California has no shortage of sunkissed vineyards and praiseworthy wine. Images of Napa and Sonoma instinctively come to mind, yet the Golden State is actually a treasure chest of esteemed vineyards rooted in less obvious areas. Among these underdog, regions are the Sierra Foothills, Lodi and Contra Costa. Unique in their own right, whatthey shares is a repertoire of old-vine, own-rooted vineyards that unveil a movement towards wine that’s picked at lower Brix (sugar levels/potential alcohol) with gentler handling to achieve supple texture, fruit purity, and crunchier acidity. With the appealing pricequality ratio of these regions, both new and veteran winemakers have access to some of the state’s most distinguished sites.
Sierra Foothills
After James W Marshall struck gold in 1848, it was the arrival of European immigrants that brought viticulture to what later became the expansive Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area). One of five sub-AVAs, El Dorado represents high-elevation plantings up to 975m with more than 70 varieties sprawled across a multitude of microclimates. James Skinner was among the first to acknowledge El Dorado’s potential in 1861 and his vineyard remains a staple for Rhône varieties. Farming its land since 1972, the Boeger family also helped boost the area’s reputation with Barbera as its flagship variety. And Barsotti Vineyard’s Beaujolais-esque pink granite has made it a mainstay for Gamay and other varieties in labels such as Donkey & Goat, Arnot-Roberts and Jolie-Laide.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2019 من Decanter.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2019 من Decanter.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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A Resource for the World? - Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation's borders
Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation’s borders
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These days most of the world’s vineyards are planted to just a single variety, but what happens when multiple varieties are planted, harvested and blended together?
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If ever a grape was hard to pin down, it'd be Malvasia. Indeed it’s not even a single grape variety. In all of its many varied, and often completely unrelated guises, it has been the mainstay of popular wine styles across the centuries. Our expert takes a closer look...
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Leo Erazo
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