California wine production has a rich viticulture history since the late 1700s when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of Father Junípero Serra, who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
From the Wikipedia article California wine, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
California is a wine region, United States. We track 2,147 of its wines in stock at 145 shops, from 266 wine houses, from € 6.56; mostly red, white.
| Vintage | Wines | From | Median / 75 cl | Critics' score | Growing season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | – | – | – | hotso far +1.3 °C · 2,196 GDD · 112 % rain |
| 2025 | 2 | € 12.80 | € 17.15 | – | warmwet harvest +0.8 °C · 2,337 GDD · 94 % rain |
| 2024 | 87 | € 9.95 | € 33.44 | 92.0 (1 wine) | hotdry +2.1 °C · 2,611 GDD · 63 % rain |
| 2023 | 226 | € 7.99 | € 41.94 | 94.2 (20 wines) | averagedrywet harvest +0.1 °C · 2,193 GDD · 43 % rain |
| 2022 | 276 | € 9.95 | € 52.70 | 93.4 (23 wines) | hotdrywet harvest +1.8 °C · 2,555 GDD · 47 % rain |
| 2021 | 261 | € 6.56 | € 67.40 | 94.3 (28 wines) | hotdry harvest +1.7 °C · 2,538 GDD · 88 % rain |
| 2020 | 150 | € 10.95 | € 74.73 | 94.1 (14 wines) | hotdry harvest +1.6 °C · 2,518 GDD · 83 % rain |
| 2019 | 182 | € 13.95 | € 84.45 | 95.9 (14 wines) | average +0.1 °C · 2,178 GDD · 84 % rain |
| 2018 | 150 | € 11.91 | € 115.12 | 94.4 (12 wines) | warmdrydry harvest +0.8 °C · 2,329 GDD · 63 % rain |
| 2017 | 61 | € 33.32 | € 169.00 | 95.6 (5 wines) | warmwet harvest +0.9 °C · 2,352 GDD · 96 % rain |
| 2016 | 65 | € 19.95 | € 133.67 | 96.3 (7 wines) | averagewetdry harvest +0.4 °C · 2,256 GDD · 134 % rain |
| 2015 | 35 | € 36.00 | € 177.50 | 96.7 (11 wines) | warm +0.9 °C · 2,365 GDD · 87 % rain |
| 2014 | 35 | € 50.18 | € 280.00 | 95.8 (4 wines) | hotdrywet harvest +1.2 °C · 2,425 GDD · 58 % rain |
| 2013 | 16 | € 100.22 | € 347.50 | 97.3 (3 wines) | warmdry +0.6 °C · 2,282 GDD · 38 % rain |
| 2012 | 20 | € 58.87 | € 376.99 | 98.0 (2 wines) | warmdrydry harvest +0.6 °C · 2,304 GDD · 68 % rain |
| 2011 | 10 | € 160.57 | € 305.50 | – | coldwet harvest −1.2 °C · 1,905 GDD · 120 % rain |
| 2010 | 8 | € 133.14 | € 440.37 | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.6 °C · 1,866 GDD · 175 % rain |
| 2009 | 7 | € 160.57 | € 410.00 | – | averagewetdry harvest −0.1 °C · 2,153 GDD · 134 % rain |
| 2008 | 15 | € 155.00 | € 450.00 | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.7 °C · 2,306 GDD · 36 % rain |
| 2007 | 10 | € 295.00 | € 500.00 | – | averagedry ±0.0 °C · 2,163 GDD · 53 % rain |
| 2006 | 6 | € 265.00 | € 575.00 | – | averagewet −0.1 °C · 2,153 GDD · 150 % rain |
| 2005 | 6 | € 135.81 | € 334.00 | – | cool −0.8 °C · 2,004 GDD · 116 % rain |
| 2004 | 6 | € 265.00 | € 421.97 | – | average +0.1 °C · 2,177 GDD · 129 % rain |
| 2003 | 2 | € 900.00 | € 1,425.00 | – | average +0.4 °C · 2,310 GDD · 128 % rain |
