Five Great California Wines

California wine is produced by more than 1,200 wineries spread across the California wine country. California produces ninety percent of the wine made in the United States and is the world's fourth largest producer of wine with wine production dating back to the 18^th century. It was just 1976 when California wines became internationally known when they beat out French wines in the Judgment of Paris wine competition in the red and white categories.

There are currently over a hundred different types of grapes being cultivated in order to produce California wine. The top varieties are Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The following are some of the best of the California wines and the wineries that produce them:

California Wine #1 Ridge Santa Cruz Chardonnay 2007
This California wine is a rich and buttery Chardonnay produced by California Santa Cruz Mountain Estate. The grapes that produce this Chardonnay are grown in the cool, Santa Cruz mountainous region and must be picked before the season's first storms. The price of a bottle of this California wine runs from $35.99 to $39.99. This Ridge Santa Cruz Chardonnay is at its best from now until 2013.

California Wine #2 Cliff Lede Sauvignon 2007
This 2007 California wine is much more on the light and crisp side and works very well with many cheeses and fruits. It is a reasonably priced wine at $17.99 to $22 a bottle. According to the winemaker Cliff Lede, the 2007 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of mock-orange blossom, passion fruit, green ginger, and white pepper upon layers of almonds, tarragon-citrus, pomegranate, and Lily-of-the-Valley.

California Wine #3 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
This Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit more expensive at $54.99 a bottle but it is well worth the expense. The 2007 growing season was an ideal one for the grapes of the Napa Valley as the season was long and the grapes were allowed to ripen to an ideal level. This California wine is very boldly complex and has deep flavors of dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, mocha, leather, cedar, vanilla and sweet licorice.

California Wine #4 Duckhorn Napa Merlot 2006

This California wine is a rich full bodied Merlot with a smooth and very nice finish. The best part is that it is available at a reasonable price of $49 a bottle. This California Napa Valley wine is an incorporation of grapes from the Estate vineyards and other Napa Valley independent grower's grapes. This final California wine is a balanced and rich wine that expresses all the climates and characters of the Napa Valley.

California Wine #5 Cambria Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006

The Cambria Pinot Noir is a smooth and supple wine that costs $17.99 a bottle. It is best if slightly chilled before being served. This California wine has both a fruity and earthy finish to it with flavors such as cranberry, pomegranates, cinnamon and vanilla oak. After it is poured allow it to breath in the glass for a short period of time.

Enjoy your California wines with good food and good friends.