WINE-COUNTRIES UNITED STATES

1 - Carneros
2 - Lake County
3 - Mendocino
4 - Monterey
5 - Napa Valley
6 - San Benito
7 - San Luis Obispo
8 - Santa Barbara
9 - Santa Cruz Mountains
10 - Sierra Foothills
11 - Sonoma
12 - Washington - Oregon Wineries

Vineyard area: 301 thousand hectares

Total production: 15.6 million hectolitres

Annual consumption
total: 17.9 million hectolitres
per capita: 7 litres

Exports: 1.2 million hectolitres

Imports: 2.5 million hectolitres

Principal grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, pinot noir, syrah, merlot, petite sirah, sangiovese, grenach, chardonnay, gewürztramineer, riesling, sauvignon blanc, sémillon, colombard, chenin blanc.

As it has been since the 1930s, the United States is 50 markets, with one wine industry, at most two. As an outgrowth of national Prohibition, each state is free to pursue its own plan for taxation, licensing and every other aspect of commerce. Some states use their power to inhibit all commerce in beverages containing alcohol while others take a more encouraging view. However, even in the most liberal states, Americans cannot be described as a wine-drinking society.

Consumption edged upward steadily from 1963 through 1986, reaching a peak of about eight bottles per capita in the latter year. Since then, there has been a slow decline, with current per capita consumption standing at about seven bottles.Another aspect of the limitations of America as a wine-consuming society is that the market always seeks focus on a few simple names. For years Italy has been represented most strongly by Chianti and Soave, France by red Bordeaux and white Burgundy, American producers by Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. All other wine types find themselves trying to survive in what Americans call niche markets.

Internal production is completely dominated by California, which grows 95 per cent of the grapes and makes a similar percentage of the wine. Washington and New York states compete for second place with about one per cent of production apiece. With 40 of 48 contiguous American states growing grapes and making wine, the last tiny sliver of the pie is divided among many others, Texas and Virginia most prominently.

What would seem from afar to be many industries is in fact an endless sea of Chardonnay (63,000 acres in California) and Cabernet Sauvignon (35,000 acres in California) producers, no matter how ill advised either variety or both might be for a particular soil and climate. For example, Chardonnay is the most planted white wine grape in such disparate zones as Washington State, Colorado, Virginia and New York.

Proponents of variety like to point out that red wine production is more diverse. In fact, the only rising challenger to Cabernet Sauvignon is its cousin, Merlot. Among varietal white wines, Sauvignon Blanc (13,000 acres in California) is Chardonnay's closest rival in quality. Like Chardonnay it is widely distributed among districts, though total area devoted to it is less than a fifth as much. An alternative name to Sauvignon Blanc is Fumé Blanc. Sémillon is something of a rarity on its own, but often seen blended with Sauvignon. Chenin Blanc (28,000 acres in California) commands substantial acreage. However, much of it goes into indistinct white blends, only a modest amount into varietals, most of them off-dry and meant for everyday use. Once-favoured, Riesling (3,700 acres in California) has fallen upon very hard times with American consumers; its acreage has dwindled to a tiny fraction of the total in white grapes. Gewürztraminer is planted in about the same amounts. Among reds, the battle for second place behind Cabernet is much more even, and more vigorously fought. Though Merlot (13,000 acres in California) is the hottest challenger of the moment, Pinot Noir (9,000 acres in California) and Zinfandel (36,000 acres in California, but only a small portion used for red wine) have sizeable loyal followings.A few hardy souls are struggling to give voice to meridional varieties. Pinot Gris, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane, Syrah, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and a handful of others are to be had in slightly larger than experimental volumes. However, plantings of all these varieties can still be measured in the 10s of acres, or the 100s at best. A separate group of varietal wines is being grown to admirable effect in states other than California, most of them east of the Mississippi River. These are what Americans call French-American hybrids, or what the French call "producteurs directs". The names most frequently seen are the whites Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc and Vignoles, and the reds Marechal Foch and Chelois.

American law governing varietal and other label information is straightforward, even simple.It requires a minimum 75 per cent of any varietal wine to have been made from the named grape.To be labelled with the name of a county or other political unit, a minimum 75 per cent of a wine must have been grown in the named unit. To be labelled with the name of an American Viticultural Area (AVA), the minimum requirement is 85 per cent. If an AVA-labelled wine is varietal, 75 per cent of it must be made from the named variety grown in the named district.To bear the name of an individual vineyard, a minimum 95 per cent of the wine must come from the named property, which in turn must lie within an approved AVA. AVAs are based in relatively homogeneous climates and soils. The first one was approved only in 1980. As of 1995 California has more than 70, the nation as a whole more than 125 of them. This still-nascent system is as close as U.S. wine can now come to having AOC or DOC status. AVAs place no requirement limiting varieties, yields, or other viticultural practices. Perhaps the vagueness is correct for the near term. A few districts can be measured by reasonably long histories of making wine, but many others are almost entirely speculative for lack, not only of history, but of current plantings. Obviously, much remains to be learned about how to train vines and manage yields before regulations of the European type could be justified, let alone written.

