Quick Tips on Finding the Best Wine North County Has to Offer

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The search for the perfect bottle of North County wine can be a daunting affair. How can you possibly decide when presented with such a wide variety to choose from? The simple fact is that there is a wine that fits right with your palate and budget; finding it is going to be tricky but not impossible.

 

Here are some tips to help you out:

 

Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions

 

Not everyone who walks into a wine store knows exactly what they want. Besides, asking questions helps you get better at selecting the perfect wine to serve at events. And above all, salespeople want to help – it’s their job!

 

Another benefit to asking questions is that you build a relationship with the staff, who in turn learn about what you like. Based on that information, they might even suggest something new in North County wine for you to try.

 

Go for Wine in Satellite Regions

 

Burgundy is a popular wine making region in France. Wines from this area will cost a lot of money given its name and the quality it can produce. But you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a good bottle of wine.

 

What you can do instead is go for wines made in regions surrounding the popular one. It’s not a step down when it comes to quality either as the grapes grown in such regions are the same. They just don’t have the well-known name working for them.

 

For example, Pinot Noir is a red wine grape popularly associated with Burgundy. But you can get the same quality from areas like Mâconnais in southern Burgundy.

 

Check the Label

 

Your taste preference has a lot to do with how you will enjoy wine. Wine can be dry, off-dry, medium dry or semi-sweet, medium sweet, or sweet. Without tasting, how can you know what you are getting? The answer is written on the label, and the particular listing you’re looking for is alcohol by volume (abv).

 

Although the abv. listing is sufficiently reliable, taste can still be fairly subjective. For example, what might be sweet to you may just be mild to another person. That said, a bottle with an 11% alcohol level or higher is fairly dry.

 

Then again, where the grape is grown will also impact the way the wine tastes. For example, Muscat can be considered dry but it gives off a sweet smell.

 

Avoid Heavily Marketed Wines

 

Marketing an item costs a lot of money, so you can expect that to reflect when you check the bottle’s price. To avoid the shock, go for brands that aren’t yet quite known. Nothing is stopping you from buying the expensive variety but if you’re still in the stage of trying to figure out the North County wine you like, it’s best to avoid wines that have been marketed extensively.

 

Not everyone immediately finds a wine they like and stay loyal to in years to come. Selecting the perfect wine is a process that will take a while, but the journey will be worth it. And of course, never forget about proper wine storage to ensure that your money isn’t wasted.

 

Chateau 55 is centrally located and proud to serve San Diego County, including but not limited to the cities of: Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, Carlsbad, San Marcos, and Escondido

Wine Origins and How San Diego Got Its Start

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Many of the best-known wines today are from wine regions in Western Europe and the United States. However, history indicates otherwise: wine making can trace its origins to the Middle East, Western Asia, and Eastern Europe. And those regions are slowly coming back into prominence. Plus, the wines they produce are really different from the ones we know today, with location and process playing a huge role in that. Below we’ll get into some history of wine in general, as well as a bit of the history of San Diego wine.

 

Historic Wine Making Regions

 

While figuring out exactly which area started the creation of wine, evidence of the domestication of grapes has been found in the Tigris River area in Turkey. The self-pollinating grapevines found in the area are the basis of the wine we drink today. It was through trade that it reached modern wine-producing regions such as France, Greece, and Italy.

 

Wine making played a huge role in the Middle East, Western Asia, and Eastern Europe. However, a number of factors specific to each region caused the practice to decline. For instance, an alcohol ban in the Ottoman Empire led to strict restrictions. Although wine production sort of went into hibernation, it didn’t stop. And some places, like Turkey, are seeing a resurgence in wine-growing regions.

 

Wines from historic regions are still not widely recognized because of the dominance of regions like Bordeaux, Champagne, or Napa. However, the willingness to try wines made with unique native grapes and equally unique techniques might change that.

 

A History of Wine in San Diego

 

California is America’s biggest wine producer. It is largely in part to a climate that grapes prefer. In San Diego, a Mediterranean-like climate encourages the growth of a wide variety of varietals. Rhone varietals from France, like Syrah and Roussanne, as well as Italian variants, like Montepulciano and Sangiovese, grow well in San Diego.

 

But ideal climate aside, how did San Diego wine making get its start? You may very well be aware that the Spanish settled in California centuries ago, with California Missions set up on or near the coast of Alta (Upper) California of which San Diego is a part of. In fact, the area is where the first California wine grapes were planted.

 

Records indicate that San Diego County has been producing wine since 1774. The arrival of winemakers from the East Coast introduced European grapes to the area.

 

The history of San Diego wine making is a series of ups and downs. Wine production in the area was greatly affected by drought, disease, Prohibition, wildfires, and wars. However, time and again, the area has risen up and flourished.

 

Today, there are two recognized American Viticultural Areas in San Diego: San Pasqual Valley and Ramona Valley. Wines produced in these areas continue to delight audiences the world over. And when in San Diego a lot of tourists take wine tours in areas where grapes are grown, be it mountain vineyards or the countryside.

 

We all know that wine storage is essential to ensuring great-tasting wine, but location and process are just as important.

 

Chateau 55 is centrally located and proud to serve San Diego County, including but not limited to the cities of: Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, Carlsbad, San Marcos, and Escondido