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Explore the Wonders of California Wine Country

Why California Wine is So Popular

California wine is known and loved all over the world. However, what exactly is it that makes it so popular? The answer to that is probably that California wine comes in many different varieties but is consistently pleasing in flavor. There is literally something for everybody, flavor-wise and budget-wise, and you will not be disappointed by any of the results from the six wine regions of California.

California Wine Country

There are plenty of vineyards and wineries in California wine country, each producing slightly different wines. These California wine regions are responsible for bringing us such delights as robust, meaty Cabernet Sauvignon, sweet and flavorful Riesling or any type of Chardonnay from the bold and dry to the light and fruity.

The range of quality wines to emerge from California wine country is both impressive and reassuring. When you pick up a bottle of California wine, you can be comfortable in the knowledge that it is a good wine, simply because there is too much competition from excellent wineries to allow anything less than good wine any share of the California wine market. Any vineyard or winery on the California wine regions map will be producing an excellent range of wines, to please almost any palate.

California Wine Regions Map

To find out more about different kinds of California wine, it is a good idea to discover more about the different California wine regions. It is fascinating to find out how the slightly different soil and climatic conditions in each area can produce different types of wines and which types of wine each California wine region is famous for varies.

California Wine Guide

The California Wine Guide is dedicated not only to the wines of California wine country but also the taste and flavors that make this region not only a top wine producing region in the world but also amongst the best places to sample food there is. From the restaurants of the Napa Valley and the dinning establishments of quaint Sonoma County but to the modern metropolitan taste of San Francisco.

This area has produced some of the finest chefs America has to offer and they love to show of the wonderful dishes they create around California wine country. Our site is dedicated to bringing you a selection of fine recipes that you will find in our wine recipes link on every page.

As this area is also one of the worlds premier wine producing regions in the world we bring you a selection of articles from our staff writers and guest writers alike that help tell the story of California wine and California wine country. If you enjoy our site please bookmark us and return the next time you are in the mood for some California wine or wine recipes.

Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy our California Wine Guide website.

Thanks for visiting,

Christine and everyone here at California Wine Guide

Featured California Wine Guide Recipe: The Best Coq au Vin Chicken Recipe

Traditional Coq au Vin Recipe

With chicken, bacon, mushrooms, and red wine, this coq au vin chicken recipe is a classic dish, found on the menus of many top restaurants. If you want to recreate this deliciously rich stew type meal at home, the following recipe will give you the same mouthwateringly good results. Traditional coq au vin is made with a rooster from Bresse in France and a Burgundy wine.

The older the poultry is, the better your coq au vin will turn out. This coq au vin recipe is started the day before. If you want to cook it in one day, you will need to add ¼ cognac or brandy to the pan when you put the chicken and vegetables in the pan together. Ignite the cognac with a match and shake the pan. Then pour in the wine and follow the rest of the recipe.

Time Honored Wine Recipe - Coq au Vin

Ingredients -

1 rooster or 3 ½ lbs chicken, cut into at least 8 pieces
½ bottle of full bodied red wine (preferably Burgundy or Cotes du Rhone)
6 diced bacon slices
½ lb fresh button mushrooms
12 small white onions
2 peeled, quartered carrots
3 mashed cloves garlic
Herb bouquet - 1 bay leaf and 2 sprigs thyme tied together with string
¼ cup cognac or brandy (only required if making coq au vin in one day)
Sunflower oil
Unsalted butter
Parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Clean and cut the rooster or chicken. Pour the red wine over it.

Add the white onions, carrots, and herbs.

Cover and refrigerate.

The next day, remove and drain the chicken and vegetables. Set the wine aside for later use.

Brown the chicken pieces in oil in a skillet and remove with a slotted spoon.

Add the vegetables and garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.

Put the chicken and vegetables in a large pan and add the wine, salt, and pepper. (Add the cognac before the wine if you are making this in one day, as explained above).

Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Cover and cook on a low heat for 1 or 2 hours.

Heat the onion, bacon, and mushrooms in a skillet until browned.

This will take about 10 minutes.

When the chicken is done, add the onion, bacon, and mushrooms to the pan.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 or 3 minutes.

Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

Add some parsley to the dish and serve immediately with potatoes or rice.

