California

California’s wonderful year-round weather and abundant sunshine ensures a consistent and long grape growing season, while the diversity of the terroir supports a multitude of wine grape varieties and surprising flavour variation within them. California’s 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of rugged coastline expose nearby vineyards to natural “air conditioning” in the form of fog and breezes, making for exceptional Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other cool climate varieties. Warmer interior valleys receive the same cooling effect thanks to rivers, lakes and deltas. Meanwhile, vines planted along the hillsides get a fine mixture of cooling air and bright, unfiltered sun-conditions that Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were born to love.