Ep. 978 Map 15 California | Jumbo Shrimp Maps

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This has been a journey of development since Stevie Kim discovered Rosie Baker's hand drawn maps on Instagram through two years of work by our in house editorial and graphics team, and now the maps are available to purchase in beta form while they undergo the final briefing and editing by our expert advisory board. It's a three layered project because we know everyone learns differently. We now offer the complete box set of thirty nine maps, this series of podcasts with the maps narrated by our crack team of wine educators. And finally, the study guide book, which will be published later this year. Our map project is in no way a substitute for the material set out by other educational organizations, but we hope all the wine students out there will find our map project a new exciting and useful tool for learning. For more information and to buy the maps, please visit our website at mama jumbo shrimp dot com. Welcome to the jumbo shrimp wine study maps podcast. In this episode, we will be looking at the California map. California is America's largest producing and most important wine region. To put this in perspective, because about eighty five percent of all the wine in the US is produced in California, it would be the fifth largest wine producing country on its own. It is a very big and very geologically diverse state, bordered by mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean of the West. California contains both the highest mountain in the continental US and the lowest and hottest point on earth in death valley. They say that in Cali, you can surf the ocean in the morning and ski the mountains in the afternoon, but most of the state is blessed with a cool to hot Mediterranean climate, a abundant sunshine, low humidity, and mild winters. Perfect for growing a diverse range of wine grapes. The key difference among the coastal wine regions is which are affected by the cooling fog from the ocean. The inland areas heat quickly, especially in the summer. And the updraft pulls cold air from the coast, creating a fog layer that benefits Viticulture in areas that might otherwise be too hot for certain grapes. Keep in mind though that while there are well over one hundred grapes registered for wine production, ninety percent of all the wine made from California, comes in just seven grapes. Those highlighted at the bottom of our map are Cabernet sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlo, Peter noir, and Sarrah, for reds, and white grapes, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc. Let's look at the main wide regions of the state from north to south. There are larger AVAs that divide most of the state, north coast, central coast, San Francisco Bay, and south coast. We will discuss the most important of these, but first, just a little history. Spanish settlers were the first to bring European vines with them as they built their missions up the coast from Mexico, but it was the eighteen forty nine California gold rush and wave of new residents into the state that was recently an annex to the country that drove the demand for wine. Feloxera forced the grafting and replanting of all the vineyards in the late eighteen hundreds, then the laws of Prohibition in nineteen twenty seemingly dealt another blow to the industry. But a few important loopholes allowed the wine industry in California to serve up. Churches were still allowed to make sacramental wine, and each American household was allowed to make two hundred gallons of wine a year for home consumption. So they would order bricks of dehydrated grapes, which would arrive with directions on the label to place in water and then how to prevent fermentation into wine. Wink, wink, generic, often sweet or fortified taylor wines are what Americans became used to drinking, often labeled as shipley or port. Because during the years of prohibition, the US government saw no need to sign the international agreement protecting other countries' place names of wine origin. And some of these wines are still allowed by grandfather laws today. But let's fast forward to nineteen sixties, and Robert Wandaube opens his new namesake winery in the heart of Napa Valley, starting a new era of growth and investment. Then in nineteen seventy six, to Napa wineries win the Paris blind tasting against their Burgundy and Bordeaux counterparts, putting Napa Valley on the international map, bringing prestige and investment. In nineteen seventy five, there were three hundred and thirty wineries in California. Today, there are more than thirty six hundred. But what makes this little valley so special? Well, it is overall a warm Mediterranean climate with little worry of frost or hail. Winter rains and mountain snow usually provide ample water as irrigation has been common since nineteen eighties. Two mountain ranges frame the valley, and the shallow nap river bisectant creating myriad vineyard microclimates, and three main vineyard areas. The valley floor, where the soil is most fertile, but the diurnal temperature variation is greatest, The mountain hillsides on both the east and west facing slopes that often rise above the fog layer, allowing for more sun exposure, but less diurnal swing, and the benchland areas. These are raised alluvial deposits from the hillsides and have slightly more elevation and aspect than the valley floor, and much better draining soils. The hillside of mountain vineyards are generally cooler and produce darker wines with more pronounced acidity from smaller, thicker berries. The valley fruit tends to have less intensity, but it is prized for lush fruit and more simple tans. Cavri sauvignon is king here, but that wasn't always the case. Much of the valley was block planted or even fuel blended to dozens of different grapes. But by the nineteen eighties, Phylloxera had recurred in California, and the vineyards had to be regrafted again to more resistant root stock. This gave most growers a chance to pick the most viable and most profitable grapes. By nineteen seventy eight, a Napa Valley Cabernet had become the first wine released in America at a hundred dollars a bottle, so