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84-503: Historically, Charles Krug introduced innovative ideas in California winemaking . He began making wine using a cider press for pressing , carefully selected rootstocks , varietals and vineyard sites. The knowledge he gained and shared benefited the young California wine industry. Following Krug's death, James Moffitt Sr. purchased the winery in 1894. In 1943, Robert Mondavi persuaded his parents, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, to purchase

168-503: A Mediterranean climate , there are also regions with more continental dry climates . Proximity to the Pacific and unobstructed access to the coastal wind and fog dictates the relative coolness of a wine region. Areas surrounded by mountain barriers, like some parts of Sonoma and Napa counties will be warmer due to the lack of this cooling influence. The soil types and landforms of California vary greatly, having been influenced by

252-736: A financial and cultural center. Substantial tensions during this era included nativist sentiments (primarily against Chinese immigrants), tensions between the increasing power of the Southern Pacific Railroad and small farmers, and the beginnings of the labor union movement. Northern California's economy is noted for being the de facto world leader in high-tech industry ( software , semiconductor /micro-electronics, biotechnology and medical devices /instruments), as well as being known for clean power , biomedical, government, and finance. Other significant industries include tourism, shipping, manufacturing, and agriculture. Its economy

336-481: A major trading post just north of today's Portland, Oregon . British fur trappers and hunters then used the Siskiyou Trail to travel throughout northern California. The leader of a further French scientific expedition to northern California, Eugene Duflot de Mofras , wrote in 1840 " ...it is evident that California will belong to whatever nation chooses to send there a man-of-war and two hundred men ." By

420-466: A more fruit forward rather than earthy or mineralic style of wine. It also creates the opportunity for higher alcohol levels with many Californian wines having over 13.5 percent alcohol content. The style of Californian Chardonnay differs greatly from wines like Chablis with Californian winemakers frequently using malolactic fermentation and oak aging to make buttery, full bodied wines. Californian Sauvignon blancs are not as herbaceous as wines from

504-647: A part of the Bay Area, in recent years the Bay Area has drawn more commuters from as far as Central Valley cities such as Sacramento , Stockton , Fresno , Turlock and Modesto . These cities in the central part of the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills may be viewed as part of a single megalopolis . The 2010 U.S. Census showed that the Bay Area grew at a faster rate than the Greater Los Angeles Area while Greater Sacramento had

588-504: A plush, concentrated style. The profile of Californian Pinot noir generally takes on a more intense, fruity style than the subtler, more elegant wines of Burgundy or Oregon . Until being passed up by Cabernet in 1998, Zinfandel was the most widely planted red wine grape in California. This was due in part to the wide popularity of White Zinfandel . Despite being made from the same grape, the only similarity between White and Red Zinfandel

672-586: A prominent role in developing the Californian wine industry during this period - building wineries, planting vineyards, digging the underground cellars and harvesting grapes. Some even assisted as winemakers before the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act , which severely affected the Chinese community in favor of encouraging "white labor". By 1890, most of the Chinese workers were out of

756-788: A revolt and seized the small Mexican garrison in Sonoma. They raised the " Bear Flag " of the California Republic over Sonoma. The "Bear Flag Republic" lasted only 26 days, until the U.S. Army, led by John Frémont , took over on July 9. The California state flag today is based on this original Bear Flag, and continues to contain the words "California Republic." Commodore John Drake Sloat ordered his naval forces to occupy Yerba Buena (present San Francisco ) on July 7 and within days American forces controlled San Francisco, Sonoma, and Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. The treaty ending

840-526: A single gallon of wine through irrigation . The average depends, in part, on the region where the grapes are grown, with 243 gallons of water per wine gallon in the North Coast region to 471 gallons per on the Central Coast. California has over 427,000 acres (1,730 km ) planted under vines mostly located in a stretch of land covering over 700 miles (1,100 km) from Mendocino County to

924-547: Is also home to Silicon Valley , the global headquarters for some of the most powerful tech and Internet-related companies in the world, including Meta , Apple , Google , and Nvidia . The Northern California Megaregion , one of the 11 megaregions of the United States is centered in Northern California, and extends from Metropolitan Fresno north to Greater Sacramento, and from the Bay Area east across

