There are a lot of reasons to love the bouquet, sweetness, balance of California wine. And the Wine Institute offers up 10 of them in honor of California Wine month, September 2009.
Not to mention check out the local restaurants from La Jolla to Coronado now offering up special deals to show off their wine steals to celebrate the state's harvest : Peohe's, The Shores, The Steakhouse at Azul.
Now check out the reasons California's wine industry has scored high marks.
- They have been around for 250 years and combine art, science and innovation and tradition.
- Talk about eco-friendly, the statewide Sustainable Winegrowing Program (SWP) is a model for agricultural products and other wine regions in the U.S. and the world.
- Local, local, local--The vast majority of California's 4,600 growers and 2,800 wineries are family owned and operated businesses that go back generations.
- It's all about variety--Starting with Spanish missionaries, to German, Swiss, French and Italian immigrants to modern day entrepreneurs , have all made their mark on California wines.
- Chef inspired--Seasonal cooking and dining focuses on the popularity of California wines.
- Jobs, jobs, jobs--Generates 820,000 jobs nationwide.
- 19.7 million tourists visit California for food and wine-related activities.
- Women rule--They play a critical role in the California wine industry, taking lead positions in viticulture, wine making, sales, marketing hospitality and distribution.
- Wine grapes ensure that land stays in agriculture and preserves open space and scenic pastoral landscapes.
- California wine industry leads the way for new ventures in other states i.e. wine magazines, tv shows, blogs websites.
