New California

Now it’s all about elegance, balance, minerality and poise. These kind of wines have always been made by thoughtful and purist winemakers but were rarely heard over the shouty long-hang and new-oak brigade. But the sheriff’s been replaced and these wines are now getting the column inches and attention they so richly deserve.

Californian wines are expensive there’s no doubt – mainly because they have a strong domestic market which is prepared to pay good money, but also because they are often made in small quantities by artisans. We’re not talking about the vast volumes of alcoholic fruit juice you will all have seen on supermarket shelves.

This is a great opportunity to sample 8 magical wines so you can see why there’s so much new excitement about the Golden State …