When a wine drinker thinks of Sonoma County, they likely focus on Pinot Noir. The top grapes by acreage are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, making up two-thirds of all the grapes grown in the county. There are smaller amounts of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Syrah. The last ten percent is made up by over 50 other grape varieties. There's a move to diversify for several reasons.
No, not that White Claw stuff. Yuck. Cannabis-infused seltzer is on the market, but not in the market.
Last week was a look at the history of Petite Sirah in California, and specifically Sonoma County. Some of you don't know much, if anything, about PS so let's give enough info to make you want to go out and try one.
We've been through the history of Cab, Pinot, and Zinfandel in Sonoma County over the last few posts. Now we are onto a rare one, an oddball, an out-of-favor grape, or what ever you might want to call it. Just don't call it Syrah because they are not the same, though they are related.
Petite Sirah is a fun one, mostly because it's not trendy. You won't find people getting all snooty about PS like they do with Cabernet or the very trendy Pinot Noir. It's a grape used for blending until fairly recent times.
Let's dive into the history of the very purple Petite Sirah in Sonoma County, in California, and in other parts of the world.
Zinfandel has a unique history in America. People have written books about the grape so this is strictly a few of the highlights of Zinfandel's history worldwide and in Sonoma County.
You'll hear Zinfandel called America's grape, America's heritage grape, America's own grape, or California's grape. These are all partially correct, as the history of Zin was a mystery before DNA testing a few years ago.
Pinot Noir has a short history in Sonoma County, and the rest of the country for that matter, as it was only a minor player in American wine for a long time. Even in its native France, Burgundy was overshadowed by Bordeaux until into the last half of the 20th century.
Cabernet Sauvignon is important to California, and certainly to Sonoma's next door neighbor, Napa Valley. Napa is home to some of the most famous and most sought-after Cabernets in the world. There are 95,000 acres of Cab Sauv planted in the state. By county, the largest amounts are in Napa, San Luis Obispo (home to the Paso Robles appellation), then Sonoma County.
Ex race car driver Danica Patrick has one of those celebrity wine labels. She's opened a tasting room and wants to tell you about the interior decor, never mind the wine. I don't believe the Press Democrat's paywall will be an issue
Danica Patrick's Calistoga Tasting Room
We're #1, but not in a good way. A list of the drunkest cities in each state from 24/7 Tempo.
