EXPERT
Series Four
THE OTHER CALIFORNIA
The Backbone of California Wine
Sure Napa and Sonoma are the most well-known faces of California wine, but beyond appearances, the California wine community owes much of its beginnings and modern day successes to The Other California. Are you ready to geek out with some fun facts that demonstrate just how significant The Other California has been and continues to be? Check it out!
• California produces 90% of all American wine, but only 13% of California wine comes from Napa.
• More than 500,000 acres of vineyards are planted in California. Combined, Napa and Sonoma account for only 1/5 of the vineyard acreage planted in California.
• The South Coast is home to the first California plantings of wine grapes in 1769 by a Franciscan missionary.
• Today, Chardonnay is the most popular wine from California by volume. The first California planting of Chardonnay was in the Livermore Valley.
• With more than 17,000 acres planted, Monterey County grows the most Chardonnay in California.
• The majority of Merlot and Pinot Grigio vines in California are planted in Lodi.
• Zinfandel was originally planted during the California Gold Rush more than a century ago in the Sierra Foothills, where it continues to thrive to this day.
• The majority of Syrah vines in California are planted in San Luis Obispo County, located in California’s Central Coast.
• 40% of California’s Zinfandel comes from Lodi, the highest producing Zinfandel region in the state.
• Next to Napa, San Joaquin County (Lodi) and San Luis Obispo County have the most plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon in the state.
• The Livermore Valley was the first place to bottle varietal-la- beled Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah.