The terrain and climate of the wine areas of Northern California remind the visitor of nothing so much as rural France. But the scale is vastly smaller — Napa Valley is only 35 miles long and 5 miles wide, while Sonoma County covers 1,600 square miles along 60 miles of coastline — with only a few hundred wineries sited there. Farthest north is Mendocino County with 30 wineries of its own, whose 3,500 square miles of cool climate helps create Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Those wineries have had a hard struggle over the last two hundred years. Since Russian colonists planted vines in 1812, through the founding of the wine industry by Spanish Franciscans in 1823, up through Prohibition to today, vintners have made heroic efforts to produce wines that rival the best of France and Italy.

In the 1920s there were 256 wineries, but Prohibition reduced that to under 50. Fortunately, the region has recovered over the decades and is now thriving. In Sonoma County, roughly 150,000 tons of grapes are produced by 200 wineries, over half fewer than 20 years old, on a mere 49,000 acres.

The temperate climate, with moderate winters and warm to hot summers is perfect for growing a wide variety of native and imported wine grape species. The most common varieties are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, with a healthy sprinkling of Merlot and Zinfandel.

From those grapes California wineries produced over 500 million gallons of wine in 2004 at a retail value of $15 billion, with the majority of that coming from Northern California. The total US production was 668 million gallons. The overall impact of the California wine industry on the state's economy has been estimated as high as $45 billion.

Second only to Disneyland as a tourist attraction the Northern California wineries form part of a trade that attracts almost 15 million visitors per year.

No wonder when the area hosts the majority of California's 96,500 acres of Chardonnay and almost 75 thousand acres of Cabernet Sauvignon to regularly produce award winning wines.

Whether one's taste runs to the lower tannin, dark red Merlot with characteristics of black currant, or the spicy Syrah with characteristics of sweet blackberry and plum or the cherry and violet Pinot Noir, a lover of red will find something to suit from among California's many offerings.

But those fond of white needn't feel left out where the buttery Chardonnay or the delicate Riesling with hints of peaches and apricots compete favorably with those of France and Germany. And the California Pinot Grigio, light and dry, or the sweet, fruity Chenin Blanc is as crisp as those from Italy or France.

So for those looking for a European experience in a California setting, the Northern California wineries await with their sure to please offerings.

Enjoy!