California Wine Country Tours

California's history with winemaking began in Franciscan monasteries in the late 18th century, but it wasn't until a seminal 1976 wine tasting that the state's offering was considered world-class. Winemaking styles vary greatly with the state's diverse topography and culture.

Output

California produces 90 percent of U.S. wine and is the fourth-largest worldwide producer after France, Italy and Spain. In 2008, California sold 196 million cases of wine with an estimated retail value of $18.5 billion.

Regions

California's wine country is frequently broken into four major regions, each with widely known subregions: North Coast, north of San Francisco Bay; Central Coast, south and west of San Francisco Bay to Santa Barbara County; South Coast, south of Los Angeles; and Central Valley. Notable subregions include Napa County, Sonoma County and Paso Robles.

Harvest

Wine grapes are harvested and crushed from late August to early November.

Events

Some popular California wine events include the Harvest Wine Country Weekend from Sept. 12-14; Winesong from Sept. 11-12; Flight of Napa from Sept. 26-28; and Westfest of Paso Robles on Sept. 13.

Travel

Summer is the most popular time to visit California's wine country, but it is advisable to visit in the late summer or early fall during the harvest.

References

• Discover California Wine
• The Wine Institute

Resources

• Historical 1971 Time Magazine Article on California Wine