California wine Department of Viticulture and Enology. The seven leading grape varieties are: Other important red wine grapes include Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Grenache, Malbec, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, and Tannat. Important white wine varietals include Chenin blanc, French Colombard, Gewürztraminer, Marsanne, Muscat Canelli, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling, Roussane, Sémillon, Trousseau gris, and Viognier. Up until the late 1980s, the Californian wine industry was dominated by the Bordeaux varietals and Chardonnay. Sales began to drop as wine drinkers grew bored with the familiarity of these wines. Groups of winemakers like Rhône Rangers and a new wave of Italian winemakers
Baja California wine industry Petite Sirah than its cousins in Italy. These vines arrived after World War II but identification tags were lost in transit, so no one knows exactly what varieties they are. Many growing and production methods are newer as most wineries have been in existence for only a short time. Many vineyards are new or recently replanted using modern cultivation techniques, improved rootstocks and cultivars. Most wines are fermented in stainless steel. Length of maceration and fermentation depends on the producer. Red wines are usually aged in French or American oak for a period of between a couple to as many