Most fine wines presently are varietals from AVAs, but some important exceptions exist. A class beginning to be known as "Meritage" comes from blends of the Bordeaux varieties in which no one variety need reach a 75 per cent minimum. There are both red and white Meritage types. The finest of American sparkling wines do not necessarily qualify as varietals. A majority of those made by "methode champenoise" come from French-owned firms using only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in their cuvées. Some of these still carry the word Champagne on the labels, though most do not. Individual states can impose stricter standards than the federal ones for their own production, but cannot force the wines of other states to adhere to any more than the federal requirements. Two examples: California and other western states allow their names on a label only if the wine is 100 per cent from the named state; Oregon imposes a 90 per cent minimum standard for varietal wines from its vineyards.

Because the U.S. is not a signatory to the Madrid Convention or others governing European appellations of origin, American wineries may use the names of such traditional wine regions as Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy and Champagne without any restriction as to content. These so-called generic wine names must also show a statement of origin that is either an AVA or a political unit to reduce possible consumer confusion over the true source of the wine. Their role in the marketplace is shrinking steadily.

California (United States)

California, larger in land mass than Italy, and longer in miles, produces the whole gamut of wines from traditional method sparkling to Port-types. In general, the finest sparkling and still wines come from regions it calls North and Central Coast. In a difficult market, these wines flourish best though they range from moderately to quite expensive. The Central Valley is California's source of everyday still wines, dessert wines, and flavoured types, all three of which are losing ground in the market.

Vintages are important only in the coastal regions. Of recent vintages, 1991 was by far the coolest, slowest-ripening, with some wineries only beginning their harvests at about the time they expect to be nearing the end. In spite of its length, the harvest season saw benign weather throughout. North Coast Cabernet Sauvignons, in particular, show the kind of muted but deep flavours and bracing acidities found more often in north European climates. Pinot Noir also succeeded superbly in the North Coast, very well indeed in the Central Coast. Whites were good, but less outstanding.Though not a hot growing season, 1992 was warmer and substantially faster to ripen than its forerunner. The season suited Chardonnay better than any other grape variety, and whites in general better than reds. Though the latter are sound and agreeable, they lack the focus and depth of flavour of excellent to superior years. In yet another moderately warm year with benign harvest weather, 1993 Central Coast Pinot Noirs show every sign of being that region's supreme success in the 1990s to date. The best of them may become the greatest wines of the vintage in California. Following the 1993 harvest, growers in the North Coast removed the largest acreage of vines to date due to the depredations of phylloxera. Napa approaches the half-way point in its anticipated loss and replanting of 15,000 acres (out of 30,000); facing similar totals, Sonoma has reached only the quarter point. Analysts expect shortages of wine in both regions through the next three to five years.

Washington e Oregon (United States)

As newcomers to vinegrowing and winemaking, Washington and Oregon both are smaller in production than Mendocino County in California's North Coast, far smaller than the Napa Valley. Washington's vines grow in the hot summers of a near-desert east of two high mountain ranges, where they must be irrigated to survive. Oregon's vines grow in cool, rainy country nearer the Pacific Ocean, sheltered from its weathers only by high hills to the west. The differences in climate are readily seen in differing dominant varieties. Washington's premier red is Merlot, followed closely by Cabernet Sauvignon, while Oregon is dominated by Pinot Noir. Both states have Chardonnay as their leading white, but the challengers are Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc in Washington, Pinot Gris in Oregon.

The vintage of 1991 was small in Washington following a devastating freeze in the winter of 1990-91. It harvested only 33 per cent of a normal crop. Red wine grapes were especially hard hit. In compensation, the wines are concentrated and rich. Oregon, in contrast, had a large yield by its standards. The vintage was a good one.Both states enjoyed textbook growing seasons in 1992, and harvested good crops. Washington's vines rebounded remarkably from the damage caused in 1990-91. Comparatively warm temperatures ripened the grapes early in both states. The vintage is counted a good one in both states. After a good start, a cool growing season delayed the harvest of 1993 to the latest dates ever. Only a warm October saved the day. Once gathered, the crop turned out to be the largest ever in both states. Quality is more than mildly promising.

Washington, with table wines dominating its production, has seen both its internal and external markets grow faster than the national average through a combination of skillful production and moderate pricing. Oregon, in comparison, has focussed most of its efforts on the small internal market. With smaller wineries and more restricted yields, its average prices are substantially higher than those of its neighbour state.