American wines, from the Napa Valley to Oregon Pinots
184 bottles, from Napa Cabernet to Oregon Pinot NoirA mountain Cabernet for the cellar, a fresh Pinot Noir for the table, a generous Zinfandel for the barbecue: the American vineyard covers all these uses. California supplies most of it, from the fogs of Sonoma to the sun-filled Grenaches of Santa Barbara, and the North-West adds tauter reds.
Every price is per bottle, from Lodi Zinfandel to the single-parcel Cabernets of Bond. Some cuvées are sold in packs of 2, 3 or 6.
Calera - Pinot Noir 2018
Damp earth, red fruit and delicate spices, on fine tannins that call for time.
Calera - Pinot Noir De Villiers Vinyard 2018
Black fruit and plum on a silky Pinot, with oak smoke lingering on.
Calera - Mills Pinot Noir 2018
Ripe red fruit, spice and forest floor, with the velvety texture of great Pinots.
Duckhorn - The Discussion 2018
Duckhorn's flagship: black fruit, cedar and tobacco in a blend built to last.
Nickel & Nickel - C.C Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
A single-varietal Rutherford, blackcurrant and black berries, tannins polished by eighteen months in barrique.
Nickel & Nickel - John Sullenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
An Oakville Cabernet born on twelve hectares of clay-silt soils, eighteen months in French oak.
Twomey - Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020
A high-end Pinot Noir from the famous Russian River Valley
Paraduxx - Red Blend 2018
Seven grape varieties blended in Napa: silky tannins and a long, spicy finish.
En route - Pinot Noir Les Pommiers 2019
A magnificent Pinot Noir with a rich and silky texture
Staglin Family Vineyard - Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The great vintage of Domaine Staglin
Staglin Family Vineyard - Salus Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
A Cabernet Sauvignon with great aromatic depth
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - FAY 2020
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars has created a grandiose vintage, from a historic plot
Shafer - Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch 2022
A Chardonnay of rare elegance and captivating complexity...
Sine Qua Non - The Hated Hunter Syrah 2017
Shafer - One Point Five 2019
One of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in California
One craving, one way in
Choose according to the style you are looking for; each tile opens a selection.
A great Cabernet for ageing
Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap: the Cabernets that made California's reputation, cut out for fifteen years in the cellar.
Napa Valley · from €39.60 per bottleA cool-climate Pinot Noir
The volcanic hillsides of the Willamette Valley produce taut, floral Pinots with a Burgundian spirit.
Oregon · from €30.80 per bottleChardonnay and Pinot from the fog
Russian River, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley: precise whites and clean Pinots, nourished by the coolness of the Pacific.
Sonoma and Mendocino · from €29 per bottle, in packs of 6Grenache and Syrah in the sun
The heirs of the Rhône Rangers, from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara, and the limestone Pinots of Calera.
Central Coast · from €16.50 per bottle, in packs of 6For the barbecue
California's emblematic grape: a ripe, spicy red made for grilled meats and smoky sauces.
Zinfandel · from €10.90 per bottleA structured red at a gentle price
Cabernets, Merlots and Syrahs from the Columbia Valley desert: ripeness, crisp acidity, affordable prices.
Washington State · from €15.50 per bottleDiscover for under €30
Lodi Zinfandel, Californian Shiraz, dry Washington Riesling: the American style on an everyday budget.
All American wines · from €10.90 a bottleAll of California
From weeknight wines to the cult cuvées of Bond and Sine Qua Non, the state that supplies most of America's wine.
California · from €10.90 to €1,045 per bottle
Six wine regions, two coasts, opposite climates
From the irrigated desert of Washington to the cool valleys of Santa Barbara, each region imposes its own style.
| Region | Climate and soils | Key grape varieties | What you will find |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa ValleyOakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap | Warm valley cooled by the bay, alluvium on the floor, volcanic soils on the hillsides | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay | Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Heitz Cellar, Duckhorn, Bond, from €39.60 |
| Sonoma and MendocinoRussian River, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley | Pacific fog, Goldridge sands, warmer Alexander Valley | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel | Kistler, Seghesio, Goldeneye, from €29 per bottle, in packs of 6 |
| Central CoastSanta Cruz, Mount Harlan, Santa Barbara | Valleys open to the sea breeze, rare Mount Harlan limestone | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Grenache, Syrah | Calera, Au Bon Climat, Birichino, Sine Qua Non, from €16.50 per bottle, in packs of 6 |
| Lodi and inland CaliforniaLodi, Central Valley, statewide blends | Hot plain, sands where old ungrafted vines survive | Zinfandel, Cinsault, Syrah | Kautz Family, Francis Ford Coppola, from €10.90 |
| OregonDundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, The Rocks District | Cool, rainy climate, volcanic clays, basalt, Walla Walla cobbles | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah | Cristom, Archery Summit, Erath, Cayuse, from €30.80 |
| Washington StateColumbia Valley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills | Desert east of the Cascades, loess and sand over basalt, cold nights | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Riesling | Château Sainte Michelle, Col Solare, Quilceda Creek, from €15.50 |
| Finger Lakes New York State | Harsh winters tempered by deep glacial lakes, shale | Riesling, Cabernet Franc | Ravines, from €35 per bottle, in packs of 3 |
Entry price per bottle. See also Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.
