At Fleming's, which is based headquartered in California, in-state wines are well represented on menus nationally, with almost sixty California offerings approximately menued by the glass.
Calif-oenophilia Traditional Golden State favorites meld with
alternative grapes and are emerging areas on lists. By Kelly A. Magyarics
C
alifornia wine is as strong as ever. According to Cheers' parent company, Th e Beverage Information Group, and the ten leading California wine brands saw a 3.7
percent increase from 2009 to 2010. Th ough Napa and Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay continue to sell strongly, other regions, styles and varieties in the state are becoming increasingly popular in restaurants and bars. Many operators were happy to suggest ways to include California's lesser- known off erings and emerging regions, while still maintaining customers' tried and true favorites. On many lists, the most prolifi c white wine option still tends to be the grape for which California has been most famous, but
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the popularity of the style may be slightly waning. "California Chardonnay will always be a top seller, but we are getting fewer requests for the big buttery, fruit-forward toasty style that has dominated for so long," declares Kiley Wynne Efron, owner of Taverna in Jacksonville, Florida. Th e 107-seat Italian-focused restaurant carries fi ve or six California wines by the glass priced $7 to $11, and close to twenty bottles priced $28 to $80. Th ough it's certainly still well represented on wine lists, the
unabashedly woody style of Chardonnay that has undergone extended malolactic fermentation may be falling a bit out of favor. Customers are learning that its high alcohol content and bold fl avor profi le can overwhelm many dishes—making it
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