A Present Of California White Wine
A gift of wine is often a lovely gift for any occasion and suitable for just about any person. While French wine is considered supreme, numerous might be out of reach for the average gift budget. California wines are a great option, both in price and top quality.
European countries like France have been famous for fine wines for many hundreds of years so many men and women overlook the newer wine producers of California. Just mainly because their wineries are much less than a century old does not mean that they do not have some wonderful wines. In actual fact, California is now ranked fourth in the world for wine production with only France, Italy and Spain producing more.
California is actually one of the perfect grape growing regions of the world and close to a hundred distinctive grape varietals grow well there. This state diverse micro-climates and varying soil conditions contribute to the great variety of grapes which will be grown. Close proximity to the Pacific Ocean too as the several bodies of fresh water found in California also plays an important factor in the high quality of the grapes that grow there.
California wine producing regions are separated into five key regions, having a number of smaller sub-regions (called appellations) within the five main areas. North Coast, Central Coast, Southern California, Central Valley and the Sierra Foothills are all excellent regions for wine grape growing and wine production. In order for a distinct appellation to be listed on the wine’s label, at least 75% of the grapes used in production need to have originated in that sub-region.
While California produces lots of varieties of wine, it’s reputation has been earned with the high quality white wines that it creates. There are quite a few fine red wines that originate in California but it they are genuinely overshadowed by the exceptionally fine white wines like Chardonnay and Avignon Blanc.
Chardonnay has remained one of the most well-liked white wine inside the United States for close to fifty years. Chardonnay grapes are very hardy and are resistant to most horticultural diseases. This makes them extremely easy to grow and consequently they are widely available for wine making. This ease of growing in massive quantities maintain the prices of the wines quite reasonable so are suited to all budgets.
Chardonnay is often a white wine which is appealing to several palates on account of it’s full-bodied fruitiness. It is a very versatile wine and is usually used for blending to create many distinct vintages. Chardonnay is also a dry wine which is heavily influenced by the materials employed within the barrels throughout the aging method. Oak is well-known for aging Chardonnays as it lends a nutty, buttery note to the resulting wine.
Sauvignon Blanc grapes are growing on just about 14,000 acres of land in California’s wine country. Since it is not as generally identified to wine drinkers, you might discover pretty economical vintages of Sauvignon Blanc that make it quite inexpensive to give as a gift. It makes a superb hostess gift choice as a result of it is ease of pairing with many food combinations.
This white wine tends to be intensely flavorful having a tang usually noted. Although you’ll be able to locate Sauvignon Blanc with classic flavor notes including melon and passion fruit, it takes exceptionally well to herbal notes like lemongrass and gooseberry. This wide range of flavors gives it mass appeal as well as lending itself well to blending.
Either of these lovely white wines will make a sophisticated gift alternative whilst living within your budget.
The InterWine.co.uk site gives information on uk wine and everything you would want to know about a butlers friend.