features a variety of soil types and microclimates across its sub-appellations. The most common vines planted across the Central Coast are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.

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.  Unlike many proposed viticultural areas, Chalone had a protracted fight over the name of the region.  Initially, the region was to be called Pinnacles, a reference to the Pinnacles Nation Park that is nearby.  However, as there were copyright issues with that name, the government and interested parties tried to settle on a more acceptable name.  Gavilan and Chalone were also vetted. It was determined that Gavilan (in reference to the nearby Gabilan Range and was also problematic as it is a word used throughout California and the southwest United States as well as a trademark for a brand of tequila.  Gavilan or Gabilan both translate as sparrow hawk.  Eventually the name Chalone was agreed to as at some point in history the  Pinnacles were referred to as Chalone.

The wine region is located on a bench in the Gabilan Range abutting the Pinnacles National Park.  The viticultural area drains into canyons on the outer edge of the region and has an elevation of 1400-2000 feet above sea level.  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.

June 14th - 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.

  • Bear Flag Revolt begins in 1846.  Anglo settlers in Sonoma, California, start a rebellion against Mexico and proclaim the California Republic.  
  • The US Patent Office granted a patent for the Montebello & Co of Mareuil-sur-Ay, Marne, France for Champagne.
  • California's Chalone AVA was designated in 1982

Chalone - Wine Region of the Day

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CHALONE

Photo of the Chalone wine region by David Toomey for Qorkz

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 Montereyand 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.

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.