If You Think You Know California Wine, You Better Know These 7 Grapes

California makes more than 80 percent of U.S. wine – on its own, the state is the fourth-largest wine producer in the world. Its vineyards, all blessed in one way or another by that rich California sunshine, stretch across 147 American viticultural areas, or AVAs, from the Ramona Valley, east of San Diego, to the Seiad Valley, next to the Oregon border. (Admittedly, Seiad Valley has only three acres of vineyards and one defunct winery, but it's still an AVA.) 

Despite the vast differences in climate, elevation, and soil that make California such a prime place to grow grapes, much of the state’s 615,000 acres of vineyard land are planted to just a handful of varieties; 55% of the entire acreage is planted with just seven varieties. Beyond the sheer amount of these grapes grown in the state, the wines made from them have helped shape what has become “California Wine” over more than a century and a half of grape cultivation here. 

California is best known for powerful, intense Cabernet Sauvignons, lush Chardonnays that often spend time in oak barrels before bottling, and aromatic, expressive Pinot Noirs. While the state has plenty to offer from lesser-known grape varieties, acquainting yourself with the principal grapes of California is an important first step for any wine fan. Start with these seven varieties and some excellent, affordable bottles made from them. 

Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s rare to hear the word “Cabernet” without “California” coming just before it. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the defining grapes of the Golden State, with 95,000 acres of vineyard land (about one-fifth of the state’s vineyards) devoted to its cultivation. A black-skinned grape that needs a lot of warmth to fully ripen, Cabernet is at home in California’s abundant sunshine and moderate climate. Its thick skin produces wines with grippy tannins and dark colors. 

The best-known bottlings are from Napa Valley, a longtime source for age-worthy Cabernets (and one of the most well known wine regions in the world). Napa’s fame and the quality of its wines have raised prices over time, though, and the average Napa Valley Cabernet today sells for around $100 a bottle. For value, look to Sonoma County’s warmer sites (the Alexander Valley, for example) and even more to Central Coast regions like Paso Robles or to Lake County, north of Sonoma and Napa.

2021 Tensley Fundamental Cabernet Sauvignon ($22). Central Coast winemaker Joey Tensley’s Fundamental Cabernet is exactly that. It’s a textbook example of how California’s generous climate is expressed by this variety: dark berry-plum fruit, a hint of spice, and supple tannins. – R.I. 

Chardonnay

What Cabernet is to California reds, Chardonnay is to its white wines. Nearly 20% of California’s vineyard land is planted with Chardonnay, and it's the grape behind the state’s most popular white wine. Chardonnay ripens well in California’s warm, sunny climate, though the best wines come from regions and sites that balance those warm days with cool nights; that keeps the wine’s acidity in place, balancing richness against more crisp, refreshing qualities. A good percentage of California Chardonnays are aged in some percentage of new oak barrels, which can impart vanilla and spice aromas or flavors, though a new wave of producers are leaning towards fresher styles made in stainless steel, neutral oak, or concrete.  

2022 La Crema Monterey Chardonnay ($20). La Crema’s Monterey bottling (the winery makes Chardonnays from several regions) hits an ideal balance between the rich-and-oaky and lean-and-crisp schools of Chardonnay, with a mix of tropical and orchard fruit flavors. – R.I. 

Pinot Noir

Unlike the leaner, more structured Pinots created by the cool, continental climate in France’s Burgundy, the homeland of the grape, California’s warmth generally yields a richer, juicy style of this wine. Pinot Noir is a notoriously fussy grape to grow – its thin skins make it easily susceptible to rot or sunburn, and it's sensitive to drastic changes in temperature – but when it’s good, it can be truly spectacular. Pinot thrives in Sonoma County, where it benefits from warm days, cool nights, and, sometimes, cooling coastal breezes; and finds similarly benevolent conditions in regions up and down the state that are cooled by the influence of the Pacific: the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey’s Santa Lucia Highlands, and the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, to offer a few.

2022 Valravn Sonoma County Pinot Noir ($25). This red captures what California Pinot is all about: fresh berry flavors, silky texture, and a kind of intensity that avoids heaviness. Its modest price is all the more surprising; Pinot is difficult to grow well, and good, affordable versions are a rarity. – R.I. 

