Americans have been making wine for 300 years. Most wine is made on the west coast with California accounting for nine tenths of production. There are over 3000 commercial wineries in the USA with a winery in each state. Napa and Sonoma in California are still offering tiny quantities of very expensive "icon" level Bordeaux-style wines which seem to gain new entrants to the market on a yearly basis. Big wines for those willing to spend big! Chardonnay is still the number one white varietal in the USA and the likes of Beringer are hard to beat if you like the traditional buttery & oaky style. Following close behind now are the wines from both Washington State and Oregon on the north-west coast offering more Cabernet and Merlot, but also fine wines from Syrah and Riesling with Pinot Noir from Oregon having many outstanding producers rivalling those in Burgundy. On the east coast, New York's Finger Lakes is known for its Riesling and even Virginia is now producing Chardonnay, Viognier and "Champagne" sparkling wines of note. Of course, there's the ever present and ubiquitous White Zinfandel (sweet rosé) much beloved by many consumers who drink it because they like it! And why not?
