North America

The United States of America is a hugely diverse source of wine, with room for everything from the smallest artisan wineries to the giants of worldwide super-brands.

The most famous regions of the America’s include California, Washington and Oregon, which are found on or inland from the western coast of America, where the Pacific winds have a cooling effect on the vineyards as far as 50 miles inland.

California is the most important wine region and was the first New World region to be recognised internationally as a source of top-quality wines. It produces some of the world’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Zinfandel wines. Napa and Sonoma are two important regions of Californian wine production, however, regions such as Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Cruz are gaining reputations for the production of quality wines.

Oregon, located in the Pacific NorthWest of America, has a wet, maritime climate and has long been regarded as a source of quality Pinot Noir. The region was put firmly on the map in 1979 when Robert Drouin organised a blind wine-tasting competition. David Lett entered his Eyrie Vineyard Pinot Noir and came second trouncing many prestigious Burgundies in the process. In addition to outstanding Pinot Noir, Oregon also is a great source of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

Washington State is a dry, semi-desert wine area that has in recent years become internationally renowned for its red Bordeaux and Rhône style wines. Now the second largest producer of premium wines in the USA, Washington stands shoulder-to-shoulder with California as a source of outstanding quality wines.