Getting Value in a Wine Purchase

Different grape growing areas of California have different wine prices. Location, location, location.

Napa Valley is the most expensive wine region in the country. Why? Supply and demand. That doesn't mean wines from other parts of the state are of lesser quality. Following are some premium California wine regions with lower priced wines.

Some famous Napa labels. Damn pricey, even with 20% off

Napa is all about Cabernet Sauvignon, but the other wine varietals from there seem to carry the high price tag of Napa. The next level down from Napa's prices is found in Sonoma County, Santa Barbara, and Paso Robles.

Sonoma County is diverse in grapes grown though Pinot Noir is the most well-known and coincidentally, the most expensive wine from here. Better bargains are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel.

Santa Barbara is known mostly for Pinot Noir, but also Chardonnay and Syrah, Paso Robles for Cabernet and Zinfandel, but also Syrah and other Rhone varietals.  

The next step down in wine prices would be Mendocino County's Anderson Valley, known for Pinot Noir and Riesling. This area is a hidden gem for cool climate wine grapes.

Then the Sierra Foothills, with Amador County as the biggest growing region here. They got their start with Zinfandel, but have spread into the Italian varietals of Vermentino, Barbera, Sangiovese, and Rhone varietals, such as Viognier and Grenache.

In the less expensive premium class are wines from a couple of very warm growing areas, Lodi in the San Joaquin Valley and Lake County, just north of Napa. 

The signature grape of Lodi is Zinfandel. There's a lot of lesser known varieties such as Petite Sirah and Carignane, with a lot of it coming from old vines. 

Lake County is growing rapidly because of the lower cost of land so the grapes are much cheaper than in the nearby counties of Napa and Sonoma. Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most popular wines from Lake. A number or Napa wineries are buying grapes from here to save money.

Will wines from other growing regions taste just like Napa Valley wines, assuming that's what you are looking for? No. Will they be just as good, maybe better? That's up to you to decide.