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Nevada City Varietal Classes - Single Session - Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot -05-14-10 x 1
$95.00
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“A great wine education class. I was amazed by the instructor's wealth of knowledge, the great wines to taste and talk about, and the small, intimate class size. A fun way to learn a lot about wine.”

—Will, Ritchie Creek Vineyards

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California & Pacific Northwest Wines Weekender
March 19th, 20th & 21st, 2010

Special 3 Sessions Weekend Class

Fort Mason, San Francisco
~ $259 per person; $469 per couple.
~ Fri 7:00 pm to 9:15; Sat class 5:00 pm to 7:15; Sun 11:30 am to 2:00 pm

A 'Weekender' installment of our 3-session class--a sophisticated introduction to the wide range of prices, regions, grape varieties, and lifestyles found in the best wine producing districts of America’s Left Coast.
Click below to enroll now, space is limited.


Class 1: COOL CLIMATE REGIONS: Central Coast, Oregon, British Columbia

History ~ Mission vineyards in CA from 1770. Jean Louis Vignes in Los Angeles in 1820. Gold Rush. Morman pioneers and the German immigrant enclave at Anaheim. Phylloxera in Europe. Ethnic communities around San Francisco Bay: French at San Jose, English in Livermore, Italians in northern Sonoma, Germans in Napa. Logging in the Santa Cruz Mtns. Competition, and railroad recession, weaken the industry at turn of the century. Prohibition in U.S. and Canada. Fresh grape business during Prohibition. Varietal labeling after 1933. Rise of the boutique winery in the early 1970’s as the Baby Boomers come of age. Land prices and the movement from the Santa Clara to Napa, then Sonoma, then Central Coast, now into Sierra Foothills. Internet and direct sales.

Worldwide comparisons ~ Labor pools, expertise. Capitalization, equipment. Domestic and export markets. Climate and topography.

Central Coast ~ Tax incentive planting in the 1970's. Rolling grasslands and oak studded hills suitable for grazing. Marine sediments scraped off Pacific plate. Aridity. Long growing season. Cool ocean side; hot inland side. Fog, wind. Concentrated mid-palate. Ageable chardonnays. Effect of El Nino storms.

Oregon ~ CA refugees in late 1960’s. Alliance with State tourism. All eggs in Pinot Noir basket. Oregon State vines. Prominent wineries challenge image of boutique producer. Soil variations, controversies concerning AVAs. Climate variability. Willamette Valley, Umpqua, and Rogue regions.

British Columbia ~ Provincial liquor boards and protectionism. French-American hybrids. NAFTA. VQA. Unique character of Okanagan Valley. 52º of latitude. Lake Effect. Land values. Big corporations vs. boutique producers. Osoyoos Reservation. Row orientation and mechanical harvesters. Icewine compared to Germany.



Class 2: MID-RANGE: Sonoma, Mendocino, Bay Area, Sierra Foothills

History ~ 4,000 ac in Santa Cruz Mtns in 1880s. Wetmore and Mel in Livermore ~ Wente today. Chaine d'Or and the Lineage of Wackos. Central Valley before the 1902 Reclamation Act. Small holders in Lodi. Re-emergence of Sierra Foothills. Old Zinfandel vineyards saved by White Zin. Russians vs. Spanish in Sonoma before Bear Flag Revolt. Italian immigration. Jack London and Luther Burbank. Grapes going elsewhere. Healdsburg becomes a destination. Mendocino split off from Sonoma (and Lake County from Napa) in 1920's. Historic isolation of Anderson Valley.

California comparisons ~ Central Coast vs. North Coast vs. Sierra Foothills in terms of geology and lifestyles.

Bay Area, Delta, Sierra Foothills ~ Low passageways for fog and marine air. Steep gradients in Santa Cruz Mtns. Diked Delta islands. Sierra batholith and vineyards to 3,600 feet. Franciscan melange in the coastal mountains. Peat vs. sand in the Delta. Clay vs. gravel in Livermore. Tailings in the piedmont of the Sierras vs. eroded granite vs. iron rich red soils of Amador. Increased rain at higher elevations. Wind and the importance of aspect. Snow and diurnal fluctuation. Aromatic characteristics at high elevation.Warehouse wineries. Land prices and hobby vineyards. Tannin management in the higher Sierra vineyards. Tourism and cellar door sales ~ Fairplay and Hecker Pass. Places to stay or eat.

Sonoma & Mendocino ~ Inland Mendocino vs. the coast. Geysers geo-thermal. Russian River flood plain. Conifer forest effect on pH. Fog intrusion along Russian River. Morning sun vs. evening sun. Old Zin vines, and promiscuous plantings. New plantings of Pinot Noir. Attractions: oysters, abalone, mushrooms, art, sheep dog trials, canoes and bicycles.



Class 3: WARMER, DRIER DISTRICTS: Napa Valley, Washington, Mexico

History ~ George Yount. German influence. Architectural heyday in the 1880s. Spa and resort era. Collapse after railroad collapse. Ghost wineries. Revival in the late 1960s typified by Mondavi and Stony Hill. Explosion in the 1970s. Columbia Valley investments, mid-1990’s exports, particularly of Merlot. Mexican highlands largely converted to brandy under Ortiz following WWII. Ensenada on the heels of NAFTA.

Napa Valley ~ AVA comparisons. Pull-apart basin with meandering river. Shallow sediments in Carneros. Variability of sites. Temperature gradient moving north. Drier in the east after the rain shadow imposed by the western mountains. Inversion layer over 1,400 ft. Land prices. Phylloxera and the new trellising system. Vanity labels. Tourist trade and unique architecture. Cult Cabs. Big yields vs. small crops, and the effect on wine writers. Magic of the benchlands. Accomodations, food, art.

Washington ~ Missoula Floods. East-west running ridges with top soil on top, but very little on the sides Short season because of northerly latitude, but long, hot mid-Summer days. Less than 10 inches per year of rain. Winters is cold, and winter kill is always a danger. Many grapes on their own roots. WA has state stores for hard liquor, but wine and beer can be sold in grocery stores and private shops. Regional AVAs.



Schedule

Winter Semester - Fort Mason, San Francisco
~ $259 per person; $469 per couple.
For the couples price for the March 2010 class in San Francisco,
enter coupon code CPNWKmar10SF in the checkout window