Winegrape Varieties That Can Beat The Heat

Within California, a select few grape varieties dominate the wine market. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s “2015 Grape Crush Report,” only nine varieties accounted for almost 75% of all the grapes destined for wine production in California.

Just the top two varieties, ‘Chardonnay’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon,’ accounted for more than 28% of the total crush. While these top varieties may be widely planted throughout the state, their fruit and wine quality can vary dramatically by wine growing region.

About 50% of the winegrape acreage in California is found in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), an important agricultural region with a long and rich viticultural history.

Using a technique developed by A.J. Winkler and Maynard Amerine at University of California, Davis, wine-growing regions can be categorized by their heat summation units over the growing season. The SJV is undeniably categorized as a Region V, the warmest of the wine-growing region classifications and warmer than the other wine regions within California.

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