Believe it or not, every one of the 50 states of America produces wine – including Alaska. However, California is responsible for almost 90 per cent of production. The US is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world after France, Italy and Spain.
In this country, we mainly see the big, branded wines such as Barefoot, Blossom Hill, Gallo, Apothic and Dark Horse. However, the US, and California in particular, do produce excellent high-quality wines too, some of which are available in Ireland.
The best-known region is Napa Valley, which lies an hour or so north of San Francisco. It has a great reputation for cabernet sauvignon. Some of these are very good indeed, and the Californians delight in holding blind tastings against the top wines of Bordeaux – competitions that they frequently win. Not too far away, the coastal areas are cooler and produce some great chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah.
Most of the cheap wine comes from the Central Valley, a 400-mile-long valley with a hot, dry climate that runs parallel to the Pacific. Grapes are grown alongside all kinds of fruit, vegetables and nuts. California has a population of almost 40 million people so there is a good home market for high-end wines. As a result, they are rarely cheap over here and often difficult to find.
The other important states are also on the West Coast – Washington, best known for riesling, chardonnay and merlot, and Oregon, which produces excellent pinot noir and chardonnay. The third-largest state for wine is on the other side of the continent – New York.
[ Four Californian wines to try – including one the critics love to hateOpens in new window ]
Producers in Europe and the US are concerned about the current tariff war between their regions, as there is a healthy trade between the two. I’m not sure it will help much, but, although US president Donald Trump does not drink alcohol, he owns a large winery in Charlottesville, Virginia.
