Wine Whisperer
Discover the “Other” California
There’s no question that the Golden State is the center of America’s winemaking industry. Of course, we’re more than receptive to the wines from Washington and Oregon. Fact is, one of my favorite Champagnestyle wines is made in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I still haven’t figured that one out. But still … when we think of California wines, we naturally turn first to Napa Valley and then, after a moment, to Sonoma. There are fabulous wines made in both those places, but many of them have become hysterically expensive.
That’s why it’s fun to go beyond the familiar names and places, searching for values from a bit farther off the wellbeaten track. Since these areas aren’t quite so famous, the wines are more in the ballpark, pricewise. Here are three places to look.
The Sierra Foothills
The main area of this winegrowing region is Amador County, the center of the Gold Rush. Many of those aspiring gold miners were German and Italian, and wine is what they drank. Today, hundreds of acres of zinfandel vines in the area are well over 60 years old. Older vines produce richer wines, which is why you’ll often see the words “old vines” or “ancient vines” on the label.
Lake County This area is just up the road from Napa, with the winegrowing region centered, not surprisingly, around Clear Lake, the largest natural lake in the state. There are four districts, each with a different soil type, so there’s a wide variety of flavor profiles from which to choose.
Lodi If you draw a line directly south from Sacramento, and another one directly east from San Francisco, Lodi is where they cross. It happens to be the original home of the Mondavi family, who settled here before moving up to the Napa area. Lodi specializes in zinfandel, with cabernet sauvignon running a close second. My favorite is Noble Vines 337 cabernet. It’s a tremendous steal at about $14 a bottle, much more complex and complete than you would expect for this price.
So, if you can bring yourself to take a chance on a California winegrowing district that may not be all that familiar, wonderful discoveries await. Cheers.
SINCE THESE AREAS AREN’T QUITE SO FAMOUS, THE WINES ARE MORE IN THE BALLPARK, PRICEWISE.