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1008-617: Is also home to one of the largest Air Force Bases on the West Coast, and the largest in California by square meters, Travis Air Force Base . Northern California's largest metropolitan area is the San Francisco Bay Area which consists of 9 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties. The Bay Area consists of the major cities of San Jose , San Francisco , Oakland , and their many suburbs . Although not

1092-525: Is an internationally-recognized premier wine-growing region. The state of California was first introduced to Vitis vinifera vines, a species of wine grapes native to the Mediterranean region, in the 18th century by the Spanish missionaries, who planted vineyards with each mission they established. The wine was used for religious sacraments as well as for daily life. Cuttings from the vine of

1176-584: Is diverse, though more concentrated in high technology. It is home to the state capital, as well as several Western United States regional offices in San Francisco, such as the Federal Reserve and 9th Circuit Court . Northern California has a warm or mild to cool climate, in which the Sierra mountains gets snow in the late fall through winter and occasionally into spring. Summers are mild along

1260-456: Is no doubt that California wines will remain a top choice for wine drinkers around the world.” Demand for U.S. wine began to flatten in 2018 but COVID-19 pandemic distorted sales and shipments as consumers temporarily bought more. In 2024, as much as 500,000 tons of grapes went unharvested as demand decreased. California is a very geologically diverse region and varies greatly in the range of climates and terroirs that can be found. Most of

1344-434: Is often considered as having an additional division north of the urban areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento metropolitan areas. Extreme northern residents have felt under-represented in state government and, in 1941, attempted to form a new state with southwestern Oregon to be called Jefferson , or more recently to introduce legislation to split California into two or three states . The coastal area north of

1428-796: Is often divided into four main regions: Over one hundred grape varieties are grown in California including French , Italian and Spanish as well as hybrid grapes and new Vitis vinifera varieties developed at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology . The seven leading grape varieties are: Other important red wine grapes include Barbera , Cabernet Franc , Carignan , Grenache , Malbec , Mourvèdre , Petite Sirah , Petit Verdot , Sangiovese , and Tannat . Important white wine varietals include Chenin blanc , French Colombard , Gewürztraminer , Marsanne , Muscat Canelli , Pinot blanc , Pinot gris , Riesling , Roussane , Sémillon , Trousseau gris , and Viognier . Up until

1512-424: Is the name. Zinfandel is a powerful, fruity wine with high levels of acidity and a jam-type flavor. White Zinfandel is a thin, slightly sweet blush wine. While the grape does have European origins, Zinfandel is considered a unique American style grape. California sparkling wine traces its roots to Sonoma in the 1880s with the founding of Korbel Champagne Cellars . The Korbel brothers made sparkling wine according to

1596-556: The méthode champenoise from Riesling, Chasselas , Muscatel and Traminer . Today most California sparkling wine is largely made from the same grapes used in Champagne : Chardonnay, Pinot noir and some Pinot Meunier . Some wineries will also use Pinot blanc , Chenin blanc and French Colombard . The premium quality producers still use the méthode champenoise (or traditional method) while some low cost producers, like Gallo 's Andre brand or Constellation Brands ' Cook's, will use

1680-501: The Anderson Valley AVA have found vineyards where this noble rot can occur naturally on the grapes. The Anderson and Alexander Valley AVAs have also developed a reputation for their Late Harvest wines made from Riesling. Several French and Italian style Muscat wines are produced throughout California and are known for their intense aromatics and balanced acidity. The port-style wines in California are often made from

1764-552: The California state quarter . Other prominent parks are the Kings Canyon - Sequoia National Park complex, Redwood National Park , Pinnacles National Park , Lassen Volcanic National Park and the largest in the contiguous forty-eight states, Death Valley National Park . Other areas under federal protection include Muir Woods National Monument , Giant Sequoia National Monument , Devils Postpile National Monument , Lava Beds National Monument , Point Reyes National Seashore ,

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1848-828: The Cascade Range , and the Metropolitan Fresno area (anchored by the city of Fresno ). Northern California also contains redwood forests, along with most of the Sierra Nevada , including Yosemite Valley and part of Lake Tahoe , Mount Shasta (the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range after Mount Rainier in Washington ), and most of the Central Valley , one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. Northern California

