California is truly in a league of its own when it comes to wine, even though 49 other states produce and consume it. The Golden State accounts for nearly half of all wine producers, makes about 80% of our country’s wine, and accounts for about 95% of American wine exports.
California spans two-thirds of the U.S. Pacific coast, ranges over 10 degrees of latitude, has over 620,000 acres of vineyards from Mendocino to Riverside counties. That one state is also the fourth largest wine producer in the world. In 2022, 248 million cases of California wine worth $54,8 billion were sold. The state’s 147 American Viticultural Areas constitute a majority of all in the U.S.
Well beyond production and sales, California’s 67 trade associations, research and educational institutions, major wine competitions, supplier networks, trade shows, and other infrastructure surrounding the grape and wine industry provides tangential benefits to growers and wineries throughout the country.
We are grateful to have Hinman & Carmichael, National Winery Insurance, and Wine Industry Network as supplier members of WineAmerica. Our State and Regional Associations Advisory Council (SRAAC) includes the Association of African American Vintners, Family Winemakers of California, Napa Valley Vintners, and Wine Institute.
WineAmerica is also fortunate, through Constellation Brands and Treasury Americas, to have some legacy winery members like Beaulieu, Beringer, Robert Mondavi, Simi, and Stag’s Leap. Debra Dommen of Treasurey is WineAmerica’s current Board Chair, Constellation’s Ed Matovcik is on the Executive Committee, and Jason Haas of Tablas Creek is our newest Board member.
Great Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
A scion of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon is synonymous with certain regions like Bordeaux, Napa Valley, and California in general, though it is also grown widely around the world. It can thrive in a range of climates, with the resulting wines varying in alcohol content as well as taste profile. A Stag’s Leap Cabernet was rated as the best wine in a blind tasting by French judges at the Judgment of Paris in 1976, which included both French and California wines, immediately putting California on the world wine map as a serious region for quality, where it has stayed ever since.
