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California Wine Institute: I'm tasting Californian wines I enjoy drinking wine. Ideally, I'd pair it with a good meal or relax in the evening after a long day. My preferences aren't strictly red or white; I also enjoy a rosé. For me, a good wine is defined much more by its skillful combination with a well-balanced meal than by the grape variety, the price, or even the label. In addition to this philosophy, I also love trying new things – including wines. That's how I stumbled upon the incredibly interesting... California Wines website. Until now, I've only had the chance to try Californian wines occasionally during restaurant visits. So why not explore some great Californian wineries virtually and order a few wines to taste at home?
The different wine-growing regions in California
California Wines – Discover and get to know Californian wines
How about you? – When I decide to try new wines, I automatically want to learn more about the background, not just drink them ;-). In other words, I first want to learn a bit more about California, its wines, growing regions, and their history. Admittedly, my knowledge of Californian wines was limited until now. After a bit of online research, however, my curiosity and thirst for the wines grew. One of the first sentences on the website ("You could say that Californians take everything to do with wine seriously and everything else in a relaxed way.") piqued my interest. I learned about the appellation of origin, the most important regions and wine-growing areas of California, as well as the local winegrowers and winemakers. The wine regions are subdivided into "North Coast," "Central Coast," "Sierra Foothills," "Inland Valleys," "Southern California," and "Far North California." I also learned that in California, winemaking, whether organic or not, means managing and maintaining your vineyard responsibly, respecting the land, the community, the environment, and future generations. There are also a few video clips about sustainable winemaking online. It's best to read up on it yourself and find out more – it's worth it! So, now let's get to the wines and choose.
Who wants to join us for dinner and wine tasting? 😉
My wine selection
As described in detail, my wine selection was intended to be a diverse mix, so I opted for wines between €13 and €50 per bottle – even though price isn't necessarily a reliable indicator of quality and taste. I wanted a selection of red and white wines and to try as many different varieties as possible. The result was six wines: four reds and two whites. From the outset, I knew I would primarily pair the wines with my meals – which I'm currently cooking myself. With Christmas just around the corner, we need to be self-sufficient. Therefore, I'll be cooking, and – again – in a variety of ways: sometimes fish, sometimes meat, sometimes just a snack, or perhaps a relaxing glass of wine in the evening.
My favorite: The „Decoy Merlot“ – here with a little Parma ham for snacking.
My first choice fell on one „Dutton Ranch Chardonnay“ (2016) – a dry, fruity and aromatic Chardonnay from Patz & Hall. As I learned from their website, the Dutton family is considered one of the most important and influential winegrowers in the Sonoma County region on the Californian West Coast of the USA. So I had to have it. Next up was my first red wine, incidentally the favorite of my order, a „Decoy Merlot“ (2017) and also from Sonoma County, from the Duckhorn Wine Company. A dry – I prefer dry wines – delicately aromatic Merlot with soft tannins and a fruity, full-bodied aroma of bell pepper, rose, and tobacco. My third choice was also a red wine. A „Hahn GSM Red Blend“ (2018) from the Central Coast. I chose this one because a) it's dry, b) it has a bouquet of cherry, plum, and fig, and c) it goes well with potatoes – which I eat a lot and enjoy. The two following wines – one „LOUIS M. MARTINI SONOMA COUNTY CABERNET SAUVIGNON“ (2015) as well as a „HESS CHARDONNAY“ (2018) I specifically chose these wines for a dinner with my companion. The Sauvignon Blanc for steak and rosemary potatoes, the Chardonnay for linguine with sunflower seed bolognese. Bottle number six was another red wine. „Freakshow Zinfandel“ (2017) – but I haven't opened and tried it yet, although the bottle is a real eye-catcher.
My selection of Californian wines
I chose this particular website and these wines because each wine is described in great detail yet in an easy-to-understand way. Of course, I don't know any of the selected wineries personally, which makes it all the more enjoyable to read the interesting descriptions and learn more about the wines and the people behind them. I purchased the wines through HAWESKO in Hamburg. I've linked all the wines I selected above, so you can read for yourself what led me to choose these particular wines.
Try it yourself?
Have you been inspired to try it yourself? And have you ever had a glass of Californian wine? At home or in a restaurant? If you'd like to try it for yourself, which I highly recommend, you can order the wines directly from HAWESKO and, like me, do some research beforehand at California Wines Europe. Happy browsing!
+++ This article was created in cooperation with the California Wine Institute. Thank you! +++
Pictures:
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- My favorite: The
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- Who wants to join us for dinner and wine tasting? 😉
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- My selection of Californian wines
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