Ellie Daly
A group of 18 members of the PebbleCreek Singles Club had an enjoyable evening on April 16 at Total Wine and Spirits learning about and tasting eight different wines from California.
We learned that if California was a country, it would be the fourth-largest wine producer in the world, behind Fance, Italy, and Spain. The state is home to more than 600,000 acres of vineyards with over 4,600 bonded wineries and produces about 85% of the wine made in the United States. The leading varieties are Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The American Viticultural Area (AVA) system was implemented in 1983. Wines declaring an AVA on the label must be at least 85% grapes grown in that specific area.
But more importantly we learned not to just pour and drink but to follow the four steps to evaluate wine, which is See, Swirl, Sniff, and Sip.
It was a great class that was taught by one of the store’s wine connoisseurs.