The United States of America ranks 4th worldwide in terms of wine production; thanks to the substantial quantities produced in the Golden State of California.

Thus when many people talk about California wine, they mostly discuss wines from Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, forgetting that there are other noteworthy wine-producing regions like Santa Barbara,  Santa Cruz, and California’s Central Coast. However, when combined together, these California regions make up over 90% of the wine produced in the United States.

So Why Is California Wine That Well Liked?

1. It IsTasty And Flavorsome

California wine is big on fruit. The State’s beautiful year-round climate allows the vineyards and grapes to produce some of the tastiest fruit flavors the world over. The fruity flavors of Californian wine are highly noticeable to the extent that even a first-time wine drinker can distinguish the taste and aromas from other wines.

2. It Is Of High Quality

The California wine industry is over 250 years old. Over the years, the talented winemakers in California have incorporated tradition, art, science and innovation in coming up with quality wines. Additionally, the terrain, climate and geography of California is also ideal for wine growing, making the grapes produced stand out from the rest.

3. It Has Won Awards And International Recognition

Over the years, the quality of California wine has greatly improved and this has led to more international recognition. In an event referred to as The Judgment of Paris, wines from Californian stunned the world by winning the wine contest in both the white and red wine categories. In 2006, in a blind-tasting event dubbed as the Rematch of the Century, the same California wines were re-tasted and emerged the winner. Shock hit everyone yet again at the 2013 Tête de Cuvée when California Sparkling Wines carried the day. And in recognition and appreciation of these award-winning sparkling wines, every U.S presidential administration has served them at the White House at official state events, since 1972.

4. There Is Choice And Variety

Although Chardonnay is California’s leading wine by volumes produced, Napa valley also produces flavorsome Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sonoma area is recognized for its Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and sparkling wines. In a nutshell, there are a plethora of great varietals for every kind of wine enthusiast in California.

While California is the largest producer of American wine, many other states produce wine too, but in smaller quantities starting with Washington, Oregon and New York state in that order.