Tired of California Cab or Chard? Here’s Why You Should Drink Wine Made From These Lesser-Known Grapes

When you think of California wine, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s big, blackberry-scented Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley, or straw-hued Chardonnays whose coconut-vanilla oak aromas jump out of the glass. Is it red-fruited Pinot Noirs, or perhaps zippy Sauvignon Blancs? California makes roughly 80% of America’s wine, which encompasses hundreds of varieties. But the state’s legendary wine identity has been distilled to just a handful of grapes and styles. 

In-the-know consumers may have a penchant for California’s Zinfandel, the state’s “original” grape planted since the 1850s. It’s being uplifted by wineries like Ridge or Sonoma’s Bedrock Wine Co. which cultivate old-vine Zin. 

Others might know the splendor of California sparkling wine, often made much like Champagne, from producers like Schramsberg or Domaine Carneros. But the true wine geeks, the ones who bring the unexpected bottle to the dinner party, are looking toward wines made from lesser-known grapes that are planting roots in the Golden State. 

One of the boons of American wine is the lack of strict regulations found throughout European wine regions. These laws codify centuries-old traditions of winemaking, where only certain grapes can be grown in a particular region. For example, to make red wine in Burgundy, it must be made of Pinot Noir; in Barolo, it’s Nebbiolo. In California, though, anything goes. 

A shifting and often perilous environmental landscape and a new generation of wine drinkers that seek lighter options has inspired grape growers and winemakers to looking beyond the “Big 4” to varieties that offer climate resistance and something new. 

Look to these five grapes to level up your California wine game.

Grenache

A hallmark grape of France’s Rhône Valley, where it makes ageworthy reds and blush-hued rosés, Grenache is a red grape that offers fragrant strawberry-raspberry notes, soft tannins, and bright acidity. Its origins trace to Spain, where it is called Garnacha and is often blended with Tempranillo in Rioja. Grenache has been grown in California since the 1860s, and was at one point the second-most planted variety in the state.

Grenache needs a fair amount of heat to ripen, so growers lean in the variety to take advantage of rising temperatures. California’s Central Coast offers the winning combination of warm days and cool nights to preserve Grenache’s vibrant acidity. However, Grenache can ripen hard and fast. Its sugar levels can accumulate very quickly and yield wines with high alcohol content. Due to this, Grenache is sometimes harvested on the earlier side to yield lighter-style reds, rosatos, and rosés. 

2022 A Tribute to Grace Santa Barbara County Grenache ($36)

Angela Osborne’s A Tribute to Grace winery is an homage to her grandmother Grace, and to Grenache itself: She makes 15 of them. This bottle exemplifies her subtle touch with the variety. It’s a silky, ruby-hued wine with vivid notes of strawberry and raspberry fruit. – R.I.

Chenin Blanc

This apple-scented variety makes Vouvray in France’s Loire Valley, and it is widely planted in South Africa’s Western Cape. Chenin Blanc grows in cool, moderate, and warm temperatures, so it takes well to California’s varied climates and can withstand the increase in shifting weather patterns. It’s often blended with Chardonnay to boost the wine’s acidity, but spectacular varietal bottlings are also being produced.

Since many younger wine drinkers seek brighter wines with a more acid-forward flavor profile, winemakers eye Chenin Blanc in regions like Sonoma County or Napa Valley. Their slightly cooler temperatures can preserve some of the grape’s lemony acidity. Looking for something a bit more luscious? Explore Chenin Blanc grown in warmer, more inland regions, where tropical fruit aromas like pineapple or mango are present. 

2023 Aperture Cellars Chenin Blanc ($35)

In the past, a lot of California Chenin was boring and somewhat sweet. Now, winemakers like Aperture’s Jesse Katz are diving deeper into the potential of this Loire variety. This perfectly poised white with orchard fruit flavors is a prime example. These grapes come from vines planted in the 1940s in Clarksburg AVA that benefit from the cooling breezes off the San Francisco Bay. – R.I.

Riesling

Only around 1% of California’s vineyard land is planted with Riesling. The reason? The aromatic white grape thrives in cooler climates like France’s Alsace, Australia’s Clare and Eden valleys, and, of course, Germany, California, as you’ve likely heard, can be a bit warm. Also, no matter how hard sommeliers and wine writers try, Americans don’t drink very much Riesling. 

It’s a shame, though. California is home to some pretty spectacular Rieslings made in dry, off-dry, dessert, and even sparkling styles. Look for wines from Monterey County, where cooling sea breezes and a long, slow growing season yields complex bottlings, as well as wines from old-vine plantings in the hills of Napa Valley.

2019 Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District Riesling ($40)

Even in Napa Valley, the land of Cabernet, a few passionate vintners — Charlie and Stu Smith, in this case — stand by the value of Riesling, one of the world’s greatest white grapes. This flinty, crisp, endlessly drinkable white also ages beautifully in a cellar. – R.I.

Petite Sirah

This inky black grape isn’t small Syrah. Nor does it have anything to do with Petit Verdot, for that matter, it’s an intense grape that yields wines with blackberry-blueberry aromas, grippy tannins, and lots of structure. It’s the kind of wine that stains your mouth purple with just one sip. From the right producers, it can be truly delicious. 

Much of the world’s Petite Sirah grows in California, but that also means that there isn’t all that much Petite Sirah in the world. California has around 12,000 acres of vineyards planted with Petite Sirah (around 0.025% of California’s total vineyard land), and the grapes are often used in blends to deepen a wine’s color and add tannins. 

Its thick skin provides that color and tannin, but also make it more difficult to ripen. That’s why Petite Sirah thrives in hot climates like those found in California’s Central Valley or Napa Valley.

2021 Chronic Cellars Suite Petite ($17)

Petite Sirah (known in the south of France as Durif) sometimes gets overlooked, but its full-bodied, blueberry-and-pepper flavors are worth knowing. This bottling from winemaker Kip Lorenzetti hits all the classic notes. – R.I.

Red Blend

Some of today’s most exciting California wines are a blend of red grape varieties. Some wines are field blends, where multiple varieties are planted in the same vicinity and vinified all together. Others are made by vinifying varieties separately and then blending the individual wines together to achieve a desired result. 

Blending provides some protection from environmental factors like vintage variation or extreme weather. Maybe your Grenache got sunburned, so you blend it with something else to mitigate those flavors. Conversely, perhaps your Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t get enough sun, so you add some Petite Sirah for color and intensity. 

Blends also allow a winemaker to really show off a signature style. Blends are made throughout California, and due to increasing climatic pressure, there will be more to come.

2021 McPrice Myers High on the Hog ($20)

Paso Robles winemaker Mac Myers makes a bewildering array of wines, mostly concentrating on Rhône varieties. All are worth drinking, but for an eminently affordable, impressively yummy, partially Rhône-grape red blend, seek this one out. – R.I.