California dreaming

The month of September 2006 has been christened California Wine Month. So let’s move our collective focus westward to the Golden State, and celebrate a little.

California Wine Month is a salute to the quality and progress of winemaking in the state, not to mention the fact that it produces a whopping 90% of all US wine. You’ve probably tried wines from Napa and Sonoma, so commemorate this month by discovering other fantastic lesser-known appellations like Mendocino and Paso Robles.

You may have heard that Arnie shut down the proposal to name Zinfandel the “state grape”. But in the minds of many this varietal remains characteristically Californian. That and buttery Chardonnays, euro-style Meritage, and big boozy wines (16%, anyone?) are among the many California contributions to the world of wine.

So where’s the cheese in all this? Thankfully wherever there is great wine, great cheese seems to follow. Several Californian artisan cheesemakers have become so successful that you can find their cheeses nationwide. Some of the best include Cypress Grove, Cowgirl Creamery and Fiscalini Farms.

Cheers California. We’ll be back.

Me toasting the vineyards of St Supery on a recent trip to Cali.