1932-540: The Charmat method . The potential for quality sparkling wine has attracted Champagne houses to open up wineries in California. These include Moët et Chandon 's Domaine Chandon , Taittinger 's Domaine Carneros and Louis Roederer 's Roederer Estate . Despite being made with mostly the same grapes and with the same production techniques, California sparkling wines do not set out to be imitators of Champagne but rather to forge their own distinctive style. Instead of having

2016-469: The Cold War –era expansion of the defense industry. Since the 2000 U.S. Census, Northern California has grown at a faster rate than Southern California due to the strong economic performances of the Bay Area and Sacramento. The U.S. National Park System controls a large and diverse group of parks in northern California. The best known is Yosemite National Park , which is displayed on the reverse side of

2100-463: The Loire Valley or New Zealand and are more acidic. Some Sauvignon blanc are given time in oak which can dramatically change the profile of the wine. Robert Mondavi first pioneered this style as a Fume blanc which other Californian winemakers have adopted. However, that style is not strictly defined to mean an oak wine. The style of California Cabernet Sauvignon that first put California on

2184-582: The Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services . In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano . Its contemporary wine production grew steadily since the end of Prohibition , but mostly known for its sweet , port-style and jug wine products. As

2268-840: The Missouri Compromise . But instead, the passing of the Compromise of 1850 enabled California to be admitted to the Union as a free state . The decades following the Gold Rush brought dramatic expansion to northern California, both in population and economically – particularly in agriculture. The completion of the First transcontinental railroad in 1869, with its terminus in Sacramento (and then later, Oakland), meant that northern California's agricultural produce (and some manufactured goods) could now be shipped economically to

2352-780: The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary , and the Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries (both off the coast of San Francisco). Included within the latter National Marine Sanctuary is the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge ; this National Wildlife Refuge is one of approximately twenty-five such refuges in northern California. National forests occupy large sections of northern California, including

2436-485: The Nevada state line to encompass the entire Lake Tahoe – Reno area. Evidence of Native American habitation in the area dates from at least 19,000 years ago and successive waves of arrivals led to one of the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. The arrival of European explorers from the early 16th to the mid-18th centuries did not establish European settlements in northern California. In 1770,

2520-550: The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 where renown French oenophiles participated in a blind tasting to judge the best wines from California's wine regions and France's prestigious Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. George Taber, the sole journalist who attended the event, penned the article "Judgment of Paris" in Time magazine reporting the shocking results when the local judges ranked the California vintages higher than

2604-776: The Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond , and the Tule Lake National Monument outside of Tulelake . Northern California hosts a number of world-renowned universities including Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley . Top-tier public graduate schools include Boalt Hall and Hastings law schools and UC San Francisco (a top-ranked medical school) and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine ,

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2688-735: The Shasta tribe in the north, to the Miwoks in the central coast and Sierra Nevada, to the Yokuts of the southern Central Valley, northern California was among the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. The first European to explore the coast was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo , sailing for the Spanish Crown; in 1542, Cabrillo's expedition sailed perhaps as far north as the Rogue River in today's Oregon . Beginning in 1565,

2772-642: The Shasta–Trinity , Klamath , Modoc , Lassen , Mendocino , Eldorado , Tahoe , and Sequoia national forests, among others. Included within (or adjacent to) national forests are federally protected wilderness areas, including the Trinity Alps , Castle Crags , Granite Chief , and Desolation wilderness areas. In addition, the California Coastal National Monument protects all islets, reefs, and rock outcroppings from

2856-560: The Siskiyou Trail from missions in northern California to British and American settlements in Oregon . Although a small number of American traders and trappers had lived in northern California since the early 1830s, the first organized overland party of American immigrants to arrive in northern California was the Bartleson-Bidwell Party of 1841 via the new California Trail . Also in 1841, an overland exploratory party of

2940-589: The Spanish mission at Monterey was the first European settlement in the area, followed by other missions along the coast—eventually extending as far north as Sonoma County . Northern California is not a formal geographic designation. Historically, the state was divided by the Tehachapi Mountains which was a barrier to travelers before highways were built, and remains a bioregion barrier. This geographical barrier curves from Point Conception at

3024-536: The Summer of Love , winemaking , the cradle of the international environmental movement, and the open, casual workplace first popularized in the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and now widely in use around the world. Other examples of innovation across diverse fields range from Genentech (development and commercialization of genetic engineering) to CrossFit as a pioneer in extreme human fitness and training. It

