California wine production has a rich viticulture history since the late 1700s when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of Father Junípero Serra, who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
From the Wikipedia article California wine, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
California is a wine region, United States. We track 1,012 of its wines in stock at 73 shops, from 160 wine houses, from € 6.67; mostly red, white.
- Country
- United States
- In our wines
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Primitivo, Merlot
- Styles
- Red 692 · White 278 · Rosé 7 · Sparkling 7 · Dessert 4 · Orange 1
- Prices
- from € 6.67 · median € 65.59 / 75 cl
Vintages
per year: wines in stock, prices, and the critics' scores the shops quote| Vintage | Wines | From | Median / 75 cl | Critics' score | Growing season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | – | – | – | hotso far +1.3 °C · 2,196 GDD · 112 % rain |
| 2025 | 1 | € 12.77 | € 12.77 | – | warmwet harvest +0.8 °C · 2,337 GDD · 94 % rain |
| 2024 | 39 | € 9.95 | € 28.64 | – | hotdry +2.1 °C · 2,611 GDD · 63 % rain |
| 2023 | 112 | € 10.50 | € 49.82 | 94.1 (12 wines) | averagedrywet harvest +0.1 °C · 2,193 GDD · 43 % rain |
| 2022 | 141 | € 10.57 | € 58.20 | 93.8 (16 wines) | hotdrywet harvest +1.8 °C · 2,555 GDD · 47 % rain |
| 2021 | 135 | € 6.69 | € 74.00 | 93.5 (15 wines) | hotdry harvest +1.7 °C · 2,538 GDD · 88 % rain |
| 2020 | 82 | € 10.95 | € 79.64 | 94.3 (10 wines) | hotdry harvest +1.6 °C · 2,518 GDD · 83 % rain |
| 2019 | 85 | € 15.92 | € 100.35 | 96.5 (4 wines) | average +0.1 °C · 2,178 GDD · 84 % rain |
| 2018 | 60 | € 26.63 | € 193.60 | 93.0 (2 wines) | warmdrydry harvest +0.8 °C · 2,329 GDD · 63 % rain |
| 2017 | 20 | € 50.17 | € 241.37 | 96.0 (2 wines) | warmwet harvest +0.9 °C · 2,352 GDD · 96 % rain |
| 2016 | 32 | € 19.95 | € 138.44 | 98.0 (1 wine) | averagewetdry harvest +0.4 °C · 2,256 GDD · 134 % rain |
| 2015 | 18 | € 36.00 | € 426.69 | 96.7 (6 wines) | warm +0.9 °C · 2,365 GDD · 87 % rain |
| 2014 | 19 | € 50.17 | € 280.96 | 93.5 (2 wines) | hotdrywet harvest +1.2 °C · 2,425 GDD · 58 % rain |
| 2013 | 5 | € 130.91 | € 401.38 | – | warmdry +0.6 °C · 2,282 GDD · 38 % rain |
| 2012 | 8 | € 66.90 | € 338.19 | 97.0 (1 wine) | warmdrydry harvest +0.6 °C · 2,304 GDD · 68 % rain |
| 2011 | 2 | € 160.55 | € 616.79 | – | coldwet harvest −1.2 °C · 1,905 GDD · 120 % rain |
| 2010 | 2 | € 429.67 | € 737.97 | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.6 °C · 1,866 GDD · 175 % rain |
| 2009 | 5 | € 160.55 | € 401.12 | – | averagewetdry harvest −0.1 °C · 2,153 GDD · 134 % rain |
| 2008 | 6 | € 350.00 | € 494.00 | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.7 °C · 2,306 GDD · 36 % rain |
| 2007 | 1 | € 802.77 | € 802.77 | – | averagedry ±0.0 °C · 2,163 GDD · 53 % rain |
| 2006 | – | – | – | – | averagewet −0.1 °C · 2,153 GDD · 150 % rain |
| 2005 | 2 | € 389.00 | € 504.50 | – | cool −0.8 °C · 2,004 GDD · 116 % rain |