Sauvignon Blanc

A sometimes polarizing grape, Sauvignon Blanc splits opinion: those who love it really love it, and those who don’t like it tend to hate it. Regardless, the variety’s sharp (or zesty, depending on your point of view) acidity and intense aromatic notes of citrus fruit and cut grass – sometimes edging towards bell pepper— serve as a counterpoint to Chardonnay’s more apple-peachy generosity. More affordable California Sauvignon Blancs can veer ripely fruity on the palate – the grapes are often grown in flatter, hotter sites that ripen fruit quite quickly. But premium bottlings can have exquisite complexity, with layers of citrusy acidity and refreshing minerality. (California is also known for Fumé Blanc, a style of Sauvignon Blanc aged in oak barrels that’s modeled on the classic white Bordeauxs of France.) 

2023 Grounded Wine Co. California Sauvignon Blanc ($15). Sauvignon Blanc in California isn’t about the peppery piquancy of New Zealand bottlings, nor the flinty steeliness of Loire Valley ones. Instead, it’s the ripe citrus-melon flavors and bright, but not piercing, acidity of this wine. – R.I. 

Zinfandel

Known as Primitivo in Italy, Zinfandel is considered by many to be California’s original grape. (Though, that geneticists have actually linked American Zinfandel and Italian Primitivo back to the Croatian variety Crljenak, which first came to the U.S. in the 1820s; it’s a long, complicated story). Many of California’s oldest vines are Zinfandel, with some vineyards’ histories stretching back to the 1880s. Regardless of age, Zinfandel vines tend to produce wines with dark berry flavors and spice notes, full-flavored but modest in tannins. 

Zinfandel can accumulate a fair amount of sugar as it ripens, so wines with 15% ABV or above are not uncommon; many winemakers feel that the grape doesn’t really achieve its full flavor profile without a fair amount of ripeness. A significant portion of California’s Zinfandel is grown in the vast Central Valley region, where it ripens easily in the region’s intense heat – these grapes tend to be used for White Zinfandel, a low-alcohol, pink-hued, sweet style of wine, or for juicy, fairly simple red blends. For the best California Zinfandels, look for wines – particularly old-vines bottlings –  from Sonoma County, Paso Robles, and Lodi.

2021 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel ($28). Made with fruit from vines that are effectively descendents of some of Sonoma County’s oldest plantings, this peppery red is packed full of wild berry flavor but manages to be relatively light on its feet at the same time — no easy trick. – R.I. 

Merlot

Merlot is Cabernet’s counterpart; less tannic and more plush, it’s used in the great reds of Bordeaux to balance out Cabernet’s muscular strength. That’s true in California, too, though here there are many more varietally bottled Merlots. Its reputation has dimmed somewhat over the years (some credit the 2004 movie Sideways with that, but there were other reasons, too, such as overplanting). But California Merlot at its best can be wonderful. It thrives in the state’s warm climate, taking on notes of red and black plum, and in cooler areas, a slight pepperiness. For premier bottles, look to producers using fruit from Napa Valley and Sonoma County. 

2021 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot ($15). Many people think of Merlot as “sort of Cabernet, but not.” That is fair — a lot of value Merlots are more or less interchangeable with value Cabernets. This affordable wine captures the variety’s mingling of red and black fruit and its softer tannins appealingly, though.– R.I. 

Syrah

While Syrah might be best known for its role in Rhône reds from France, or in Australian wines (where it’s called Shiraz), it’s also an important grape in California. Syrah is marked by its full-bodied power, and its mingling of black pepper notes with plum-blackberry fruit characteristics. California Syrah tends to be substantial and rich, its broad-shouldered generosity balanced out by (in the best wines) crisp acidity and savory herbal notes. Though the variety is grown up and down the state, the best expressions tend to be from places where warm days are balanced by cooler nights and/or ocean influence: Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County, and the Santa Lucia Highlands, particularly, but even sunny, warm Paso Robles produces some excellent versions. 

2022 Luli Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah ($25). This Central Coast Syrah hits all the right notes: savory black fruit, spicy black pepper, plenty of power, and firm but not aggressive tannins. It’s a great introduction to the variety, not to mention a great wine with steak au poivre. – R.I.