3108-682: The United States Exploring Expedition came down the Siskiyou Trail from the Pacific Northwest. In 1846, the Donner Party earned notoriety as they struggled to enter northern California. When the Mexican–American War was declared on May 13, 1846, it took almost two months (mid-July 1846) for word to get to California. On June 14, 1846, some 30 non-Mexican settlers, mostly Americans, staged

3192-512: The plate tectonics of the North American and Pacific Plates . In some areas the soils can be so diverse that vineyards will establish blocks of the same vine variety planted on different soils for purpose of identifying different blending components. This diversity is one of the reasons why California has so many different and distinct American Viticultural Areas . The average vineyard in California uses 318 gallons of water to produce

3276-456: The "biscuity", yeasty quality that distinguishes most high quality Champagnes, premium California sparkling wines show clarity of fruit flavors without being heavily "fruity". The wines strive for finesse and elegance. The optimal climate condition allows most sparkling wine producers to make a vintage dated wine every year while in Champagne this would only happen in exceptional years. Since

3360-514: The "common black grape" (as it was known) brought to the New World by Hernán Cortés in 1520 were used to start the vineyards of Mexico . The grape's association with the church caused it to become known as the Mission grape , which was to become the dominant grape variety in California until the 20th century. The California Gold Rush in the mid-19th century brought waves of new settlers to

3444-414: The 1830s, a significant number of non- Californios had immigrated to northern California. Chief among these was John Sutter , a European immigrant from Switzerland , who was granted 48,827 acres (197.60 km ) centered on the area of today's Sacramento . American trappers began entering northern California in the 1830s. In 1834, American visionary Ewing Young led a herd of horses and mules over

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3528-552: The Bay Area is often referred to as the North Coast , touching the counties of Mendocino , Lake , Humboldt , and Del Norte . The interior region north of Sacramento metropolitan area is referred to by locals as the Northstate , consisting of about 20 counties. "Northern California" was used by Tim Draper as the name of the northernmost state to be created by splitting California into three new states. The bill, Cal 3 ,

3612-422: The Central Valley, as well as Fresno and Visalia on the southern end. Though smaller in each case, with the notable exception of Fresno , than the larger cities of the general region, these smaller regional centers are often of historical and economic importance for their respective size, due to their locations, which are primarily rural or otherwise isolated. Inhabited for millennia by Native Americans , from

3696-444: The Gold Rush era (52%) came during the 1940s, as the region was the destination of many post-War veterans and their families, attracted by the greatly expanding industrial base and (often) by their time stationed in northern California during World War II . The largest absolute increase occurred during the 1980s (over 2.1 million person increase), attracted by job opportunities in part by the expansion taking place in Silicon Valley and

3780-578: The Mexican–American War was signed on February 2, 1848, and Mexico formally ceded Alta California (including all of present-day northern California) to the United States. The California Gold Rush took place almost exclusively in northern California from 1848 to 1855. It began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma . News of the discovery soon spread, resulting in some 300,000 people coming to California from

3864-533: The Pacific Ocean eastward through Mount Pinos , Tejon Pass and Tehachapi Pass , then cuts northward through the Sierra Nevada mountain range to Mount Patterson and the Nevada border. The Mojave Desert and the Great Basin Desert are separated from Northern California by mountain ranges in this definition of bioregions. California's north–south midway division is around 37°N , near

3948-505: The Prohibition laws. By the time Prohibition was repealed in 1933, only 140 wineries were still in operation. The Californian wine industry slowly recovered from Prohibition. By the 1960s, it was primarily known for its sweet port-style wines made from Carignan and Thompson Seedless grapes and jug wines . A new wave of vintners emerged ushering in a renaissance period in California wine production with techniques strengthening

4032-464: The Russian state-sponsored Russian-American Company established Fort Ross , a fur trading outpost on the coast of today's Sonoma County . Fort Ross was the southernmost Russian settlement, located some 60 miles (97 km) north of Spanish colonies in San Francisco. In 1839, the settlement was abandoned due to its inability to meet resource demands, and the increasing Mexican and American presence in

4116-666: The Spanish Manila galleons crossed the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to the Spanish Philippines , with silver and gemstones from Mexico. The Manila galleons returned across the northern Pacific, and reached North America usually off the coast of northern California, and then continued south with their Asian trade goods to Mexico. In 1579, northern California was visited by the English explorer Sir Francis Drake who landed north of today's San Francisco and claimed