Which American wine to serve with which dish
A specific bottle for each great classic of the table and the grill.
| Dish | Style to look for | The bottle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbecued pork ribs | Ripe, spicy Zinfandel, supple tannins | Kautz Family The Big Top Zinfandel 2021Lodi | €10.90 |
| Homemade burger | Fruity, rounded Syrah | Bear Creek & Samantha Bailey Rib Tickler Shiraz 2020California | €12.50 |
| Grilled rib of beef | Napa Cabernet, tight tannins | Postmark Cabernet Sauvignon 2021Napa Valley | €39.60 |
| Grilled salmon, roast poultry | Cool-climate Pinot Noir | Erath Pinot Noir 2019Dundee Hills, Oregon | €30.80 |
| Thai food, spicy dishes | Dry, lively Riesling | Château Sainte Michelle Dry Riesling 2020Columbia Valley | €15.50 |
| Comté, pressed cheeses | Taut Chardonnay, discreet oak | Calera Chardonnay 2020Mount Harlan | €36 |
| Shoulder of lamb with herbs | Peppery Syrah from the Northwest | Tenet Wines Syrah The Pundit 2020Columbia Valley | €33, in packs of 3 |
| Oysters, crab, raw fish | Clean, saline Sauvignon Blanc | Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2022Napa Valley | €42 |
Prices per bottle. More ideas among our fruity reds and tannic reds.
Fresher and more varied than its reputation
American wine carries the image of a ripe, oaky, powerful Cabernet. That tells only a small part of the story. Since 1976, when a Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet beat classified Bordeaux growths at the Judgement of Paris, curious winegrowers have gone in search of freshness: at altitude on Howell Mountain and Pritchard Hill, on the volcanic clays of Oregon, in the valleys of Santa Barbara open to the Pacific wind.
Then there are the Rhône Rangers of the Central Coast, who planted Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre from the 1980s, and the cobblestones of The Rocks District, where Cayuse makes wild, deep Syrahs. Cabernet remains the backbone; the rest is well worth the detour.
How do you choose
Every wine is tasted before it joins our range. We look for balance rather than power: an acidity that carries the alcohol, oak that fades behind the fruit. The selection brings together everyday wines, historic Napa estates for ageing and a few rare cuvées, Bond, Sine Qua Non or Quilceda Creek.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What people ask us about American wines
Why are American wines often expensive?
Several costs add up: land in the Napa Valley is among the most expensive in the wine world, labour is costly, the top cuvées are aged in new barrels and import duties weigh heavily in Europe. Cult wines add scarcity. The selection under €30 starts at €10.90.
What is the difference between Napa Valley and Sonoma?
Napa is a narrow, warm valley devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Sonoma, larger and closer to the ocean, benefits from the Pacific fogs: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the coast, Zinfandel in the warmer districts. Compare Napa wines and Sonoma wines.
Which American wine should you choose to begin with?
Start with an easy-to-read, affordable style. Kautz Family's The Big Top Zinfandel, at €10.90, shows the ripe fruit of Lodi. Château Sainte Michelle's Dry Riesling, at €15.50, proves that Washington can make lively whites. Erath's Pinot Noir, at €30.80, gives a true picture of Oregon.
How long can you keep an American wine?
It all depends on the grape and the place. A Napa Cabernet from a good estate opens up after eight to ten years and often lasts twenty. An Oregon Pinot Noir is best drunk between five and twelve years. Zinfandel and everyday wines are best enjoyed in their first five years, while the fruit is to the fore.
What is a Californian cult wine?
A wine produced in small quantities, sold first to a mailing list and sought after by collectors. Bond, founded by Bill Harlan, makes one Cabernet per plot, at €1,045 a bottle. Sine Qua Non, in Ventura, blends Grenache and Syrah at €380. In Washington State, Quilceda Creek plays this role, at €392.
Does an Oregon Pinot Noir resemble a Burgundy?
It comes closer than any other New World Pinot: cool climate, winter rains, moderate ripeness. The Drouhin family settled in the Dundee Hills in 1987, and Nicolas Jay has brought Jean-Nicolas Méo, from Vosne-Romanée, to the Willamette Valley. Compare Oregon Pinots and Burgundy.
At what temperature should you serve an American wine?
Serve Napa Cabernets at 16–18 °C, after an hour in a decanter for young vintages. Oregon and Sonoma Pinot Noirs taste best at around 15 °C, Zinfandel at around 16 °C. Chardonnays need 11–12 °C, Rieslings and Sauvignons 8–10 °C.
Is Zinfandel the same grape as Primitivo?
Yes. Genetic analysis has shown that Californian Zinfandel and Primitivo from Puglia are one and the same grape, originally from Croatia, where it is called Tribidrag. California makes riper wines from it, especially in Lodi and Sonoma. Compare our Zinfandel selection and Italian Primitivo.
Which American wine should you give to a wine lover?
A Cabernet from a historic estate always makes an impression. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' Artemis, at €119.90, comes from the estate of the Judgement of Paris. Heitz Cellar's Martha's Vineyard, at €476, is a Napa classic. For a Pinot lover, Cristom's Marjorie cuvée, at €96 a bottle in a pack of 2.