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From: tomp@amiga.UUCP (Tom Pohorsky)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: Re: Question about California wines
Message-ID: <528@amiga.amiga.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 22:33:23 EST
Article-I.D.: amiga.528
Posted: Fri Jan 10 22:33:23 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Jan-86 04:20:03 EST
References: <2786@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Reply-To: tomp@stella.UUCP (Tom Pohorsky)
Organization: Commodore-Amiga Inc., 983 University Ave #D, Los Gatos CA 95030
Lines: 31

In article <2786@ut-ngp.UUCP> cgeiger@ut-ngp.UUCP (Charles S. Geiger, Esq.) writes:
>Why is it that California wines are almost exclusively varietals?
>This may be an incredibly naive question, but I don't know the
>answer.  French wines are mostly blends, and I really prefer them
>to the harsher tastes of the one-grape California stuff.
>
>Charles S. Geiger
>Department of Economics
>U.T.

  Decent or better California wines are "labeled" as varietal, but as such
only need to have 51% of that varietal (The laws have changed a little while
back, and that figure may be upped to 75%). It is very common that varietally-
labeled wines are blends. Note some Chateau St. Jean wines like one of their
Sauvignon Blancs: a little further down the label it sez: "(sweet)" and
"40% Semillon". (I'm pulling this off the top of the head, the figures may
not be exact, but the idea is.) Quick, what famous region's wines does this 
emulate :-?
  Specifically, there are alot of red Bordeaux-style wines that are blends.
Robert Mondavi "Reserve" Cab Sauv usually has Cab Franc and/or Merlot. I've
seen a wine labeled as Cabernet Franc, in the fine print 40% Cab Sauv.
In fact, some wineries go the route of Red Wine as their top Cabernet-type
wine, such as J Phelps and Carmenet, and blend with "no strings attached".
  Bottom line: always exceptions...

  As to "harsh", doesn't Stag's Leap get tasted anywhere outside of California
and France ???? What do you guys drink that makes CA wine such an excruciating
experience ?


       w/condolences...   tomp.