United States
The final stop of our tour is not too far from home. We are back in the United States. There is currently wine being made in all 50 states (Yes, really!). A few states stand out with more wine being produced, like Oregon, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, and…California.
California has an overwhelming portion of the market share at over 84%, with the next most productive being Washington State, with a little over 5%. This is not really a surprise, I suppose, as the economy of California is close to overtaking Germany as the world’s 4th largest economy.
Within the state, there are the famous regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma on the North Coast, the Central Valley, where more grapes are grown. 75% of the state’s wine comes from the Central Valley. Then you have the Central Coast from San Francisco to LA and the South Coast from LA south.
Our wine today comes from the Central Coast. This area includes a few of my favorite places, including Santa Barbara County and our stop for today, Paso Robles.
White Rhône Style Blends (from California)
The wines of the Southern Rhone are not single varieties but are blends and typically contain Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, and perhaps Grenache Blanc. But more varieties might pop up in your blend, like Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Clairette Blanc, Picardin, & Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains.
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