Interesting Facts About Calfornia Chardonnay

A little bit about Chardonnay from California, the love it or hate it wine. It even has its own "club," the ABC or Anything But Chardonnay. 

What Wine Has Kept the American Wine Business Humming Along

It's the story of California Chardonnay. You've heard the bad news about the current problems in the wine industry. The younger consumers aren't drinking as much wine and there are the tariffs. The fact is, the American wine industry came from an afterthought to prominence a half-century ago and has been growing most of that time.

In 1975 there were over 300 wineries in California. Ten years later it had doubled. Currently, there are almost 5,000. That sounds like success. 

One grape has been Mr/Ms. Steady for all that time. Chardonnay.

Wines With Grilled Meat

Memorial Day weekend is upon us. It's the gateway to summer grilling. Let's take a look at some wine suggestions for grilled food. As always, the best wines are the ones you like, whether they're listed here or not.

Don't forget to take a moment or two on Monday to remember the soldiers and sailors that didn't get to come home.

Get Ready for Summer in Sonoma

Sonoma County in the summer means an almost endless list of things you can do. Some of them are: sit outside at a winery while sipping, swim, float, surf, or kayak on the cool water, hike a trail, go to the fair, and listen to music.

For other ideas, check out previous blog posts on Major Events for Summer and Alternatives to Wine.

Wine Basics

This is a short tutorial on what to look for in a wine. This can help you find out why you like or dislike certain wines.

Favorite Wines By State

A 2022 survey by Wise Voter lists the top five wines for every state. Not sure why Wise Voter cares about wine, but here we go.

Some highlights on the #1 choices:

• Arkansas is the only state with White Zinfandel as the most popular wine. Only four other states have White Zin in their top five. I think rosé has largely displaced White Zin.
  
  
• Several hot weather states have rosé on top, along with Minnesota. Rosé shows up in the top five in 31 states.
  
  
• What do the largest wine-producing states drink? CA Sauvignon Blanc, OR Cabernet Sauvignon, WA Sauvignon Blanc. It's interesting that Oregon, a state where two-thirds of the grapes planted are Pinot Noir and just 4% Cabernet, prefers Cab.
  
  
• Ten states are trendy, you might say, with Pinot Noir at #1. Some of these trendy states are Kansas, Mississippi, and Montana, states that aren't necessarily considered trendy.
  
  
• Sauvignon Blanc is the overall winner, with 16 states having it as their #1 pick. Pinot Noir and Cabernet are tied for 2nd with 10 states. There's a lot of inexpensive imported Sauv Blanc, mostly from New Zealand. I expect that's why it's #1.

The full list - you have to scroll down aways to find the list.

Oldies, but Goodies

In Sonoma County, wine goes back to a Russian settlement on the coast in the early 1800s. A few years later the northernmost California mission came to the town of Sonoma with the mission grapes coming along. The first commercial winery started in the mid 1800s.

The Good Old Days of Wineries' Worries

Wineries and the grape growers are worried. Yes, many small businesses have things to worry about. Grape growers are farmers so are always worried and the weather, government policies, and almost everything else.

May is Sex in the Vineyard Month!

Grapes self-pollinate. In biological terms, they are a hermaphrodite and contain both male (stamens) and female (pistils) reproductive organs. Grape vines don't need bees, wind or other grape vines to pollinate. Yes, self-pollination, that could be something Catholics would frown on. 

May is the month this happens in the Northern Hemisphere.

You mean this isn't what you're looking for when you clicked on the title?

Actually, a few varieties of grape vines do have male and female vines. The main one is Vitis rotundifolia, or muscadine, that grows in the southern U.S.

Commercial vineyards may still need bees for pollinating their cover crops. 

Self-pollination does allow reliable and timely pollination, and it helps maintain the best traits. It does not promote diversity or help in adapting to a changing climate.

Hey, it's not polite to peek while they pollinate