The New World – an expression almost all wine professionals are familiar with. For those who don’t know, the “New World” in a wine context generally refers to any winegrowing region outside of Europe. In Practice, this can describe not only a place, but a style. But what exactly does “New World” mean in 2025? How “New” is it really? Furthermore, is it fair to make blanket statements regarding entire regions just based on their age? To examine these questions, it is essential to investigate a region in the New World, and there is nowhere better to start than California.
First, it is important to acknowledge the long history of winemaking in California. Being a former Spanish Colony, Vitis Vinifera vines were first planted here back in 1680 – almost 350 years ago. This means that winemaking in California has existed for longer than the United States of America. Of course, at first these vines were planted by Spanish Missionaries for sacramental purposes. Over time, California would go from Spanish, to Mexican and finally into possession of the United States. All throughout this, winemaking would continue to gradually grow. There was a notable boom just before prohibition – an influx of immigrants from the Mediterranean brought not only their winemaking knowledge but literal vine cuttings with them. In all likelihood, one of these cuttings from Croatia or Italy would become one of California’s most famous grapes – Zinfandel.
After Prohibition, California winemaking would make a slow comeback until it finally showed the world what it was capable of at the 1976 “Judgement of Paris.” It was this event that finally marked the end of the “Old World” wine supremacy with a flashy but objective contest in which California wines came out on top – according to French Judges! Since then, California (and especially Napa) have continued to grow and carve out their Niche. In the 1990s, a notable shift began to occur in which California Cabernets became bigger in style – mainly higher alcohol, more usage of new oak, and a flavor profile that emphasized ripe, often “jammy” fruit. This style of “bigger” wine became so popular that eventually it became synonymous in people’s minds with all wine from California.
However, while many consumers today associate all wines from California with this “New World” style, the reality is far different. There are producers who have continued to promote California’s unique climate and winemaking culture, while simultaneously new producers continue to push the boundaries of what California wine is. We are delighted to carry several wineries who fit under these categories but today, we will highlight a few.
One of Napa Valleys most Icon producers Cakebread Cellars just celebrated their 50th vintage in 2023. After 50 years they have adapted with an ever changing wine demand with a new label called Bezel. Bezel meets the demand for a new consumer base on a few major points. First, the price; the Bezel line clocks in at about a third the cost of the Cakebread line. Second, the style of the wines: the Chardonnay is less oaky/buttery and more fresh and crisp, the Cabernet is less extracted and jammy and offers more balance. Third, the regions: the Cabernet coming from Paso Robles & The Chardonnay coming from San Louis Obisbo Coast (The SLO coast they call it). These two regions are so new to market, the SLO Coast was only officially designed as an AVA 3 years ago (versus the Napa Designation in 1981). After 50 years making this dramatic new brand is exactly the kind of California Pioneer Spirit the wine world needs.
It would be difficult to speak about California producers with not only a proven legacy but continued quality without speaking of Ridge. While winemaking has been occurring at their estate in the Santa Cruz mountains since the 1880s, Ridge’s story begins in the 1960’s. Three engineers from nearby Stanford purchased the winery in 1959 and would produce their first vintage in 1962. Since then, they have continued to not only define quality in California winemaking but continue to push the boundaries of what California wine is. They excel in finding heritage vineyards across California and producing wines of balance, elegance and finesse while retaining approachability. While this is one of the wineries that competed in the judgement of Paris (and would continue to beat French wines in subsequent tastings) these wines are not just California versions of old-world wines – they are outstanding in their own right.
While California’s world reputation may have been built by wineries such as Ridge, many California wineries are still being created and are exploring new possibilities. One of the advantages of the “New World” is that there are less rules than the “Old World.” For example, if you produce wine in Burgundy, you are essentially locked in to one of two grapes – Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Otherwise, you will have to label your wine as generic “Wine of France” – a guaranteed financial mistake in the expensive region of Burgundy. However, in California the rules tend to be more relaxed. This means that if you’d like to make white wines from Italian grapes in a region that is known for their red French grapes, you can! This is exactly what Dan Petroski did with his winery – Massican.
In a classic winemaker story, Dan Petroski did not start out in wine. He was a successful journalist working at Time magazine for 10 years before he made the leap into wine. Working at several wineries in Napa and Sonoma (Larkmead, DuMol), he began to make white wine from nearby vineyards on the side. What began as a side project in 2009 eventually became his full-time job in 2015 when he left Larkmead to commit to Massican – a winery specializing in white Italian varietals from Sonoma and Napa counties. His sole intention was “to make white table wines in a Mediterranean style for the Napa Valley climate.” While this may seem strange for Napa, he has undoubtedly succeeded in this feat.
His flagship white blend “Annia” (named after his mother) is a blend of Ribolla, Tocai, and Chardonnay that feels refreshing, new and familiar at the same time while transporting drinkers to a patio in Italy. Meanwhile, “Gemina” is a distinctive blend of Falanghina, Greco and Fiano with notes of Lemon, Almond and a notable salinity. Overall, these wines are not only phenomenal, but they are unique and redefine what California wine can be.
California is a unique climate – not only environmentally, but in terms of its winemaking. In this state, legacy producers that continue to define the benchmark for quality coexist with new producers who push the boundaries of what wine can be every day. What unites both these groups is a difficult set of circumstances – financial troubles, wildfires, urban sprawl and climate change are all threats that they face every day. Just this past year, certain regions of California saw up to 10% of their grapes go unharvested due to declining demand. Yet despite all these challenges, they continue to persevere – this is why it is not only unfair to paint them all under the same “New World” brush, but it is more important than ever to support these producers by enjoying their wine.