4200-453: The annual precipitation in regions north of San Francisco between 24 and 45 inches (610–1,143 mm) and southern areas receiving 13 to 20 inches (330–508 mm). Winters are mild with little threat of frost damage though springtime. To curb the threat of frost, vineyard owners will often employ the use of wind machines, sprinklers and smudge pots to protect the vines. While California's wine regions can be generally classified as

4284-493: The area for England. In 1602, the Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored California's coast as far north as Monterey Bay , where he went ashore. Other Spanish explorers sailed along the coast of northern California for the next 150 years, but no settlements were established. The first European inhabitants were Spanish missionaries, who built missions along the California coast. The mission at Monterey

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4368-520: The coast and generally warm and dry, while winters are cool and usually wet. The high temperatures range from 50s °F (10–15 °C) to 30s °F (−1 – +4 °C) in the winters while summers temperature range is 90s °F (32–37 °C) to 60s °F (15–20 °C) or 50s °F (10–15 °C), with highs well into the 100s °F (37–42 °C) for the Sacramento region. Snow covers the mountains (generally above 3,000 feet (910 m)) in mid January through February. Fog occurs infrequently or occurs normally in

4452-458: The coasts. The Gold Rush also had negative effects: American colonists chose to use genocide as a tool to remove the Indigenous people so that they could look for gold on their land. The Gold Rush also increased pressure to make California a U.S. state . Pro-slavery politicians initially attempted to permanently divide northern and southern California at 36 degrees, 30 minutes, the line of

4536-481: The development of world-famous and online business models (such as Apple , Hewlett-Packard , Google , Yahoo! , and eBay ), northern California has been at the forefront of new ways of doing business. In science, advances range from being the first to isolate and name fourteen transuranic chemical elements , to breakthroughs in microchip technology. Cultural contributions include the works of Ansel Adams , George Lucas , and Clint Eastwood , as well as beatniks ,

4620-411: The first time in 16 years, California wine sales were down. This was not due to a decrease in drinking wine as much as it was a decrease in customers' willingness to spend large amounts on wine. Jon Fredrikson, president of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, said that although sales of $ 3 to $ 6 a bottle of wine and $ 9 to $ 12 wine had seen growth, sales of wine over $ 20 had stagnated. Much of this loss in

4704-717: The grape production, fermentation and bottling processes. Several well-known wineries began in this decade, including Robert Mondavi , Heitz Wine Cellars , and David Bruce Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains . As the quality of Californian wine improved, the region started to receive international attention. A watershed event in the viticulture industry occurred in 1976 to celebrate the United States Bicentennial . British wine connoisseur, merchant and founder of France's first private wine school, L'Academie du Vin , Steven Spurrier , organized

4788-597: The inactive winery from Moffitt for $ 75,000. The winery remains owned by the family of Peter Mondavi, Robert's brother. This article about a property in Napa County, California on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . California wine California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to

4872-401: The largest growth rate of any metropolitan area in California. The state's larger inland cities are considered part of Northern California in cases when the state is divided into two parts. Key cities in the region which are not in major metropolitan areas include Eureka on the far North Coast , Redding , at the northern end of the Central Valley, Chico , and Yuba City in the mid-north of

4956-561: The largest veterinary school in the United States. (Partial list) (Partial list) The following regions are entirely or partly within northern California: Northern California is home to three of the state's four extended metropolitan areas , which are home to over three-fourths of the region's population as of the 2010 United States Census : The following are major central business districts: See also articles: See also categories: There are 11 airports in Northern California categorized as Primary Service Commercial airports by

5040-511: The late 1980s, the Californian wine industry was dominated by the Bordeaux varietals and Chardonnay. Sales began to drop as wine drinkers grew bored with the familiarity of these wines. Groups of winemakers like Rhône Rangers and a new wave of Italian winemakers dubbed "Cal-Ital" reinvigorated the industry with new wine styles made from different varieties like Syrah, Viognier, Sangiovese and Pinot grigio. The Santa Cruz-based Bonny Doon Vineyard

