Travel smarter | Find top restaurants | Volcanic Wine Awards | 25th anniversary events

The pursuit of California balance

Tuesday 20 March 2012
Image

Clumsy. Overripe. High alcohol. Over oaked. Fruit driven. Massive. Sweet. Made for Mr Parker's Palate.

The historical stereotype of California wine, like all stereotypes, has a basis in truth. Especially for many Europeans, whose exposure to these wines consist of a lot of industry commentary flavoured by a precious few bottles that make it across the Atlantic and don’t go far towards dispelling the reputation. Even most Americans in the wine business with more than an ounce of perspective will readily admit that American tastes in wine lean towards the bigger, riper, and sweeter end of the spectrum. Both national...

Become a member to continue reading
Member
$119
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 283,929 wine reviews & 15,758 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 283,929 wine reviews & 15,758 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 283,929 wine reviews & 15,758 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 283,929 wine reviews & 15,758 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Alder on America

SLO Coast Derbyshire Vineyard
Alder on America This new AVA delivers on cool-climate wines – and excellent value for money. Above, the Derbyshire Vineyard, the Pacific Ocean...
Mokelumne Glen vineyard
Alder on America A little corner of Germany and Austria in Lodi (photo of Mokelumne Glen Vineyard by Randy Caparoso). Psychologists analysing paratroopers...
A closeup of the ingredient label on a Ridge wine.
Alder on America US wine labelling rules look set to follow those in the EU – at some point. Alder examines the complicated...
US recession image
Alder on America The US wine industry eyes up the prospect of a recession (although at least they have a nice strong currency)...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Arribas do Douro vineyard
Tasting articles What Julia does when she has (almost) finished work. The five months since my last Portuguese collections have passed in...
Majestic Wine logo 2021
Tasting articles A mixed bag with some definite gems in it. Jancis writes Majestic’s buying team continue to do a good job...
Grüner Veltliner in Kollmütz
Tasting articles Riesling and Grüner Veltliner from Austria’s most exalted white-wine region. See also our reports on Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from...
Szapary Alte Garten
Tasting articles Reds were outnumbered 5 to 1 at the Grafenegg tastings but more than held their own. See also our reviews...
The exterior of Eden House, a red-brick Victorian house in Cumberland
Inside information The first of a new seven-part podcast series giving the definitive story of Jancis’s life and career so far. This...
Enclos exterior in Sonoma
Nick on restaurants Behind this facade is a new, Michelin two-star restaurant. Across the square in Sonoma is a much more relaxed establishment...
Wine-news-5-min logo and a photo of an old vine in autumn
Wine news in 5 Video Before I get to global news, a couple bits from us. First and foremost, a huge congratulations to our...
Tour d'Argent wine list
Free for all Jancis grapples with this five-kilo wine list and tours the cellars that supply it. See also The renovated Tour d’Argent...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.