This seminar at the Vancouver International Wine Festival helped us learn how California’s landscape and climate shape the Golden State and its wines. Each wine we tasted explored a different aspect of California from the coastline to the mountains, with a winery principal talking to us about the wine and the region.
Our Moderator was DJ Kearney while our panelists were Lukas Gabriel, Gnevieve Boisvert, Nicolas Paris MW, Shaune Zeleny, Michael Smith, JJ Dowell, Gabriela Marble, David Phillips, Ray Signorello, and Joe Spellman MS. This seminar was sponsored by California Wines.
Our Featured Wines:
- Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blancs NV
- Bonterra Organic Estates Chardonnay The Roost – Single Vineyard 2020
- Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2021
- J. Lohr Vineyards Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
- Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles 2018
- Lake Sonoma Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021
- Michael David Winery Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
- Orin Swift L’Usine Santa Rita Highlands Pinot Noir 2018
- Peju Winery Napa Valley, Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Legacy Collection 2019
- Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- S by Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019
Moderator and Winery Principal Discussion
DJ noted when she started our seminar that California has helped shaped our palates and preferences. We have been bringing California wines to BC for many decades. California is the fourth largest producer in the world behind France, Italy, and Spain. If California were a country, it would be the fifth biggest economy in the world. California’s focus is an initiative on sustainability. California has 650,000 acres under vine, which is much bigger than Bordeaux at 70,000 hectares and BC with 11,000 acres planted. 60% of the wine grape vines planted are certified sustainable. For this seminar, we concentrated on the North and Central Coastal regions and the wines from them. There are in total, six major regions in California for grape growing: North Coast covers from Mendocino to Napa and Central Coast covers from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.
What is sustainability? Sustainability is where you are thinking about your farming practices and winemaking practices and how you treat your people and if your business is viable. California has been doing this for decades, and BC has just started on sustainability in the last 18 months. 82% of California wine is made in a certified sustainable winery. There are many variations of certifications to be sustainable, like being organic or biodynamic. Sustainability, as undertaken by California, encompasses organic and biodynamic, but also includes the whole farming process, packaging, social responsibility and educating the workers in the winery.
The variety of wine styles from lean and racy to lush and fruit-forward is possible because of climate, geologic, and topographic nuances. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel are quite widely planted, but there are 130 grape varieties that are grown in California. BC by comparison grows 85 grape varieties. One of the secrets to California’s varied climate comes from off the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the sea floor suddenly drops into a deep oceanic gully known as the Farallon Trench which flows the California Current. The California current carries cold, Alaskan waters down the west coast
and combines with the warm air to create cooler summers and warmer winters, making a balance offering excellent year-round grape-growing conditions. This current is also responsible for California’s famous coastal fog that covers the coastal and near-inland areas each morning, via the Petaluma Gap, keeping the grapes cool and protected, before burning off mid-day. This causes a great diurnal temperate difference that makes perfect growing conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. You may notice this fog and cool air if you travel to San Francisco in the summer. This upwelling of cold water combined with the winds blowing occurs yearly between March and July.
Besides the cooling fog and winds of the coast, there are also great river networks of California that flow through the entirety of the state, transporting the key components for grape growing, from the mountaintops to the vineyards, and into our glasses. There are alluvial fans of the Russian River Valley that distribute gravel and sand throughout the lowlands. The rivers also help channel cooling fog from the ocean into the valleys.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blancs NV – This was our first wine to taste, coming from the Carneros region which is affected by the fog and wind, giving their grapes racy acidity. Gloria Ferrer was the first sparkling winery in Carneros, starting in 1986, with the family coming from Barcelona, Spain (a Cava wine region). If you didn’t know, sparkling wine is the greatest growth category for wine with North America leading in sparkling wine consumption. The winery and vineyards are certified sustainable since 2016, with a focus on biodiversity, soil health, water management, Integrated Pest management, energy conservation, and green business. The grapes for this sparkling wine are all Chardonnay Champagne clones.
This wine made from 100% Chardonnay grapes has a lighter, bright lemon colour. Medium-intensity citrus, crisp apple and light stone fruit aromas. Dry with light small creamy and biting bubbles. The bubbles dance on your tongue. Crisp apple, stone fruit flavours, a touch of bitterness, and some pepperiness on the finish. Bracing acidity. 