Cabernet was. Nineteen eighty one was the year that Napa Valley became an official AVA, and the nested areas within it soon followed. Starting in the north end, where the valley, it's only about one mile across, calistoga, and Santa Elena are the warmest AVA's. Often exceeding one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, forty celsius in the summer. Heat leaven grapes like cabb, syrah, and Old vines in Mandel thrive here. Just to the east is the Howell Mountain AVA, the first to have its own destination with Annapa. Here, the vineyards must be above fourteen hundred feet from sea level, and this wettest and coolants of the natural regions is known for firm cabernetes and lush chardonnay from its long afternoon sun exposure. The other mountain appletions of Diamond Mountain District, spring mountain, Atlas Peak and Mount Beater have similar styles of wines. And in many areas, slopes that are beyond the thirty degree limit for planting vineyards. Much of this land is forested, so these were the region's most threatened and damaged by the recent wildfires. Coming south down the valley from Centelina are the towns and AVAs of Rutherford, Oakville, and then Yonfell, all quite famous for rich and lush cabinet production. Why making here shares a common thread? Nearly all cavity based wines are aged in all or some new French oak barrels, usually for one to two years before bottling. But vineyard sites closer to the Napa River, with damper more fertile silty soils, are prime areas from Merlo and Salvignon Blanc. The latter becoming the barrel aged Fume blanc, which was a marketing trend started in the nineteen nineties by Robert Mondati. As we approach the south end of Napa Valley and the cold San Pablo Bay, morning fog is much more common, and the temperature's cooler still. As much as ten to twelve degrees Celsius from calistoga. The Los Coneros AVA is therefore ideal for cool climate grapes like chardonnay and pinot noir, especially for the high acidity required for quality sparkling wine production. In fact, the French champagne houses of Teddle j and Moette and Chandon both have vineyards and wineries in the area. This Losos Appalachian is shared with Snowa County, the other important region in the North Coast. While Napa is defined by its valley geography, Sonoma is a larger collection of small valleys, rolling hills, and a much more varied climate. The San Andreas fault line runs north or south through the county. And this area being part of what is known as a tectonic plate subduction zone means there are many different soil types, in fact, more than in all of France, for the important AVA's of Sonoma. On the west side of the Mayakimos mountain range, shared with Napa Valley to the east, the Alexander and Knight's valleys in the northeast corner of Sonoma, have some of the hottest and driest vineyard sites. Like Napa, Cabernet is the most important grape here, and the styles can be quite similar. If, usually, a little bit more affordable, as vineyards are less expensive and the use of yearly new oak barrels is not quite as common. Thank you for listening to Italian wine podcast. We know there are many of you listening out there, so we just want to interrupt for a small ask. Italian wine podcast is in the running for an award. The best podcast listening platform through the podcast awards, the people's choice. Lister nominations is from July first to the thirty first, and we would really appreciate your vote. We are hoping our listeners will come through for us. So if you have a second and could do this small thing for us, just head to Italian wine podcast dot com from July first to the thirty first and click the link. We thank you and back to the show. Just to the west is dry Creek Valley, which is equally famous not only for rhone varietals, but a large collection of own rooted, very old vines in Fandel. Many vines exceed one hundred years. Go south of dry Creek, into the heart of Sonoma, and you get to the Russian River Valley AVA. The Pacific Ocean fog is what makes Viticulture here so unique because it is otherwise a fairly warm area. But Peter noir and Chardony vineyards are protected from morning sun as the fog literally blankets the valley coming through gaps in the small coastal mountain range. Even so, the wines here are renowned for ripe lush fruit flavors with alcohol levels for chardonnay and Pironoir easily exceeding fourteen percent alcohol. Full mel at the conversion, and the use of French oak barrels for VINification and aging is most common. But the morning and evening coolness of the region still allows for balance in the final wine. Well, balance is a subjective term, as these wines came to represent the more hedonistic side of California wine made by winemakers simply working with the right materials available to them, but adding winemaking techniques and technology to create more full bodied wines. But some winemakers are adventuring even further west, looking for vineyard sites that would reign in all of this ripeness and opulence. The Sonoma Coast AVA, which encompasses maybe too much over the western half of the county, is the closest to the sheltering coastal hills of the Pacific Ocean. Here, chardonnay retained its lean freshness, especially for winemakers not looking to use too heavy a hand with the Malo conversion or oak treatment. Even closer to the sea is what is unofficially known as the true Sonoma coast. And the closer to the ocean, the more the coal marine influence holds sway with cold winds and fog. He had redness for many grapes here, especially the prized Zinfandelz and Saras of the area, is planting above the fog layer. In some vineyards at one thousand to two thousand feet above the sea level, to ensure maximum sun exposure while letting the coastal winds stress the vines into small thick berries with increased phenolics. North of Sonoma County is Mendicino County. A more remote, but quite large appalachian that is more old growth redwood forest than vineyards. There are excellent examples of Zinfandel and Cabernet sauvignon here, but the most exciting region is the sub AVA called Anderson Valley. Home of some of California's best sparkling wine production. This is a very cool area with direct