MaryBaker's Profile
Just my 2¢ -- California makes the best California wines in the world
Actually Sam, the entire central coast region of California does not fit your description and is entirely different in climate, geology and soils. Napa has volcanic origin soils, which result in the shallow hardpan that creates the flood plain in the valleys--one reason why the hillsides are superior. Napa also has an abundance of montmorollite clays--"shrinking clays" that can drown a vine when saturated or crack the vine roots in half if they dry too quickly.
The central coast of California, however--the "pregnant belly" of California--is formed from the Pacific Plate ocean floor. As the Pacific Plate slides under the North American plate, shavings curl up like fresh Parmesan on a grater, forming the beaches and coastal interior. At one time, the central coast was a marine estuary similar to Washington's Puget Sound, and eons of marine sediment were built up on the soils that are now found from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz. Although there are rare outcroppings of limestone in the north San Francisco area, it is only in the central coast that one consistently finds ribbons and rich deposits of limestone, calcareous soils layered with sedimentary or alluvial soils, "wet" lime in the substrates under and around the Estrella and Salinas River benches, and a Mediterranean climate . . . west Paso Robles is cooler than the southern Rhone and vies with the northern Rhone for average and diurnal temperatures.
Just my 2¢ -- California makes the best California wines in the world
Thanks, JBL. I've been lurking for awhile. Hope to achieve "pest" status soon!
Just my 2¢ -- California makes the best California wines in the world
Edward, you are correct that the market there is mature, and it has certainly set a standard for pricing, as well as quality in some areas. An interesting but outdated view that many people have (not referring to you, but this is something I would like to address in general), is of the supposed sophistication of the French agricultural system and that their varietal/site matching is perfect. Just ask the French families (Perrin, Asseo) who have planted grapes in Paso Robles--they will tell you that it is not difficult at all to choose the right varietal for the right sites (although it does require experience and intelligence), and American wineries do not have to deal with antiquated and frequently muddle-brained rules. Also, ask the French why they ripped out carmenere instead of planting it properly, in regions like the Rhone where it would have thrived. And why did they export it to Chile mis-identified as merlot? Anyone in this business knows that there is always a hill somewhere ahead in the learning curve. ;^)