(Serves 4)

Traditional French Chicken Casserole, Coq Au Vin

Photo Description:

A Picture of a traditional French chicken casserole recipe for making fresh homemade French Coq Au Vin you can make with your ingredients and our traditional French chicken casserole recipe and is a favorite of many families. It features button mushrooms, bacon, shallots, and a red wine sauce, and is served with mashed potatoes. Nothing goes quite as well on a cool Autumn night’s dinner than hot homemade chicken casserole Coq Au Vin does. Accompanied by a refresh glass of wine and you have the makings for a wonderful and hearty family dinner.

California Wine Country Map

California Wine Country California Wine Country Santa Cruz Mountains California Wine Country Sonoma Valley California Wine Country Napa Valley California Wine Country Russian River & Healdsburg California Wine Country Monterey & Carmel Wineries California Wine Country Paso Robles California Wine Country Santa Barbara California Wine Country Sierra Mountain Foothills California Wine Country Mendocino

An Introduction to California Wine

California produces almost 90% of the wine made in the United States and has about 1,300 operating wineries. These wineries produce about 570,000 acres of grapes. Wine production is rated by glasses per acre or GPA. One acre of land should average 5 tons of grapes, which turns into 13.51 barrels of wine, which turns into 797 gallons of wine. This turns into 3,958 bottles of wine, or 15,940 glasses. All from a single acre!

Like all wine, California wine relies on the sugar content in the grapes. This sugar content is measured in Brix. The amount of Brix in the grapes indicates the alcohol content in the finished wine. For example, if all the sugars are fermented into alcohol, you can divide the Brix level in half to figure an estimate of the alcohol content. If the grapes contain 2 degrees of Brix, the wine will have a little more than 1% alcohol.

While California has many wine regions, the best known are the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Grape growing regions are known as Appellations. Some of these Appellations are further broken down into American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Each AVA has unique growing conditions that affect the flavor of the grapes, including soil, climate, and altitude. Napa, for example, is an Appellation with several AVAs in it. Wines that carry the Napa designation must be made primarily from the grapes grown in that region.

California Wine Types

When you talk about different types of wines, you are really talking about varietals. California produces many varietals of both red and white wine as well as blended and fortified wines. Some of the most popular white wine varietals include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Gewurtztraminer. There are also other lesser-known white varietals. The most popular red varietals grown in California include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel.

Lesser-known red varietals are most often used in blended wines like Chablis, Bordeaux blend, and Meritage. White Zinfandel is made with red Zinfandel grapes but the skins are removed from the process shortly after pressing. Fortified wines like port and sherry are also made in California. The wine is fortified with a neutral grape alcohol partway through the fermentation process, which stops the fermentation while the wine is still sweet. It also increases the alcohol level by up to 20 percent.

Why California Wine is So Popular

California wines are popular for a few reasons. First, the climate and soil conditions are excellent for growing wine grapes. The flavors develop nicely with fruity overtones. Next, the wines in California have benefited from a generation of winemakers who really know their business.

Most of the winemakers in California spend time learning how to make great wine. From trellising the grape vines to fermentation, these winemakers are artisans. California wines have gone through quite a transition of the past fifty years. Wines from California used to imitate French wines with a long aging process and a heavy dose of tannins and acidity. Today, fruit-forward wines are more popular. These wines are sweeter and do not age as long.

California wineries also make the most of the tourist trade. Got a favorite wine? Go visit the winery and taste what has come off the vine. California wine country is beautiful at any time of year. Catering to tourists and wine aficionados has helped these wines become a part of Californian lore. Wine is now something you consider when you think about California.

Inside California Wine Country

 

Appetizers Appetizers

Appetizers to Make with and Serve with Wine - Peruse our selection of appetizer recipes for some terrific dishes that will please your guests. Perfect for holidays, parties or for a special dinner, our appetizers combine the freshest ingredients with just the right wine to bring out a complex flavor you will not find any other way. Try these recipes and you will be hooked. Explore the various appetizers and see what tickles your palate or what might appeal to your guests. A little wine is great for adding lots of flavor without adding extra fat to your appetizers. Try some of these and see what you think. You will be back for more.

 

Soup Recipes Soup Recipes

Matching Wine with Soup and How to Use Wine in Soup - Wine and soup? Yes, you can drink wine with your soup and you can even add wine to your soup. Some recipes call for it more than others, but why not add that extra flavor to your bowl of soup? A cheese soup just screams out for some wine to lend some alternative notes to it; otherwise it can turn out bland. Find all sorts of great recipes to try in this section. You may be surprised that you never thought of using wine to spice up some similar recipes. Make your soups sing with a good splash of wine by following some of our unique and delicious recipes.

