Falanghina and Lagrein from California? Of course! #WinePW

This month, inspired by Jason Wilson’s book Godforsaken Grapes: A Slightly Tipsy Journey Through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine, the Wine Pairing Weekend (#WinePW) group of bloggers are focused on food pairings with wines made from lesser known (dare I say obscure!) grape varieties.

I’d venture to say that California leads the way when it comes to making wines from lesser known grape varieties. I believe that’s because of the combination of the state’s glorious weather and its pioneering spirit. 

I discovered this for myself when I attended attended a few ”Seven% Solution” tastings. According its organizers, 93% of the vineyards in the North Coast appellation (which includes all of Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino Counties) are planted to just 8 grapes. The hundreds of other grape varieties grown in California make up the other seven percent.

While its well known that California boasts a predominately Mediterranean climate, what can get overlooked is its geographic diversity. There are a wealth of terroir influences from the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sierra Mountains to the east. The state is replete with micro climates which produce a remarkably diverse palette of grape varieties for its winemakers. 

In terms of the number of grape varieties grown in California’s wine regions, a quick Google Search turned up the following:

• Napa Valley – 36
• Paso Robles – 40
• Sonoma – 50
• Lodi – over 100!

Read more on enofylzwineblog.com