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Best Central California Wines
The central California valley includes the Sierra Foothills region. Notable wines from this region include meaty, flavorful red wines such as red Zinfandel. Syrah and Petit Sirah are also popular. Rhone and Italian varietals are bottled in the Sierra Foothills and have gained acclaim throughout Asia and Europe. These are considered some of the best Central Californian wines:
- 2003 Contessa. This wine contains varietals of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. It is highly structured and has a smooth finish.
- Le Mulet Rouge is from Fiddletown in the Sierra Foothills and is a meaty, delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. It has refined elegance and a ripe berry flavor.
- The El Dorado region in the northernmost part of Central California is known for its Zinfandel but its 2003 Gold Hill Vineyard Merlot was a silver medal winner in the California State Fair and a double gold medal winner in the Amador County Fair. It is ages for 2 years in French oak to bring out the cedar and vanilla flavors. Plum and rich black cherry aromas further enhance this fruity, delicious wine.
Wine Tours in Central California
There are two different wine regions in the beautiful Central California region and both are internationally famous. You can choose from the Central Valley or the Central Coast, or even do a long wine tour combined with a vacation and explore both areas. The Central Valley includes Livermore, Clarksburg, Amador, Calaveras, Sierra, and Lodi wine growing areas. This area lies east of San Francisco Bay and runs south through the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys to Bakersfield. The San Joaquin Valley is one part of the wine growing region and the Sacramento Valley is the other part.
Central California Wineries
There are nearly two hundred wineries in San Luis Obispo so there are plenty of wine tours and winery visitors. The marine sediment and cool climate work in harmony to produce fantastic buttery, rich Chardonnay grapes. The hot, lengthy summers in the north and the limestone and chalk hills of Paso Robles wine country are partly to thank for the award-winning red wines from this region. You can taste exciting Rhone varietals and amazing Zinfandels here. The mild Mediterranean climate of San Luis Obispo country means that wine tasting is great whichever time of the year you choose to visit. You can also enjoy the spectacular scenery, Hearst Castle, beaches, small towns and quiet country drives if you choose a Central California wine tour.
The Sacramento Valley is bordered by the Coast Ranges to the west and the Sierra Nevada to the east. This sunny, level region is not affected by ocean influences but it is agriculturally rich and great for grape growing. There are about six and a half thousand acres of grapes grown there, with Chardonnay being the most prominent type. Zinfandel grapes are also popular in the region. There are sixteen wineries there so there is plenty of choice if you are thinking about a wine tour.
The San Joaquin Valley is about fifty miles wide and two hundred and twenty miles long. It reaches from Bakersfield to Stockton and there are five million acres of farmlands growing everything from fruit and nuts to grains, vegetables, and cotton. Most wine grapes are grown here, as well as raisin grapes and table grapes. The leading white wine variety here is French Colombard and the leading red wine is Zinfandel. There are more than thirty wineries in the San Joaquin area and some of the best Central California wines come from here so wine tour enthusiasts are sure to have a great time if they pick this region as their California wine tour destination.
