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CaliforniaViticultural

RegionsTwo-fold range ofdegree-day heatsummation duringthe growing seasonacross the state.Major differencesin grape varietiesand wine qualityamong five regions

California grape-growingRegions based on GDD-50F(Amerine and Winkler, 1944)

Winegrape Ripening Sequence, CA

Los Carneros: South Napa/SonomaSt. Helena:

Upper NapaValley:

Decreasedvine sizeon slope

Aspect Influences Heat(South & West exposure in N’ Hemisphere)

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Climate Region x CultivarCombinations (From: Reynolds, 1996)

TempranilloMourvedreNebbioloBarberaSangioveseSyrahPalominoPedro XimenezTouriga Nacional

Jackson & Lombard (1993)Alpha/Beta Viticultural Regions

Cool Warm

“Warm Climate” Grapes & Wines

• High heat unit (GDD) regions (3500-4500)

• Long growing seasons (180-220 days)

• Mid-winter low temps usually not extreme

• Soils in these climate regions usually lackorganic matter, droughty, low fertility

• Vines often head trained, spur pruned,widely spaced, “sprawling”

• Yields per ha relatively low w/out irrigation

• Grapes often ripen high sugar, but low acid

Cabernet Sauvignon

• Does well in both cool and warm regions

• Flavor and aromatic qualities of wine differacross climate zones.

• Late ripening advantage in warm areas

• Black currant, cedar, tannic in warm regions

• Bell pepper aromas in cooler regions

Cabernet Sauvignon Roman Viticultural Regions

Purple areas are historical Roman viticultural regions,brownareas above 700 m a.s.l. (From Johnson & Robinson, 2001)

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Viticultural regions of Spain

• Jerez de laFrontera inthe S’west

• UpperDouro valleyin West

• Rioja andNavarra innortheast

• Rias Baixas

Climate and Wine Zones: Spain

• Most of vineyards in drier regions• Summers often too hot for grapevines,

actually delaying ripening• Little water available for irrigation

(From Johnson & Robinson, 2001)

Sierra Nevadas near GranadaSpanish Wines and Grapes

• Native grape varieties adapted to hot climates,low-fertility soils, very low (1/6) vine densities

• “Isolated” until 1970s, making wines withtraditional varieties and methods (tinajas)

• High latitude (Madrid ~ Ithaca), high elevationplateau (meseta), long hot, dry growing season

• Main varieties: Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional,Garnacha, Mourvedre, and a few white grapeslike Palomino, Airen (brandy) and Verdejo inGalicia (Rías Baixas)

Olives & Grapes:Marriage of Tree and Vine

Olives, Grapesand Cork Oaks

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TraditionalWinemaking

Tempranillo (Tinto fino, Tinto del pais,Aragonez) on albariza soil, Rioja Spain

Tempranillo• Notes of tobacco, leather,

cloves, spice• Intensely purple small

berries (tinto = ink)• Early budbreak and

ripening (hence its name)• Juice is low in TA, with

high malic fraction• Needs blending with

another grape likeGarnacha or CabernetSauvignon to producehigh-quality wines

Grenache Noir(Garnacha, Cannonao, Alicante)

• Workhorse variety—blendedwith Tempranillo in classicwines of Rioja & Navarra

• Does best in older vines, hot,dry, windy regions; qualitydeclines with irrigation

• In fortified wines or rosés,low color & tannins on itsown. Simple, fruity wines.

• Common in CaliforniaLanguedoc blends, also usedin Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Navarra Garnacha Vineyard Weathered red clay soils: Estremadura

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New Vineyard in Navarra Upper Rio Ebro (left) and Rioja Vineyards: Spain

Head Trained Spur Pruned Vine Head Trained Cane PrunedCabernet Sauvignon in Napa

Jerez de la Frontera: Solera SherryLa Frontera: Moorish Spain

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‘Palomino Fino’ Viña near Jerez Solera System: Sherries

Transfersfrom

Criaderas(Jackson, 2000)

Portugal: Douro Valley Region

• Oldest DOC in Europe

• Unique varieties (Touriga Nacional)

• World’s steepest vineyards?

Upper Douro Vineyards: Portugal Douro Terraced Vineyards

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Hillside Vineyard Equipment Other Major Warm Region Grapes

• Barbera: Italy, California, Argentina

• Nebbiolo: unique to northern Italy

• Carignan: Spain (Aragon), southern France,California. Most productive grape?

• Sangiovese: Italy (Chianti), California

• Mourvedre: Spain, southern France• Zinfandel: California, southern Italy (as

Primitivo)

• Syrah/Shiraz: France, Australia, California

Barbera

• Signature variety of Piemonte(NW Italy)

• California and Argentina• Blended for its acidity, deep

color, low tannins

• “Fruity” aromas• High yields, ease of

mechanical harvest

• Adapts well to various soiltypes in hot regions

Nebbiolo• Mostly grown in

northwest Italy• Notes of tar, roses,

violets, citrus…• High in tannins, acid

and pigments• Wines of great

longevity• Varietal character

elusive outside ofPiedmont (Alba)

• May need fog?

Carignan(e)(Catalan, Mazuelo)

• May be the mostproductive vineworldwide

• Mostly grown insouth France, Spain,California, Chile

• Very susceptible tomildew and otherdiseases in humidregions

• Main virtue is highyields (12 tons/acre),and good color

Sangiovese(Brunello)

• Main variety in ChiantiClassico, Tuscan Italy

• Clonal variability makeswine quality extremelyvariable (Grosso & Piccolo)

• Low pigment content, easeof oxidation, fading wines

• Blends well with CabernetSauvignon

• Traditional blends withTrebbiano (a white grape)

• Low yields but gooddisease resistance

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Zinfandel(Primitivo)

• California’s “native”grape variety

• From Slovenia via Italy(as Primitivo)

• Widely planted inNorthern California

• Very productive vine• Robust wines, berry notes,

rich tannins, high alcohol,spicy (wasted in blush)

• Uneven bunch ripening• In warmer regions, needs

low vigor sites to producehigh quality wines

Mourvèdre(Monastrell,

Mataro)

• Main variety in Bandolwines of Provence

• Needs warm climate forquality (California,Australia, Valencia)

• Notes of blackberry,“animal,” acidic andastringent juice

• Has substantial body,blending well with Syrahand Grenache

Syrah (Shiraz)• From upper Rhone Valley in

France• Blended in Hermitage and

Cote Rôtie wines• Notes of black pepper,

chocolate, cloves,cinnamon; rich tannins

• Major variety in Australia,increasing in California too

• Produces very different butequally interesting wines inboth cool and warm regions

• Not synonymous with PetiteSirah in California