– 
Bonterra Organic Estates Chardonnay The Roost – Single Vineyard 2020 – The grapes for this wine come from a biodynamic vineyard called Blue Heron Ranch in Mendocino County. It is surrounded by two mountain ranges so gets wind, but the fog is blocked and we have a warmer climate. Biodynamics is a holistic approach to farming where everything works in a circular motion. You have animals, plants, and the human element. With animals on the farm, such as using sheep grazing, you have natural manure that goes into the soils that nurture the plants. They are trying to eliminate the need for outer resources, which is a more natural approach to farming. They don’t want to leave the earth the way that we found it. They want to leave it better for future generations.
This wine has a deeper, bright golden colour. Medium-intensity deep aromas of ripe pears, pineapple, butterscotch and light nutmeg. Medium-minus body, soft, round and buttery smooth. Lighter acidity and mouthfeel Ripe apple and citrus with some pepperiness. Medium length with a dry, clean finish. A balanced, classy wine. – 
Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2021 – The grapes for this winery come from the coastal Monterey area, Riva Ranch, which is affected by the cold upwelling of water and breezes. Their flagship wine is called “Morning Fog”. This winery has been producing grapes for 140 years in California with the third generation running the winery, headquartered in Livermore. They pick their Monterey grapes two weeks later than their Livermore grapes, to give you an idea of the difference in the cooler coastal climate. Again, as mentioned early, the cooler climate helps the grapes retain their acidity, which keeps wines lively.
Wente is also famous because most of the Chardonnay vines grown in California are the Wente clone. The winery had clippings of Chardonnay clones from Europe and then tried to determine the best clone for California. Prohibition hit so many wineries closed, but Wente stayed open as they made some wine for churches. After Prohibition, new wineries came to Wente asking for Chardonnay clippings and they were given the clone that the family determined produced the best wine for the California terroir.
This wine also has 1% Gewurztraminer blended in. I have not heard of this before. How interesting. A deep golden colour. Quite oaky/toasty aroma plus sweet spices and pineapple. Medium plus body, smooth with a thick mouthfeel. Buttered popcorn, sweet spice and pineapple flavours. Medium oakiness. Medium-plus length with a lingering finish of pineapple and oak flavours. If you like oak Chardonnays, this is one for you to try. –
J. Lohr Vineyards Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – This family-run winery won a Green Medal Award from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and is one of the first wineries to be certified Sustainable in 2010 for all their estate vineyards. Plus 84% of their energy is solar-powered coming from their own solar array farm, 3 acres in size. The winery is in the Paso Robles area, which is affected by the Templeton Gap, similar to the Petaluma Gap in Sonoma County. Paso Robles is most known for its great diurnal temperature range. From the daytime high to the nighttime low, it averages about 30 degrees C.
This wine is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc. This wine has an almost opaque, dull garnet colour. Lighter red fruit and sweet spice aromas. Off-dry, medium body with a light, buttery mouthfeel. Medium acidity and tannins. Sweet berry flavours and some pepperiness. –
Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles 2018 – JUSTIN’s vineyards are SIP Certified since 2011. They are certified in 14 key areas of sustainable farming, ranging from Soil Conservation and Habitat Diversity, Water Conservation, and Sound Business Practices. Their area, in Paso Robles, was once seabed and with uplift the soil is now chalky, made from limestone and marine sediments, different from the more volcanic soils in northern California. This soil type generally gives softer tannins. They are a sub-certified winery which is a version of certification in sustainability.
Isosceles is their flagship wine that shows off the character of Paso Robles. It is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. This wine has a deeper translucent garnet colour. Light aromas of dill, oak, red fruit and red cherries. Bigger-bodied, smooth with light acidity and soft tannins. Ripe red cherries, plus touches of sweet spice, oak and black pepper. Medium-plus length. Lingering fruit finish. A balanced wine.
Lake Sonoma Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021 – This winery is owned by BC’s Quails’ Gate Winery. The Lake Sonoma Winery is 55 miles inland and is influenced by the coastal fog. Fog in California is super key, partially because the direct, intense sunlight and heat are really tough on the thin skin of Pinot Noir. Sonoma Coast, where the winery is located, consists of a huge tract of land that runs the entire coastline from San Pablo Bay along the Pacific Ocean and then ends up in Mendocino. Carneros is the most southern part of what we call the Sonoma Coast, where there is a very intense fog that flows across the land, and where they source grapes for this wine. These grapes get a long hang time due to the fog and wind slowing maturation. It also encourages the skins to get a little thicker, giving the wine great colour.
This wine has a medium-intensity clear, translucent to the core, garnet colour. A light red fruit, candied fruit, and spice nose. Dry and lean with spiced sausage and red cherry flavours. Some light spiciness as well. Medium-plus length with some bitterness on the finish.