5124-399: The level of Morgan Hill and Chowchilla . (The geographic center of California is at 37°09′58″N 119°26′58″W  /  37.16611°N 119.44944°W  / 37.16611; -119.44944 near North Fork , northeast of Fresno. ) Popularly, though, "Northern California" usually refers to the state's northernmost 48 counties. Because of California's large size and diverse geography,

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5208-485: The market favored French brands , California's table wine business grew modestly, but quickly gained international prominence at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 , when renown French oenophiles , in a blind tasting , ranked the California wines higher than the primer French labels in the Chardonnay (white) and Cabernet Sauvignon (red) categories. The result caused a 'shock' in viticulture industry since France

5292-608: The market was occurring in overseas sales, as opposed to U.S. sales in 2010. California wine export volume has shown impressive growth and demonstrating increased popularity in a highly competitive global market. Its vintages continue to perform around the world, especially in Southeast Asia, Mexico and the EU. California vintners represent 80% of U.S. wine production and 95% of U.S. wine exports. Honore Comfort, Wine Institute vice president of international marketing commented, “...there

5376-481: The northern California coast by Spain. By 1820, Spanish influence extended inland approximately 25 to 50 miles (80 km) from the missions. Outside of this zone, perhaps 200,000 to 250,000 Native Americans continued to lead traditional lives. The Adams-Onís Treaty , signed in 1819 between Spain and the young United States, set the northern boundary of the Spanish claims at the 42nd parallel, effectively creating today's northern boundary of northern California. In 1812,

5460-619: The opportunity to expand the plantings of new grape varieties . By the turn of the 20th century, nearly 300 grape varieties were being grown in the state, supplying approximately 800 wineries. Worldwide recognition seemed imminent until January 16, 1919, when the 18th Amendment ushered in the beginning of Prohibition . Vineyards were ordered to be uprooted, and cellars were destroyed. Some vineyards and wineries were able to survive by converting to table grape or grape juice production. A few more were able to stay in operation to continue to provide churches sacramental wine, an allowed exception to

5544-462: The primer French labels in both Chardonnay (white) and Cabernet Sauvignon (red) categories. As Jim Barrett, general manager/part owner of Chateau Montelena whose 1973 Chardonnay ranked the highest , said: "Not bad for kids from the sticks." The 1976 event led to expanding the recognition and prestige of vintners in the New World, specifically, California. In 2010, it was reported that, for

5628-642: The region, increasing the population and local demand for wine. The newly growing wine industry took hold in Northern California around the counties of Sonoma and Napa . The first commercial winery in California, Buena Vista Winery , was founded in 1857 by Agoston Haraszthy and is located in Sonoma, California . John Patchett opened the first commercial winery in the area that is now Napa County in 1859. During this period some of California's oldest wineries were founded including Buena Vista Winery , Gundlach Bundschu , Inglenook Winery , Markham Vineyards and Schramsberg Vineyards . Chinese immigrants played

5712-400: The region. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico continued Spain's missions and settlements in northern California as well as Spain's territorial claims. The Mexican Californios (Spanish-speaking Californians) in these settlements primarily traded cattle hides and tallow with American and European merchant vessels. In 1825, the Hudson's Bay Company established

5796-422: The rest of the United States and abroad. San Francisco grew from a tiny hamlet, home to about 1,000 Californios into a boomtown of over 50,000 people in the 12 years between 1848 and 1860. New roads, churches, and schools were built, and new towns sprung up, aided in part by the development of new methods of transportation such as steamships which came into regular service and railroads which now connected

5880-429: The rest of the United States. In return, immigrants from the rest of the United States (and Europe) could comfortably come to northern California. A network of railroads spread throughout northern California, and in 1887, a rail link was completed to the Pacific Northwest . Almost all of these railways came under the control of the Southern Pacific Railroad , headquartered in San Francisco, and San Francisco continued as

5964-446: The shore of northern California out to a distance of 12 nmi (22 km), along the entire northern California coastline. In addition, the National Park Service administers protected areas on Alcatraz Island , the Golden Gate National Recreation Area , Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area , and the Smith River National Recreation Area . The NPS also administers the Manzanar National Historic Site in Inyo County ,

6048-687: The southwestern tip of Riverside County . There are 147 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), including the well-known Napa , Russian River Valley , Rutherford and Sonoma Valley AVAs . The Central Valley is California's largest wine region stretching for 300 miles (480 km) from the Sacramento Valley south to the San Joaquin Valley . This one region produces nearly 75% of all California wine grapes and includes many of California's bulk, box and jug wine producers like Gallo, Franzia and Bronco Wine Company . California

