Most of the wine produced in Northern California bears the name of its primary varietal component. If a wine contains at least 75% of a particular varietal then it can be labeled with the varietal name.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Volumes have been written about Cabernet Sauvignon and rightly so. With its stiff tannic profile and concentration of flavors, Cabernet Sauvignon is synonymous with premium red wine. Bottled alone it can be so powerful as to require years of ageing in the bottle to be approachable.
To counter this trait it’s often blended with a fruitier, less tannic variety, such as Merlot or Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon is a hardy grape that is found the world over in a wide range of climates. Cab’s smallish and tight berry clusters are easy to grow, making farmers content to live with lower yields. What it lacks in yield is made up for with acreage, this classic Bordeaux grape is perhaps the most widely planted red variety in Northern California.
Merlot – Outside the New World, Merlot gets little respect as an independent grape. It usually plays a role as a blending wine rather than taking the lead. Merlot’s attributes of lush fruitness and lighter tannic signature, those that relegate it to second fiddle in the wineries of Bordeaux, are precisely what make the grape a star in the New World. Merlot does very well in California where spring frosts are less common and less of a threat to this early budding and flowering vine. The grapes of Merlot hang in a looser bunch and its skin is thinner than that of Cabernet Sauvignon to which it’s often, albeit unfairly, compared.
Pinot Noir – is a fussy grape with a reputation for being difficult to grow. Its early budding and flowering causes wine growers to plant it in cooler microclimates.
Pinot is commonly grown in coastal valleys and across the marine influenced Carneros region at the southern confluence of the Napa and Sonoma valleys. The cooler temperatures, compared with those further inland, help prevent Pinot Noir grapes from turning into raisins before harvest. Whereas Cabernet Sauvignon has a strong, identifyable signature wherever it’s cultivated, Pinot’s huge genetic diversity makes it rather unpredictable.
Zinfandel – this is California’s signature grape. Not generally grown outside California, Zin’s versatility makes it a real star. Known for a “jammy” flavor with strong hints of spice and leather, Zinfandel is vinified into taught, inky wines that can age for years. This was not always the case however, in the mid 20th century high yield Zinfandel was the favorite of growers in the hot Lodi region of the Central Valley and their wines were of low quality. While amphelographers debate Zin’s origins, growers in the Sierra foothills and also in the Dry Creek Valley have earned a reputation for producing top quality wine from this grape.