The vast American landscape ensures that there are plenty of diverse viticultural areas, and whilst America has been a wine producing country for over three hundred years, it is perhaps only within the last two decades that Northern America has become a real contender in producing world class wines and is now the world’s fourth largest wine producer behind France, Italy and Spain.
Although all fifty states of the US produce wine, California is considered to be the real driving force behind its success and produces almost 90% of American wines. The first vineyard was established by the Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra in 1769 in the San Diego area but vines would be carried further north over the next half a century and demand increased during the mid-nineteenth century after the settlers arrived with the California Gold Rush.
It is worth noting that the 1840s also saw the beginning of Prohibition in the United States; Maine was the first state to declare itself ‘dry’, and in 1920 an eighteenth Amendment was made to the United States Constitution which banned the manufacturing, sale and transport of alcohol. Although exceptions were made for sacramental wine, vineyards were to feel a significant blow and it wasn’t until 1933 that the repeal of prohibition was to come into force.
Today there are over 1,200 wineries in the state ranging from smaller boutique wineries such as Colgin Cellars which produces fewer than 500 cases of wine a year, to the more competitive wine makers such as the Gallo family. The Napa Valley remains central to the Californian wine industry and is widely associated with many award winning ‘cult wines’. It is significant that red wines have become increasingly popular as prior to 2006 red wine had not outsold white wine sine 1976. As with most of Europe, the 1980s saw a sharp rise in popularity for white wines and the trend for wine bars seemed synonymous with the many other fashions that the decade brought us. The increase in popularity of red wine can largely be attributed to our more sophisticated palates and increasing knowledge of wine, but it shouldn’t go unmentioned that there are many health benefits attributed to the healthy consumption of red wine, particularly the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
To the amateur, red wine may well look and taste very similar from brand to brand, but those with a keen interest will be able to distinguish the type of grape, the region, even the vineyard and year of harvest. Some of the more popular red grapes include the Cabernet Sauvignon which is a favourite amongst wineries all over the world and is loved for its intense blackcurrant flavour. The Hahn family owns more than 1,400 acres of vineyards throughout California’s Monterey County and it’s ’2005 Hahn Estates Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon’ is well worthy of any dinner table, as is the ‘Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon’.
The Grenache is the second most widely planted red grape in the world and has a distinctive fruity taste that makes it ideal for blending, particularly for rose wines. In fact, the Gallo family readily admitted that their Grenache Rose was the product of a mistake – it would seem that the Californian sun proved too bright for this delicate grape and seemed to bleach the colour from the skin resulting in their lighter, pink wine.
The Zinfandel is the Californian favourite and has a powerful taste of ripe berries. In its purest form it is of a deep red colour, but there is a white Zinfandel too which is sweeter and has a ‘blush’ colour. The Gallo family own another successful blend, the ‘Ranch Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel’, affordable and very drinkable with its soft hint of raspberry.
The different geographical wine regions of the United States are often referred to as the AVA system – American Viticultural Areas. The areas are not as significant as the wine producers that appear on the label, but will give some indication as to climates and soil types familiar to the area. Ultimately, however, the best way to define a good red wine is to do a bit of personal experimenting. The US has much to offer in terms of red wine, and whilst our supermarkets stock a vast range of names, the internet can also be a great source of access to lesser known and higher quality vintages
