A favorite phrase in the Napa Valley is that Cabernet is King. That refers to the wide spread cultivation of the big red wine grapes (Bordeaux style varieties), Cabernet Sauvignon and its blending cousins, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot. There are also the distaff side of the family, the white grapes, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Growers love Cabernet Sauvignon because it is a thick skinned grape that produces a richly flavored wine and it stands up to tough conditions that would destroy other varietals in the vineyard. If it has a downside, it's that the tough tannins that make it so durable produce a wine that needs to age several years so those tannins will break down and soften in the bottle. Those blending grapes also help round out the final product.
Farming, even one as elegant as grape vines, is a patient business, and the willingness of vintners to wait many years for a return on their hard work and investment is a point of pride. It is a way of saying that, 'I live my live with foresight and depth so I can plan for the future, and then wait all of those years to open a bottle of wine at Thanksgiving and say, that was worth the wait'.
But, farmers are worriers, which is not surprising since they depend on something which they can't control, the weather. Even when everything is going great, in the back of their minds they are thinking of storm clouds. With that kind of undercurrent you can see why a dependable grape like Cabernet has so many devotees. As a result there is a lot of Cab planted in the Napa Valley.
And just like Thanksgiving is also a great time for turkey farms, the other blending grapes are popular because they make Cabernet more palatable. Although many wines are labeled Cabernet, it is rare when they are not blended with something else to round out the flavors. A big part of Napa's success comes from this being one of the greatest places to grow those dependable varietals.
Not surprisingly, the number of up valley vineyards that don't grow Bordeaux varietals are rare. Far up valley Zinfandel is popular as a remnant of the prohibition era. What is rarer still are growers of the Burgundy and Rhone style grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The reasoning is that up valley is too warm to grow those grapes, so they are limited to the cool band along the bay called Los Carneros.
The truth is, it gets pretty hot in both Burgundy and the Rhone region. There have been some wonderful Chardonnay grapes grown in Rutherford. One of the most dependable Chardonnay vineyards in the state is in the hot Alexander Valley, north of Napa in Sonoma. The vineyards of Oak Knoll and Yountville have produced winning Chardonnay, and Syrah can be found tucked here and there throughout the Napa Valley. But Cabernet is more dependable, produces more per acre and brings more money per ton.
When you are touring the Napa Valley finding wineries what don't focus on the Bordeaux grapes is a huge treat, after all, the palate gets bored. Wineries like Elizabeth Spencer and Failla are up Valley but their Vineyards are far away in Sonoma. Up on Spring Mountain the tiny School House winery, located in Cab Central, have always focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (From Burgundy's Domaine de Romanee Conti), even though it is dry farmed. Reverie up on Diamond Mountain grows an amazing variety of grapes outside of the Bordeaux family. Providing this kind of variety is possible, although riskier.
In Sonoma, which is twice as large as Napa and enjoys a wider variety of micro-climates, the diversity is wider, with seventy to hundred varietals represented. But that diversity, just like Sonoma's tendency to brand by small regions instead of under the broader Sonoma name has hurt their marketability. But not so much, an analysis of the favorite restaurant brands finds Sonoma very well represented.
I taste much more wine than I drink because getting to know the flavors of the wineries I'm going to bring visitors provides helpful insights. but my palate gets bored. The fault is less with the wines than it is with my tastes. Most people in the wine field don't know that I'm a Master Herbalist. I have been working and tasting therapeutic herbs for about forty years and the variety of flavors I've experienced in that time are incredibly diverse.
In Italy there are about two thousand varietals that they have identified and an equal number about which they don't have a clue, but that's what genetic testing is for. I'm hoping that the maturing palate of the American consumer will inspire the North Bay winemakers to grow a wider number of varietals, change up the flavors, give some other grapes a chance.
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