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Napa County vs Sonoma County
Napa County vs. Sonoma County
Napa County is by far the most famous wine-producing region in the world. Rich in California history and abundantly rich in grapes. One of the first wineries was Charles Krug back in 1861, and they are still making wine. In the 1930s, Krug became one of the original 13 ranchos established for wine production, along with Caymus.
Napa is basically a pit; the Napa Valley runs north and south and is mostly landlocked. Napa and Sonoma share the Los Carneros region, located on San Pablo Bay. There are 789 square miles of land in Napa. The valley gets extremely hot during the summer, making it the ideal location for Cabernet, but not many other varietals.
In the Paris Tasting in May of 1976, or “The Judgement of Paris, the most respected names in Paris were the judges. George Taber, who was a Times magazine correspondent, wrote, “Obviously, the French wines win.” This turned out to be the biggest story about wine and started the globalization of wine. A 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelana in Napa won, and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, also from Napa, won for best Cabernet. A bottle of each is in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Thanks for bringing Sonoma County into the spotlight.
Sonoma County was originally a grape-growing county, selling grapes to Napa while producing “Dago Reds.” When a Cabernet Sauvignon says Napa Valley, not all the grapes are from Napa. They buy grapes from Sonoma and blend them for various reasons. Sonoma has 1,768 square miles of land—one thousand square miles more. Unlike Napa, Sonoma is not landlocked. The Pacific Ocean on the west and the Mayacamas Mountains to the east divide the two counties. San Pablo Bay to the south and makes Sonoma more diverse, with many growing climates in the county.
The Alexander Valley gets as hot as Napa. The coastal weather has an influence on the grapes. When the weather gets too hot, the grape refuses to work, and they wait for the fog to come across from San Francesco Bay. The Russian River Valley runs through the entire width of Sonoma. Bodega Bay and the Guadalala River also have an effect on grape growing. Pinot Noir thrives in Sonoma County, not just in Los Carnos but in many other places. The fog produces slight moisture to cool the grapes acidity. The Cabernets, Merlot, and other Bordeaux grapes enjoy the weather. Bordeaux has plenty of rain and fog.
All these varietals produce softer fruit, which produces softer, more elegant wines. in Sonoma, which adds more nuances and character. In my opinion, and I am Sonoma County trained, Sonoma County is overall a better county with all the micro-climates for growing grapes.
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I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but moved to Sacramento, California after college and California has been my home since graduating from the University of Wisconsin. I love the people of California, the landscape, and the weather but do not like the politics, especially clown New Scum Gavin Newsom aka Gavin Newscum. I love wine and everything about wines. Napa Valley is among the world’s premier wine regions recognized for its top class wines and exceptional vineyards. Napa has a Mediterranean climate with hot sunlit days and cold nights that are suitable for growing grapes. The variations in temperatures contribute to the flavors and balance of these fruits. Different types of soil including volcanic, alluvial, clay etcetera within Napa County endow wines produced in the area with unique and distinct characteristics. Napa Valley is most famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon but it also makes great Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel among others. Some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons ever made can be found in Napa Valley; they are rich, full-bodied red wines having complex flavors as well as aging potential.
Chardonnay: This one is known for balanced acidity as well as having apple notes combined with some pear or citrus.
Merlot: On this one there are smooth textures wrapped around by velvety tannin structures characterized by those black cherry flavors along with hints of plum notes.
Sonoma County is one of America’s most diverse wine producing areas. Its various climates and terroirs allow growers to grow different grape varieties. Sonoma has a wide range of microclimates ranging from cooler coastal zones suitable for pinot noir and chardonnay to warmer interior areas that favor zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. Various soils comprising loam, clay plus volcanic ash give rise to multi-dimensional wines that can only be found at Sonoma.
Varietals: Particularly renowned ones encompass Chardonnay aside from Pinot Noir though there are other examples such as Syrah and Zinfandel which are excellent performers on this region.
The finest Pinot Noir comes from Sonoma’s cooler sites such as Russian River Valley where world-class Pinots boast elegance and complexity.
Chardonnay: These are generally more restrained and elegant than in Napa, with bright acidity along with green apple, citrus and stone fruit flavors.
Zinfandel: An example would be the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma which is famous for its bold and spicy Zinfandel.
Comparing Napa to Sonoma County:
Climate:
Napa: It has a warmer climate making it favorable for full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sonoma: The climate is more diverse meaning it allows production of a wider array of grape varieties but especially cooler ones such as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
Grapes of Napa has bold Cabernet Sauvignons that are of high quality and rich Chardonnays. Grapes in Sonoma County have a wider range of wines including good Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Napa on the other hand is more developed and upscale, having many luxury wineries, restaurants, hotels etc. Contrarily, Sonoma is known for being casual where you will be able to find everything from small boutiques producing wine to big wineries. Both Napa and Sonoma Counties offer some of the best wine growing conditions in the world hence produce some world-class wines. The most luxurious place for your California wine tasting trip would be still Napa Valley that offers the best-known local Cabernet Sauvignons. However, if you prefer an informal setting then there’s no better region than Sonoma where great Pinot Noirs can be found while enjoying an easy-going pace all around. Ultimately, how do you choose? Whether you are looking for a particular type of wine or merely want to enjoy some leisurely tasting experiences;