California’s wine-making dates back to the 1700’s. It wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that California wineries established themselves as world leaders in the wine industry though.
While continuously challenged by other U.S. wine-growing regions, California wineries continue to account for approximately 90% of U.S. wine production. California’s reputation for quality rests not only on an ideal climate, but also on the innovation and determination of California wine-makers.
While many California wineries take full advantage of what technology has to offer, others have forsaken technology in an effort to produce natural, non-interventionist wines. This diversity is also represented in the variety of soils, climates and grapes grown. Nearly 100 grape varieties are grown in the state’s 90+ viticultural areas.
Tours typically last from 30 to 60 minutes per tour and they are well worth your time to check out the different ones. Each one has their own flavors, beauty, and charm to experience.
What is even more awesome is that most wineries offer free samples of their wines when you go through a tour as well. Some do more formal tasting events as well. The tours are extremely interesting and fun to do too. They aren't just there to sample the wine that you're looking forward to but are actually very informative and you get to meet a lot of like-minded people usually that are also doing the tour. It's always nice to a fellow wine lover! - Be sure to call ahead if you are planning on doing a tour at one of the wineries or vineyards though to check on availability since many of them get very busy during season.
