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Amador
Located at the heart of the historic Sierra foothill Gold Country in California, Amador County is renowned for producing California's finest Zinfandels, some of them crafted from hundred year old vines. In recent years, many winemakers have started to experiment with Rhône Valley and Italian varietals, some with great critical success. As diverse as the varietals planted, so are the conditions...
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Zinfandel
Zinfandel is widely thought of as “America’s grape,” but in fact the variety is of Croatian origin, and is genetically extremely similar to Italian Primitivo, which thrives in the warmest parts of southern Italy. Like Primitivo, Zinfandel requires warm but not hot growing conditions, as its skins are relatively thin: this can cause its berries to shrivel into raisins if left on the vine a little...
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California
California isn’t just home to big, assertively fruity wines. Cooler regions like Santa Barbara and Edna Valley yield Pinot Noirs in an elegant, Old World style. For Syrah, however, it’s best to look to a warmer climate such as the Dry Creek Valley region. Chardonnays from top California estates can age well for years, and though many producers are making completely unoaked Chardonnays these days,...
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