6132-468: The state can be subdivided in other ways as well. For example, the Central Valley is a region that is distinct both culturally and topographically from coastal California, though in northern versus southern California divisions, the Sacramento Valley and most of the San Joaquin Valley are usually placed in northern California. Some observers describe three partitions of California, with north and south sections separated by Central California . The state

6216-552: The state's 58 counties . Northern California in its largest definition is determined by dividing the state into two regions, the other being Southern California . The main northern population centers include the San Francisco Bay Area (anchored by the cities of San Jose , San Francisco , and Oakland ), the Greater Sacramento area (anchored by the state capital Sacramento ), the Redding, California , area south of

6300-458: The state's wine regions are found between the Pacific coast and the Central Valley . The Pacific Ocean and large bays, like San Francisco and Monterey Bays , serve as tempering influences to the wine regions nearby providing cool winds and fog that balance the heat and sunshine. While drought can be a vinicultural hazard, most areas of California receive sufficient amounts of rainfall with

6384-405: The traditional Portuguese wine grapes like Touriga Nacional , Tinta Cão and Tinta Roriz . Some uniquely Californian styles are also made from Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal ) is a geographic and cultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California , spanning the northernmost 48 of

6468-469: The west and coast, especially in the summer, creating some of the coolest summer conditions in North America. Since the first decade of the 21st century, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency as a consequence of climate change . The population of the forty-eight counties of northern California has shown a steady increase over the years. The largest percentage increase outside

6552-419: The wine industry. The late 19th century also saw the advent of the phylloxera epidemic, a type of parasite similar to aphids , which had already ravaged France and other European vineyards . Vineyards were destroyed, and many smaller operations went out of business. The remedy of grafting resistant American rootstock was well known, and the Californian wine industry was able to rebound quickly, utilizing

6636-505: The wine renaissance of the 1960s, the quality of California's dessert and fortified wines have been dramatically improved. Beringer was one of the first to create a botrytized wine from Sauvignon blanc and Sémillon . Though unlike in Sauternes , Beringer's wine was made of grapes regularly harvested and then introduced at the winery to Botrytis cinerea spores created in a laboratory. Since then California winemakers in places like

6720-533: The world's wine map at the Judgment of Paris is still a trademark style today. The wines are known for their concentration of fruits which produces lush, rich wines. Merlot became widely planted in the 1990s due to its wide popularity, and is still the highest selling of all varietal wines in the country. Many sites that were ill-suited for the grape began to produce harsh, characterless wines trying to model Cabernet. Merlot, when planted on better sites tend to produce

6804-456: Was first established in 1770, and at San Francisco in 1776. In all, ten missions stretched along the coast from Sonoma to Monterey (and still more missions to the southern tip of Baja California ). In 1786, the French signaled their interest in the northern California area by sending a voyage of exploration to Monterey. The first twenty years of the 19th century continued the colonization of

6888-670: Was one of the first wineries to promote these grape varieties in California actively. The large variety of wine grapes also encourages a large variety of wines. California produces wines made in nearly every single known wine style including sparkling , dessert and fortified wines . In the early 21st century, vintners have begun reviving heirloom grape varieties , such as Trousseau gris and Valdiguié . While Californian winemakers do craft wines in more "Old World" or European wine styles, most Californian wines favor simpler, more fruit dominant New World wines . The reliably warm weather allows many wineries to use very ripe fruit which creates

6972-545: Was prevented from appearing on the 2018 California ballot because of a constitutional review by the Supreme Court of California . Since the events of the California Gold Rush , Northern California has been a leader on the world's economic, scientific, and cultural stages. From the development of gold mining techniques and logging practices in the 19th century that were later adopted around the world, to

7056-646: Was regarded as foremost producer of the world's finest table wines. This event contributed to expanding the recognition and prestige of vintners in the New World , specifically, the "Golden State". The state produces about ninety percent of the American wine supply and is the fourth largest wine producer among the world's independent nations. California has more than 4,200 wineries ranging from home-grown and small boutiques to large corporations with international distribution, and even more vineyards and growers, at close to 6,000. Wine Country , in Northern California,

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