USA

History--red

North America is a unique wine producing country, being home to plenty of native grape varieties that are actually a slightly different strain of grape to those we tend to associate with wine. These grapes are of the vitis labrusca family, as opposed to vitis vinifera that we all know and love.

Upon arriving in the USA, Vikings supposedly referred to it as Vinland due to all the grapes they found there!

Wine was being made by the mid-1500smid-1800s, by Swiss and French settlers, and by the late 1700s California had joined the party and started to really produce significant volumes. Prohibition put a halt on everything in the mid 1800s, but picked back in the 1930s. Leading the way to new methods of wine production was research conducted at the University of California - Davis and in the 1970s and 1980s, success by Californian wine-makers in the northern part of the state helped to secure foreign investment from other wine-making regions abroad.

Americans became more educated about wines, and increased their demand for high-quality wine. All 50 states of the USA now grow grapes, and wine is enjoyed from coast to coast.

Main regions--aromatic

California: Napa/Sonoma Valley - These two valleys lie next to each other on the west coast, separated by the Mayacamas mountains. Sonoma is closest to the coast and on the other side of the mountains is the more famous Napa, itself protected from the heat of inland California by a mountain range, the Vacas.

California produces over 80% of the entire wine production of the whole country, which is quite amazing, and these two regions certainly dominate the production. From Cabernet to Pinot Noir to sparkling wine, they do it all, and the wines command great respect across the world.

Oregon: Willamette Valley - Oregon is located in the north west corner of the USA, and is home to some incredible Pinot Noir vineyards. Pinot Gris is the most popular white, but Pinot Noir is certainly the star here, with vineyards really only taking in the 1970s, but amassing acclaim speedily.

The biggest region is the Willamette Valley, and it contains the majority of the wineries in Oregon. It has a cool, humid climate, with warmth regulated by airflow off the Pacific.

Main grapes--racy

To be honest, there's a bit of everything grown in the USA (similar to Australia), but we've focussed on the really popular ones!

Cabernet Sauvignon - probably number one in North America, and certainly the grape championed by the Napa Valley, and thus the wine that introduced North America to the world. Lush, filled with fruit and powerful oak, the wines are certainly not shy, but the best age wonderfully.

Zinfandel - a grape whose origins lie in Croatia, mid-1500swas adopted by some inland regions of California and became emblematic of rich, red USA wine. Can ripen frightfully quickly and result in high alcohol levels and flavours of fig and prune

Pinot Noir - the best wines made in the USA may well be from Pinot Noir - full of fruit yes, but with a suppleness and florality that is essentially Pinot. Lots to love.

Chardonnay - the new wave of Napa Chardonnay mirrors what has happened in Australia - a move from fat and tropical to lean and racy. The middle ground is probably best - textured wines that are tense and detailed.

Specific wine styles--strawberry

Powerful reds - Napa Cab, Zin etc

This is really the style that set the USA wine scene on its course. As with Australia, ripeness is no issue for these warm regions, and California lived up to its name of the sunshine state by continually producing powerful reds that had waves of sweet fruit. Zinfandel became popular due to its natural tendency to produce bigger styles, although winemakers now are searching for a little more elegance