If there were ever a year to start drinking, 2020 is very likely the one! With an alarming and dangerous pandemic terrorizing populations from sea to shining sea, jobs lost, schools closed, churches restricted, businesses boarded up, whole countries’ economies shut down, earthquakes, acrimonious political warfare, and incredible wildfires burning across millions of acres of land, it is certainly a year to break open a bottle and escape from our turbulent reality. While drinking to excess is not recommended (Regret is never sweet the morning after!), a moderate amount of good wine might be just the thing to raise one’s spirits and induce more than a few well-deserved moments of joy and wellbeing.
With Thanksgiving and the winter holidays on the way, now is the perfect time to pick up a couple of fabulous bottles of wine to grace your festive table. As our gatherings are smaller and more intimate this year, we have all the more reason to buy better wine and truly indulge in a delicious quaff. As a patriotic American and native Californian, I suggest supporting our local industry and purchasing wines from the areas directly hit by the horrific Glass Fire – the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
Napa is without a doubt the USA’s most prestigious winegrowing region. However, the USA by tradition, until the 1960’s, was not a wine drinking nation. Just a glance at television shows like “Mad Men” confirms that Americans have historically preferred cocktails and hard liquor to wine. In the 1960’s, little good domestic wine was available to the consumer and French wine was considered overpriced and extravagant. At the time, Americans weren’t convinced that any sort of wine deserved a place on their evening dinner tables, much less American wine.
So why did Americans finally gravitate to the pleasures of wine, and more specifically, American wine? It may have had something to do with the role of the media. Julia Child was quite the national celebrity and often known to indulge in a glass of wine (or two!) while filming her wildly popular televised cooking show. The effusive Ms. Child literally brought wine into the homes of average Americans on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, the quality of American wine improved drastically in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Napa and Sonoma wine producers began planting higher-end grapes in their vineyards. Intrepid winemakers, like the esteemed Andre Tchelistcheff, took the reins from the old guard and ran with cutting-edge wine production technology such as cold and malolactic fermentations, a strict emphasis on hygiene in the winemaking process, and the introduction of aging in American and French Oak barrels.
The American Fine Wine Movement was off and running! Once word got out of the incredible wines being produced in our own humble vineyards, there was a rush on the market. Americans began purchasing the wines of California and not long after, a beautiful love story began. It was only a matter of a few short years before the entire world would sit up and take notice of the stellar wines coming out of California. Today, we reap the bounty of those creative years. California wine is plentiful, affordable, delicious, and celebrated all over the world for its excellence. There is much for which to be grateful!
So, in this year of mind-boggling challenges, let’s give thanks to the wine producers of Napa and Sonoma who led the way to American greatness in the wine industry. Pop open a bottle of classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and taste that Rutherford dust! One of my favorites is the earthy and spicy Hall Cabernet Sauvignon – impeccable! Or if white wine is more your jam, savor the toasty notes of butterscotch and vanilla cream in a Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay! With wines of such quality and complexity, either is perfect with your holiday feast, or maybe indulge in both.
A bounty of extraordinary Napa and Sonoma crafted wines are easily available at your favorite local wine shops and through online shopping. Support California’s most prestigious local industry. This year, drink California wine! Have a beautiful holiday. Cheers!
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