California – the home of wine from USA. California is thought of as a sunny state but small areas of it are really cool and are able to produce stunning, world class wines in addition to the easy drinking “jug wines” which have made its name across the world. In the north are valleys that are cooled by early morning fog that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean. These are caused by cold, Alaskan currents hitting warm air. All of the top producing areas such as the Napa, Mendocino, Russian River and Somona are located close to breaks in the coastal ranges. These breaks allow the cold fog to roll in and cool down the vineyards which then means that the suns energy is expended in burning off the fog rather than scorching the fruit.
The success of California’s wine industry is based on a few classic grape varieties that have been introduced over the years. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are the main varieties, although there are a number of growing  varieties such as Sangiovese from Italy and Syrah and Viognier from the Rhone Valley in France.