Definition: usa

Total production has risen from an average of 16.5 million hectolitres (1976-1980) to over 25 million hectolitres. The situation of American vineyards is less stable than in Europe and depends greatly on changing consumer tastes: white wine production more than doubled between 1974 and 1984, while red wine production increased by only 13%.

In California, the leading producer in the USA, the regions of Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa north of San Francisco can be distinguished from north to south; Alameda, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, flanked inland by the San Joaquin Valley, between San Francisco and Los Angeles; and finally, southern California, between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The wines most often bear the name of the grape variety from which they are made, blends are still rare and the concept of terroir is still developing, so that the study of Californian wines is more often based on that of grape varieties. Since 1978, American regulations have defined the concept of appellation of origin, which is very different from ours, as it does not involve quality control or mandatory tasting. The addition of external wine (maximum 25%) is even permitted. These designations of origin are called AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). There are now over a hundred of them, located in the West and particularly in California (in Napa Valley).

Red grape varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape variety used in the great red wines of Bordeaux, often accompanied by Cabernet Franc, produces wines in the Napa region, some of which can rival the great wines of the Médoc. This grape variety, which ranks second in red wine production in California, also produces excellent results in the Sonoma and Monterey regions, as well as in Washington State. In California, Pinot Noir suffers from an overly hot climate. Very tannic and deep red in colour, it is a wine that often lacks balance. Further north, in the state of Oregon, the climate is more suitable. There, it regains a good level of acidity and structure. Merlot, in the Napa region and in the Santa Barbara hinterland, sometimes blended with Cabernet Franc, produces excellent results, with the best wines reminiscent of those from Pomerol. Good Merlot wines can also be found in Washington State, on the slopes of the Columbia Valley. The most widespread red grape variety, Zinfandel, is found almost exclusively in California. It is a "jack of all trades" variety: red, white or rosé wines, dry or sweet, still or sparkling. But in the slightly cooler climate of the Sonoma region, it can produce a great lively, dry red wine with good ageing potential and interesting floral aromas.

Historically, the "mission" grape variety is the great ancestor. It is with this variety that one should have started. Imported in 1697, probably from Mexico or Chile, by the Jesuit Juan Ugarte to the San Francisco-Xavier mission, its dominance lasted until around 1870. Still grown in southern California, it produces a light, rustic wine. In California, the name Petite Sirah is given to a grape variety that has virtually disappeared in France, where it is known as Durif, the surname of the man who selected it. Grown in the Monterey region and the San Joaquin Valley, this grape variety produces a very colourful, fairly tannic wine with good acidity. Carignan, spelled Carignane in the United States, ranks third among red grape varieties in terms of quantity and produces ordinary red and rosé wines. Grenache, which ranks fourth and is grown mainly in the San Joaquin Valley and Mendocino region, is used to make slightly sweet rosé wines and wines vaguely reminiscent of port. Ruby Cabernet, a hybrid grape variety, a cross between Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, planted in the San Joaquin Valley, produces a wine with an appealing aroma but disappointing on the palate. It is used mainly to improve ordinary wines. There are two grape varieties in California that bear the name Gamay but are not actually Gamay. The first, called Gamay Beaujolais, is a mediocre variety of Pinot Noir and produces an ordinary, fruity but rather acidic wine. The second, known as Napa Gamay, recently renamed Gamay 15, is none other than Aramon, a very productive grape variety once used in the south of France. It also produces a rather ordinary wine.

White grape varieties:

At the top of the list of white grape varieties is Colombard, a French variety most often used for distillation. In California, the area under cultivation has more than tripled in ten years to meet the American demand for white wine. Indeed, Colombard produces, in a warm climate - it is the grape variety of the San Joaquin Valley - fairly lively and fruity wines with a high yield. In second place is Chenin Blanc, which produces a semi-dry, fruity wine for everyday consumption, but lacking in acidity. Early harvests or a cooler climate, such as in Washington State, produce wines that are significantly more lively, but still bear no resemblance to the Loire wines made from the same grape variety. In California, Chenin Blanc also helps to improve more ordinary wines. In third place is a very important grape variety, Chardonnay, which is established in the northern part of the Sonoma district and in the cooler areas of Napa Valley. The best can rival the great Burgundies. Also planted in the states of Oregon, Washington and New York, this grape variety develops excessive acidity in these cooler latitudes. Melon de Bourgogne, the Muscadet grape variety, is known in California as Pinot Blanc and behaves very differently there. In fact, in a warm climate such as that of the Monterey region, where it excels, "Melon-Pinot", aged in wooden barrels, produces a rich wine that improves after a few years in the bottle, quite the opposite of Muscadet. Californian Riesling, harvested later than it used to be and sometimes aged in oak barrels, retains a certain acidity and a very pleasant fruitiness reminiscent of apricot or peach. Riesling also produces good results in the states of Oregon and Washington and even on Long Island, a stone's throw from New York. California produces two other Rieslings: Gray Riesling, which is none other than Trousseau gris, a grape variety from the Jura region that is in danger of disappearing. It produces a pleasant, well-balanced, fairly dry wine. The other, Emerald Riesling, a cross between Muscadelle and Riesling, produces aromatic, slightly heavy wines that compete with Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. Californian Sauvignon Blanc, marketed under the name "Fumé Blanc", is giving way to a wine made with the Sémillon grape variety, which is lighter, with more acidity. The best examples, similar to Pouilly Fumé, come from the Sonoma and Napa Valley regions. Gewurztraminer, ill-suited to California's hot climate, nevertheless has had some success in Napa Valley, producing well-balanced wines that improve with age. This grape variety is more at home in the states of Oregon and Washington. Small-grained white Muscat, planted in the Monterey region and the San Joaquin Valley, produces fruity, light and sparkling wines.

Sultana, originally from Asia Minor and renamed Thomson seedless, is used to make a fairly neutral wine that is turned into sparkling wine or used for blending. In the spirits sector, most American production is derived from the distillation of cereals, and the general term "whisky" is subdivided into two main categories: "Bourbon whisky" and "Tennessee whisky". Bourbon is made from a grain mash containing at least 51% corn. It is aged for at least two years in new barrels that have been charred on the inside, an original technique that gives it its distinctive taste and colour. Bourbon is straight if it has not been blended; blended straight if it is composed of several straight bourbons; and blended if it is made from straight bourbon and neutral alcohol. But the difference lies mainly in the particular flavour that each brand has sought to give to its product. Tennessee whiskey is distinguished by the addition, before distillation, of an acidic mash from a previous fermentation, which gives it a much more pronounced taste. Southern Comfort, a liqueur that is usually drunk over ice, is made in Saint Louis from peaches macerated in bourbon. Forbidden Fruit is another variety of liqueur, more bitter, with a lemon flavour. Applejack is an apple spirit similar to French Calvados, although it may be made partly from neutral alcohol.

Area: 315,000 hectares.

Production: 25,000,000 hectolitres.