| 2004 | 1 | € 389.00 | € 389.00 | – | average +0.1 °C · 2,177 GDD · 129 % rain |
| 2003 | – | – | – | – | average +0.4 °C · 2,310 GDD · 128 % rain |
| 2002 | – | – | – | – | averagedry +0.2 °C · 2,198 GDD · 44 % rain |
| 2001 | – | – | – | – | warm +0.8 °C · 2,357 GDD · 89 % rain |
| 2000 | – | – | – | – | averagewetwet harvest −0.4 °C · 2,076 GDD · 147 % rain |
| 1999 | – | – | – | – | coldwet −1.0 °C · 1,953 GDD · 138 % rain |
| 1998 | – | – | – | – | coldwetwet harvest −2.3 °C · 1,685 GDD · 172 % rain |
| 1997 | – | – | – | – | averagedry +0.4 °C · 2,241 GDD · 35 % rain |
| 1996 | – | – | – | – | averagewet +0.1 °C · 2,184 GDD · 133 % rain |
| 1995 | – | – | – | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.3 °C · 1,894 GDD · 134 % rain |
| 1994 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.3 °C · 2,106 GDD · 110 % rain |
| 1993 | – | – | – | – | colddry harvest −1.1 °C · 1,940 GDD · 77 % rain |
| 1992 | – | – | – | – | warmdry harvest +0.7 °C · 2,309 GDD · 87 % rain |
| 1991 | – | – | – | – | cool −0.9 °C · 1,970 GDD · 78 % rain |
| 1990 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.2 °C · 2,125 GDD · 77 % rain |
| 1989 | – | – | – | – | coolwet harvest −0.8 °C · 1,985 GDD · 117 % rain |
| 1988 | – | – | – | – | warm +0.5 °C · 2,280 GDD · 80 % rain |
| 1987 | – | – | – | – | warmdry +0.6 °C · 2,295 GDD · 69 % rain |
| 1986 | – | – | – | – | colddrywet harvest −1.3 °C · 1,888 GDD · 53 % rain |
| 1985 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest −0.4 °C · 2,080 GDD · 65 % rain |
| 1984 | – | – | – | – | average −0.2 °C · 2,117 GDD · 84 % rain |
| 1983 | – | – | – | – | coldwet harvest −2.0 °C · 1,801 GDD · 128 % rain |
| 1982 | – | – | – | – | coldwetwet harvest −2.1 °C · 1,727 GDD · 220 % rain |
Growing season (April–October; October–April south of the equator): mean temperature against California's 1991–2020 normal (hot: 1 °C or more above, warm: 0.5 °C, cool/cold below), growing degree days (warmth for the vines, base 10 °C) and rain against normal, with the harvest month (September/March) flagged when very wet or dry. Monthly data from NASA POWER (MERRA-2) at one point in the region. The current year is compared with the same months of a normal year (“so far”); its latest months are preliminary and revised by NASA later.
Critics' score: the average of the best 100-point score quoted for each wine of that vintage, as the shops quote them. A few quoted wines make a thin average; the number of wines is in brackets.
Ridge Vineyards 41 · Kistler Vineyards 39 · Tyler Winery 31 · Daou Family Estates 30 · Paul Hobbs 28 · Eisele Vineyard 26 · Au Bon Climat 25 · Kendall Jackson 20 · Francis Ford Coppola Winery 19 · Opus One 19 · Dominus Estate 18 · Leo Steen Wines 14 · Shafer Vineyards 13 · McManis Family Vineyards 12 · The Hilt 12 · Vérité 12
Napa Valley 243 · Sonoma 167 · Santa Barbara County 53 · Paso Robles 38 · Lodi 28 · Carneros 15 · Mendocino 14 · Central Coast 12 · Monterey 11 · Santa Cruz Mountains 7 · Sierra Foothills 1