Have you ever been to California? If so: do you still remember the scent, the smell, as you stepped off the plane or the ship? What was the weather like? Who were the first people you met? You are like thousands who travel to California as holidaymakers — or who very deliberately emigrate to the “land of dreams”. So many great stories began in California, and so often it was immigrants who wrote them. Viticulture, too, was founded at the start of the 19th century by “immigrants” — Franciscan monks. Many of the Californian growers prized worldwide today are likewise immigrants.

On 130,000 hectares grow 90% of the entire US wine harvest. The white-to-red ratio is balanced at roughly 50:50. Napa Valley remains certainly the most important of the 50 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), and the best wines come from the cool Bay Area: the relevant origins are called Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and Russian River, as well as the more southern Santa Barbara and Santa Rita Hills. Paso Robles (limestone — rare in California!) is an origin to keep an eye on, especially when it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon.
A genuine boom came in the 1970s. Renowned wine merchants and journalists recognised the enormous potential of the still relatively unknown growing area and organised comparative tastings against the best Burgundies and Bordeaux. These blind tastings surprisingly often went the way of the Californians — and the wines became famous overnight. In parallel, the most relevant lawyer in the world when it comes to wine appreciation started his business: Robert Parker Jr.