influence up the river valley from the coal Pacific. Swinging temperatures between day and night as much as forty to fifty degrees Fahrenheit, This is a climate where a short name, Peter noir, make perfectly racy classic sparkling wine. The rotor estate has made their California home here. The cool climate also means white grapes like riesling and giversure meter thrive absorbing plenty of ripening sunshine while cooling at night to retain acidity. Only Anderson Valley's remoteness keeps it from being a more popular destination as it's nearly three hours by car from San Francisco. The North Coast AVA that encompasses all of Napa, Sonoma, Mendicino, and two additional counties is like the other super AVAs in California, a way for the largest of wine companies to bottle their fruit from different vineyards into a more prestigious appalachian than the generic California label. Let's touch briefly on the central valley. Which is not a super AvA, but simply a super sized region that accounts for the majority of California bulk wine production. It is a flat, hot, valley floor running much in the length of California planted literally to the edge of the horizon. Where giants like E and J Galla wine company dominate. Harvest yields are generally at least three times the amount in Napa and Sonoma, and more wine is made here than all of Portugal. But there is one notable AVA of the area, low dye. This AVA produces over twenty percent of California wine, but there are some wineries working with old vines and vanilla vineyards. Remember, there is no official definition of, quote, old vine, but generally producers will not use the term for vines less than thirty five years old. In Lodi, a hot dry region that benefits from cooling air pulled in from the cold San Francisco Bay, day to night temperatures can swing forty five degrees Fahrenheit. This allows those infinile grapes to slow their ripening, develop fresh acidity while still creating wines of full jammy fruit. Those often top sixteen percent alcohol. More ambitious wines, see aging an American as well as French Oak, adding a different set of aromas and flavors, and this is the style of Zen that makes many call it California's own grape. Moving south and the city of San Francisco, we come first to the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, one of the first areas to be planted to vineyards in the mid eighteen hundreds. These Ridgetop vineyards with their backs to the Pacific produce fruit of great balance. And the Montebella vineyard might be considered the grandest crew of Bordeaux Glen wines in the state. This begins the AVA of the central coast, where the vineyards stretch from Monterey to nearly Los Angeles. The Monterey Bay is one of the biggest influences on Viticulture for Monterey, Sanelucia Highlands and the surrounding AVAs. Here, the ocean is nearly two miles deep, quite close to shore. So every day the cold air gets pulled inland through a gap in the coastal mountain range and brings fog up the valleys of vines. In a region that is otherwise very warm and dry, Sharkney and Peter noir are the stars of these fog covered vineyards. For the little valleys and higher hillsides that stay above the fog, full rich cabernet, Sarah, and Merlot thrive. The San Andreas's fault line runs through these valleys, and the varied soil types can support myriad white and red grapes. Now the heat gets turned up a little more as we go south to the Paso Robles AVA, and large one appalachian. Many consider it from the two sides of the famous Highway one zero one when discussing the wines and soils. East of the highway, far removed from the cooling effects of the ocean, soils are more fertile. Temperatures are consistently warmer and larger wineries tend towards volume production of cabernets, chardonnays, and Zinfandeles. But to the west, the Pacific influence creates bigger diurnal shift, limestone, and calcareous soils inhibit vigor, and grapes can ripen more slowly. Old vines in Mandela's famous here, as are vineyards of forty year old Sarrah and Cabernet sauvignon. Recent soil analyses have shown much of Western Pesserobles to have a composition most akin to the left bank of Bordeaux. But in this extremely dry region, providing enough water for the vines is the biggest challenge for winemakers. You would think going south from here would mean even hotter and drier wine regions, but the coast and the winemaking take a decided turn at Santa Maria Valley located just north of the seaside town of Santa Barbara, the coastal hills turn east to west. Helping funnel, ocean breezes, and cool daily fog inland. This creates an ideal climate for chardonnay and Piner noir and has become one of the best regarded regions in California for both. It didn't hurt that the wine movie sideways was centered around the wineries and their Piner noirs in the area. But for pinot and chardonnay, we see lower alcohols, racy or acidity, and leaner juicier fruit than most of the examples from Russian River or Monterey. Use of new oak barrels is less common here, and it's less expensive and many producers will make multiple chardonnays with different levels of malachi conversion and steel versus oak gauging. There are vineyards throughout the South Coast AVA, which covers roughly from Los Angeles to San Diego and the Mexican border. But Rising heat, disease pressure, and urban sprawl have limited the commercial viability for most of the region. Thank you for touring the Ymap of California, and join us again for your next jumbo shrimp wine study podcast. Thanks for listening to this episode of Italian wine podcast brought to you by Italian wine Academy, offering WSET levels one, two, and three in English. Visit our website at italian wine academy dot org for more information and sign up today to start your personal adventure in global wine education right here in the heart of verona. Remember to subscribe and like Italian wine podcast and catch us on Sound Cloud, spotify and wherever you get your pods. You can also find our entire back catalog of episodes at Italian wine podcast dot com. Changing. Hi, guys. I'm Joy Livingston, and I am the producer of the Italian wine podcast. 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