 

Salad Salad

Matching Salads with Wine - Yes, they used to tell you not to drink wine with salad. But it is not the rule anymore. As long as you pair the wine properly, you can drink wine with any type of salad you want. You can also use wine in the dressing for many different salads. Why not give it a try? You may be surprised what you can do to your salads with just a little glass of wine. That is wine's great talent; making the most of what you are eating. It does not matter if you are drinking it with the food or have added it to the food, wine makes the meal sing.

 

Entrees Entrees

Cooking with Wine or Matching Wine to Your Meal - The main dish of any meal can be made better by being paired with the perfect wine or by adding a splash of the right wine. The flavors begin to dance in your mouth, revealing more depth and complexity than you may have ever guessed was there. Make cutlets, stuffed cabbage, or a simple casserole. They all benefit from a little wine in the mix. Take a look at our offerings and try a few of them out. You may be surprised how easy it is to cook with wine. Turn your entrees up a notch with a little splash of the grape.

 

Side Dish Recipes Side Dish Recipes

Wine Sauces and Cooking Side Dishes with Wine - A little bit of wine can make your side dishes change from ho hum to extraordinary. Suddenly that cream sauce is a little richer; that tomato sauce has more depth. Do not let your side dishes languish in obscurity while your entrée is stealing the entire show. Like any good production, each dish should complement each other perfectly. Each bite should elicit words of praise, or at least utter silence while your guests are too busy eating to talk because they have to savor every morsel. Take a look at our side dishes and choose those that fit your meal perfectly.

 

Dessert Recipes Dessert Recipes

Choosing the Right Wine for Dessert - Let your dessert shine. Serve it with the perfect sweet wine to complement it or make a delicious dessert that utilizes wine to bring out the richness of the recipe. Wine is a great complement to fruity desserts. It can also make an excellent cake. Try some of the recipes we offer here and judge it for yourself. You will be amazed at these delectable confections that will have everyone licking every crumb from their plates. Take a look at some of our selections and see if your mouths do not start watering.

 

Wine Articles Wine Articles

Handy Wine Articles and Wine Cooking Tips - Do not worry if you have never used wine in recipes before. Let us introduce you to the wonderful world of the luxurious world of wine recipes. We will walk you through every step so you will end up knowing everything you need to know to make delicious wine recipes and pair the right wine to your dishes. Let our wine articles teach you all about cooking, choosing, and using that delicious bottle of wine with food. Before you know it, you will know all about choosing a proper wine at the store, preparing the meat and other dishes with it, how to make the most of your wine collecting and more...

 

Five Reasons to Make a Wine Country Recipe

Wine Country Recipes

Wine country recipes are foods that are made either with wine or pair up with wine. Many wineries put out their own recipes. If you like wine, it can pay off to collect some of these recipes. So, why should you go all out and make these dishes?

It Tastes Good

Wine often adds more depth of flavor to a dish. This makes eating a new adventure as your tongue discovers hidden nuances as you eat. Whether you are adding wine to the recipe or drinking it with your meal, you will find a whole new world of flavor.

Conscious Indulgence

These recipes make you feel like you are luxuriating with a five star meal at a fine restaurant. Even though you are eating healthy, the feeling of luxury makes you feel more satisfied with your meal. Nutrition. Wine country recipes tend to use fresh, seasonal ingredients that are full of nutrition, not processed foods with no value. Fresh vegetables and fruits offer more value than those found in a can.

Variety

Foods take on different aspects if you cook them with red wine rather than white wine and vice versa. That beef stew can seem complex with that white wine you added, but when you add the red, it blossoms into a rich eating experience that makes that simple stew more memorable.

Relationships

The relationship between good food and a fine wine is complementary. The food can bring out delicious aspects of the wine and the wine can make the food seem brighter in flavor and texture. Learning what wines bring out the best in your recipe will keep your meals exciting and delicious, whether you are eating a simple chicken breast or a filet mignon.

 

Try These Delicious Wine Country Recipes

Here is just a sampling of our delicious wine country recipes you'll find plenty more inside the site.

Creole Boiled Shrimp with Tomato Wine Recipe

Refreshing Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad Recipe

Lobster Salad Recipe with a Lime and Basil Salsa

Pork Tenderloin and Rice Stir Fry with Green Peppers and Onion

Fresh Tomato and Mushroom Pasta with Cream Sauce