2013 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon – Shafer Vineyards

Have you ever been to California? If so, do you remember the scent, the smell, when you left the airport or ship? What was the weather like? Who were the first people you encountered? Just like you, thousands of people have experienced this, whether they are tourists visiting California or immigrants who intentionally move to the “Land of Dreams.” So many great stories have started in California, and often it was immigrants who wrote those stories. Even viticulture was established in the early 19th century by “immigrants,” specifically by Franciscan monks. Many of today’s world-renowned Californian winemakers are immigrants.

On 130,000 hectares, 90% of the entire U.S. wine harvest is grown. The ratio of white to red wines is approximately 50:50. Napa Valley remains the most significant of the 50 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), and the best wines come from the cool Bay Area: the relevant regions are Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Russian River, as well as the southern Santa Barbara and Santa Rita Hills. The Paso Robles region (with its limestone, rare in California!) should particularly be watched for Cabernet Sauvignon.

The real boom came in the 1970s. Renowned wine merchants and journalists recognized the immense potential of the relatively unknown wine-growing area and organized comparative tastings with the finest Burgundies and Bordeaux wines. These blind tastings often went in favor of the Californians — and just like that, the wines became famous. At the same time, the world’s most influential wine-loving lawyer started his business: Robert Parker Jr.