Michael David Winery Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – Michael Phillips family has been farming for 150 years and cultivating wine grapes since the early 20th century in Lodi. Michael and David Phillips are 5th-generation grape growers. This winery and its vineyards are certified sustainable under LODI rules. This wine is their number one selling product. About 25 years ago there were only five wineries in Lodi and now there are 85 wineries. Their deep delta soils are sandy loam. Phylloxera never established as the pest does not do well in sandy soil. Lodi is all about fruit-forward wines. They lack a bit of tannins compared to the more coastal regions, but that means you can drink their wines sooner. Decades ago Lodi farmers started to think about sustainability. Lodi lead the way to sustainable farming and other regions followed their lead. Michael David Winery was first winery to offer a $50-ton bonus to grape growers to become certified sustainable. That brought up the quality of all the vineyards they buy grapes.
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Teroldego. This wine has a very deep, dull garnet colour. Medium-intensity ripe berry aromas, along with blackberries and a touch of oak. Dry, medium body with light tannins and medium acidity. Pepper, nutmeg, sweet blackberry and red fruit flavours. Medium length with an off-dry, sweet fruit finish.
Orin Swift L’Usine Santa Rita Highlands Pinot Noir 2018 – This winery is the brainchild of Dave Fink, who’s a creative genius half artist, half wine maker. This is his latest project. The brand is called “Louisiana”, which is French for “factory”. That is in homage to Andy Warhol, pop artist, who Dave followed, and challenged the pretense of fine art. Instead of making traditional labels, Dave makes bold labels, looking through magazines for inspiration. In the Santa Rita Hills, the mountains trend east to west, allowing the cool coastal climate influence; fog and wind. This area is also very far south, at 34 degrees latitude, compared to Napa at 38 degrees latitude, getting more sunlight, and less rain. You get high-intensity flavours from the combination of climate, latitude and amount of rainfall.
A medium-intensity clear, translucent garnet colour with slight orange bricking. Light aromas of red fruit, meat, and tar. Medium intensity mouthfeel and medium roundness. Tea leaves, sweet red fruits, beef jerky spice and a touch of mace and pepperiness on the palate. A long, lingering finish.
Peju Winery Napa Valley, Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Legacy Collection 2019 – This is the 40th anniversary of the winery, located in Rutherford which some say is the heart of Napa Valley. From a climate standpoint, it is a warmer than average part of the Napa Valley, and part of California. They receive less rainfall than the U.S. average and have more sunny days by roughly 52 than normal. The further north you go up the Valley the soil gets more rocky. Their vineyard has the rockier soil type at the north end. They have been organic certified since 2007, but are also CCF certified, a Napa Green winery and Napa Green Land certified. They are also recently certified fish friendly.
This wine has a medium-plus translucent, dull garnet colour. Over-ripe berries, sweet spices, blackberries and a dusty oak nose. Off-dry, medium-plus body, round and smooth mouthfeel. Medium acidity and medium-plus tannins. Ripe berry fruit flavours, with a sweet red fruit finish.
Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – The Robert Mondavi Winery is certified Napa Green for the winery and land, it is Fish Friendly Farming Certified, and the first winery to receive Innovator Award from California’s EPA. The heart of the winery is their To Kalon vineyard, which recently was certified 100% organic.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. This wine has a deeper, dull garnet colour. Candied cherries, blackberries, sweet spices, and butterscotch aromas. Medium-plus body, round and smooth with a thicker mouthfeel. Firmer, fine-grained tannins. Ripe red and black fruits, dill/herbaceous flavours. Medium-plus length finishing with sweet berry fruit flavours.
S by Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019 – They lost their winery in 2017 to forest fires and then in 2020 they lost their entire harvest to smoke taint. But one thing they decided to do is to develop a new wine for the winery. Ray Singorello was the original winemaker, but he hired a wine-making team and gave them this wine project. Ray was making wine from one place in Napa Valley, on his estate Silverado Trail. He asked the wine-making team to look at other areas. He picked Howell Mountain, St. Helena, and Rutherford. They have different temperatures, exposures to the sun and mountainside. So you get a wine with more complexity.
All of Signorello’s wines are farmed organically by their partner growers. It is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and was fermented with native yeast. This wine has a deeper, dull garnet colour. A closed nose, but some ripe black fruit aroma. Medium-minus body, lightly round and light mouthfeel. Red berries, dark fruit, some dill and light oak flavours. Sweet dark fruit and a touch of sweet spices on the finish. –
Thank you to California Wines for hosting this seminar and to the Vancouver International Wine Festival for providing me a seat.
