United States

The best American wines come from California, the 'Golden State' of the United States. An ideal climate and a radiant sun provide delicious wines that offer 'value for money' and are bursting with fruit. With more than 90% of the production, California is the most important wine state in the United States. The state is after Italy, France and Spain even the 4th wine producer in the world. There are more than 1,600 winery's active. The total surface area of ​​vineyards is over 200,000 hectares and more than 60 different grape varieties are grown.

California is a very vast area. The nearly 2000 kilometers of coastline on the Pacific Ocean and the mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevada have a major impact on the climate. The climate is relatively even, so the wines are of a high level every year. The days are warm and dry and the nights cool. The growing season is long, so the grapes ripen slowly and develop a fruity taste. The vineyards can roughly be divided into 5 climate zones. Within these large climate zones there are dozens of microclimates. As a result, certain grape varieties grow better in one wine region than in another. The different soil conditions also play a role in this. The concept of terroir is therefore certainly an important factor in Californian viticulture.