Wine experts-West coast v. European reds

I’m no expert so looking forward to hearing from people who know more about European wines.

I’ve found that you can get good value and taste from the Lodi region of CA.

quote:

---

west coast wines

---

That can mean a lot of things. It depends on the varietal.

If you like west coast cabs and like Spanish wines, I would try something like a chateauneuf du pape.

This is a big topic (Old World vs. New) involving some big, broad subtopics (reds generally)

But as a starting point, California reds tend toward a bigger, bolder, fruit-forward style. Wagner (Caymus, etc.) is most famous for this but it's spread far and wide now, including into Europe. There are more reserved and classically styled wines in California (Ridge is one we often talk about here), so you may want to consider IDing some of those wineries and doing the same comparison vs. your typical west coast bottles to see if that accounts for a lot of what you're experiencing.

But if you compare a more classic Bordeaux with a comparably priced Cali Cabernet blend, that is the most likely big distinction. The Bordeaux is likely going to be more reserved and subtle, while the Cali wine is going to be bigger and fruitier and more likely to appeal to irregular wine drinkers.

As for why, that's a large topic too, but sure, grapes and terroir matter, but so does winemaking, which is why you're seeing some mini controversy when respected and historic wineries in France are trending toward bolder outputs.

There are a lot of variables here so this is a very generalized take. Another consideration too is pricing. Domestically you're going to get a better product for less more often, even if the style is different and hard to account for. So if you're trying to get a 30-40 dollar burgundy it's likely not going to be of the quality of a 40 dollar oregon pinot, at least when placed in the respective wine hierarchies of each location. Again I hesitate to say too much on that because it's just so hard to speak in generalities, but it's a consideration.

Pettifogger is right on. California tends to make riper wines, with higher sugars and hence higher alcohol. CA also tends to use a lot of newer oak barrels whereas the French typically use neutral barrels or foudres. Basically CA wines tend to be more fruit forward and enjoyable on their own, with an emphasis on ripe fruit and higher alcohol. French wines are typically more balanced and made to be drunk with food. These are generalities and there are exceptions on both sides. When I started being interested in wine 25 years ago I found European wines to be thin and acidic, as I’ve aged I have gravitated to that style and don’t really care for most CA wines. You’ll find riper wines from Europe in the warmer climes like southern France, Spain and central/southern Italy.

Some of it is style, some of it is the grape. Some of it is logistics (it can be more expensive to import from Europe to there is usually a higher mark up.)

If you’re drinking a lot of big bodies super ripeCali Cab’s they are going to be very different than Bordeaux or Burgundy.

I find A lot of Cali Pinot Noir’s tend to be super ripe as well. Oregon Pinot tends to be more like old world Pinot.

quote:

---

I found European wines to be thin and acidic,

---

Yes!
Thanks to all for this discussion.

quote:

---

higher sugars

---

quote:

---

higher alcohol

---

quote:

---

fruit forward

---

think this is why Americans love Cali wines

do euros drink cali wines?

quote:

---

chateauneuf du pape.

---

According to The Reverse Wine Snob site Costco has one for about $22
I will give it a try!

Yes Kirkland branded.

LINK

Where do South American wines typically fall on that spectrum?