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We know California is full of cool kids, but it's hard to know it's full of cool wines from our seats up in BC.
Cool climate wines that is. Many winemakers and winegrowers are entirely on board with the international trend towards fresher, lighter, lower-throttle wines. Climate change has further nudged many growers to seek out cooler vineyard sites at altitude and under the influence of the chilly Pacific Ocean and her cooling fogs.
Earlier this year, the San Luis Obispo Coast became an official AVA, delineating a 97km stretch affectionately known as the SLO Coast, with coastal-hugging vineyards built on fresh acidity. And just this week, the newest California AVA was announced: West Sonoma Coast, the furthest western sliver of Sonoma, cited for its unique maritime growing influences.
The recognition and official delineation is just one sign that California wine is trending cool. The other, most certainly, is the influx of young, travelled winemakers inspired by and rooted in winemaking traditions that aren't connected to rich, dense, concentrated, sun-driven wines.
While here in BC and Canada, we are largely waiting for this wave of California cool to swell, there are a few producers floating around I urge you to seek out.
