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25 Facts to Know About These Popular Wine Varietals

3 wine glasses

How much do you really know about wine? Test your wine knowledge with these 25 facts about 5 of the most popular wine varietals: Cabernet, Pinot, Zin, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Plus, learn a little more about the hard to pronounce but delicious nonetheless Viognier varietal.

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An Ode to Barbera

3 wine bottles close-up

“Our Barbera is our best-selling red,” says Prima Materia Founder/Winemaker Pietro Buttitta. “The bright acidity means it works with many foods, while the low tannin makes it enjoyable on the deck or with simple bites. And Barbera is naturally very fruit-forward, meaning a smile on all faces.”

Our members recently enjoyed Pietro’s 2018 Kelsey Bench, Lake County Barbera. When we asked him about crafting this pasta-loving red, he shared his love letter to this varietal.

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Introduction to Wine AVAs

Napa Valley Welcome Sign
Napa Valley is a popular destination for wine lovers.

American Viticultural Areas are delimited, geographical grape-growing areas with appellation status given by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The purpose of an AVA is to show off the diversity and quality of the wine region, with each AVA having a distinct “persona” that is unique from other AVAs. The differences between AVAs are mainly categorized by climate, geology, and elevation. There are currently 139 AVAs in California.

Did you know the first AVA in the United States was established in 1980? Surprisingly, it wasn’t in California. The honor went to Augusta, Missouri on June 20, 1980. How big does an AVA need to be? For AVAs, size doesn’t matter. The smallest AVA in California is Cole Ranch in Mendocino County. At less than a quarter of a square mile, there is no winery here, just 60 acres of vineyards.

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A Love Affair with Chardonnay … It can be Complicated

Chardonnay vineyard

Chardonnay is “Miss Popularity”

Do you love Chardonnay?  There is a good chance that you do.  Chardonnay is the most popular wine in the U.S. and the most widely planted white varietal in the world.  This French native hails from the Burgundy region. A ‘white Burgundy’ is typically made with Chardonnay grapes, and Chablis is a lovely white made with Chardonnay grown in the village of Chablis.

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All About Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Spring Mountain Vineyard
Spring Mountain Vineyard

What is it about the Napa Valley that makes it such a powerhouse for Cabernet Sauvignon? First, this 30-mile-long valley can boast a rich geological history, replete with oceans, glaciers and wide rivers.

Its huge variety of soils stems from what was left behind as the oceans, glaciers and rivers receded. Sand, pebbles, rocks … and did we mention the volcanos? For 150 million years, volcanic eruptions and the jarring techtonic plates of the earth rocked and rolled the soils, mixing and mashing, creating volcanic rock and gravel and all kinds of variations.

Add to this Napa’s many mountains: Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, the Mayacamas Mountains, the Vaca Mountains … It’s safe to say that there is no other appellation with such a complicated geologic past.

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Iconic California Vineyards to Know

Just as California boasts iconic winemakers, like André Tchelistcheff, Paul Hobbs, Helen Turley, and Phillipe Melka, it is also home to iconic vineyards.

What makes a great vineyard? Terroir and farming decisions. Terroir refers to the environmental factors that influence a wine’s character, including the soil, wind, rainfall, temperature, and sunshine. Vine selection, planting, pruning, and every decision made up to when to pick also affect the quality of the grapes. Learn why these famous California vineyards are home to some of the most sought-after fruit in the state.

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Lomond Vineyards Estate Potjie Competition – Best Food to Pair with Their Wine

pots of food cooking over fire on the beach.
A potjiekos (literally “small-pot food”) is a dish prepared outdoors.

Our International Series club level recently featured delicious wines from beautiful Lomond Vineyards Estate, which rests on the Agulhas Plain near the southernmost tip of Africa in one of the most heralded and passionate winegrowing regions, Cape Agulhas (“The Cape of Needles”).

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All About American Viticultural Areas – The California Wine Club Blog

Napa Valley Rockpile Sub? AVAAVA
Beekeeper Cellars Vineyard in the Rockpile AVA, Sonoma

All About AVAs

American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are delimited, geographical grape-growing areas that have officially been given appellation status by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Their purpose is to show off the diversity and quality of the wine region, with each AVA having a distinct “persona” that divides it from the other AVAs. The distinct “persona” is mainly categorized by climate, geology, and elevation. Size doesn’t matter: At less than a quarter of a square mile, Cole Ranch in Mendocino County is the smallest AVA in California. There is no winery here, just 60 acres of vineyards.

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Discover A Blooming Hill Vineyard and Winery

Jim Witte, Founder of A Blooming Hill Winery
Jim Witte, Founder of A Blooming Hill Winery

After a successful career running a television production company in New York (working with Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and Central Park Concerts, including Barbra Streisand), and serving as the business manager for KISS!, Jim Witte moved to Willamette Valley in 2000 and started planting his vineyard. It was the fulfillment of a long-held dream.

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Get To Know Walla Walla’s Wine Scene

InquisiTours designs deluxe, escorted group tours and custom tours of the Pacific Northwest.
InquisiTours designs deluxe, escorted group tours and custom tours of the Pacific Northwest.

“If we were in France, we would be halfway between Burgundy and Bordeaux. We’re not. We are in a small town four hours from Boise, Idaho; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.” – Guy Glaeser, Co-Founder of InquisiTours

Walla Walla is a wine town, producing some of the nation’s, the world’s, finest vintages. It is known for its big bold reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

Before Walla Walla became a wine town, it played an important role in American history, playing host to the Lewis and Clark expedition, many of the Pioneers on the Oregon Trail, and can justifiably lay claim to being the birthplace of Western hospitality.

Before it was a wine town it was a farm town. The jolly green giant lives on a hillside outside of town and we all know about the Walla Walla sweet onions.

Before it was a wine town it was a college town. Its three highly regarded institutions have given us everything from Superheroes to the longest-serving Supreme Court Justice.

Before it was a wine town it was an Art town. Since the 1980s many of the world premiere artists have made their way to the Walla Walla Foundry to create world-class sculpture.

And before all of this, it was an amazing piece of landscape. For generations, the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Nations lived in the shadow of the Blue Mountains, enjoying the abundance of the land of “many waters.”

Blue Mountain Vineyard

All of these traits make Walla Walla a lovely place to visit and learn about. When planning a trip, I always try to include all these assets to make our time in Walla Walla about more than just wine.

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