| 2002 | 1 | € 520.00 | € 520.00 | – | averagedry +0.2 °C · 2,198 GDD · 44 % rain |
| 2001 | 3 | € 352.96 | € 550.00 | 99.0 (1 wine) | warm +0.8 °C · 2,357 GDD · 89 % rain |
| 2000 | 3 | € 600.00 | € 1,000.00 | – | averagewetwet harvest −0.4 °C · 2,076 GDD · 147 % rain |
| 1999 | 4 | € 505.00 | € 807.50 | – | coldwet −1.0 °C · 1,953 GDD · 138 % rain |
| 1998 | 2 | € 35.00 | € 492.50 | – | coldwetwet harvest −2.3 °C · 1,685 GDD · 172 % rain |
| 1997 | 2 | € 920.00 | € 2,260.00 | – | averagedry +0.4 °C · 2,241 GDD · 35 % rain |
| 1996 | – | – | – | – | averagewet +0.1 °C · 2,184 GDD · 133 % rain |
| 1995 | 2 | € 390.00 | € 1,195.00 | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.3 °C · 1,894 GDD · 134 % rain |
| 1994 | 2 | € 315.00 | € 4,157.50 | – | averagewet harvest −0.3 °C · 2,106 GDD · 110 % rain |
| 1993 | – | – | – | – | colddry harvest −1.1 °C · 1,940 GDD · 77 % rain |
| 1992 | – | – | – | – | warmdry harvest +0.7 °C · 2,309 GDD · 87 % rain |
| 1991 | 1 | € 330.00 | € 330.00 | – | cool −0.9 °C · 1,970 GDD · 78 % rain |
| 1990 | 2 | € 330.00 | € 519.50 | – | averagewet harvest −0.2 °C · 2,125 GDD · 77 % rain |
| 1989 | 2 | € 350.00 | € 450.00 | – | coolwet harvest −0.8 °C · 1,985 GDD · 117 % rain |
| 1988 | 1 | € 175.00 | € 175.00 | – | warm +0.5 °C · 2,280 GDD · 80 % rain |
| 1987 | – | – | – | – | warmdry +0.6 °C · 2,295 GDD · 69 % rain |
| 1986 | 1 | € 118.00 | € 118.00 | – | colddrywet harvest −1.3 °C · 1,888 GDD · 53 % rain |
| 1985 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest −0.4 °C · 2,080 GDD · 65 % rain |
| 1984 | – | – | – | – | average −0.2 °C · 2,117 GDD · 84 % rain |
| 1983 | 2 | € 110.00 | € 250.00 | – | coldwet harvest −2.0 °C · 1,801 GDD · 128 % rain |
| 1982 | – | – | – | – | coldwetwet harvest −2.1 °C · 1,727 GDD · 220 % rain |
Growing season (April–October; October–April south of the equator): mean temperature against California's 1991–2020 normal (hot: 1 °C or more above, warm: 0.5 °C, cool/cold below), growing degree days (warmth for the vines, base 10 °C) and rain against normal, with the harvest month (September/March) flagged when very wet or dry. Monthly data from NASA POWER (MERRA-2) at one point in the region. The current year is compared with the same months of a normal year (“so far”); its latest months are preliminary and revised by NASA later.
Critics' score: the average of the best 100-point score quoted for each wine of that vintage, as the shops quote them. A few quoted wines make a thin average; the number of wines is in brackets.
Ridge Vineyards 82 · Kistler Vineyards 48 · Au Bon Climat 44 · Sine Qua Non 43 · Francis Ford Coppola Winery 41 · Dominus Estate 36 · Opus One 36 · Paul Hobbs 34 · Daou Family Estates 31 · Tyler Winery 31 · Eisele Vineyard 28 · Kendall-Jackson Vineyards & Winery 27 · Leo Steen 24 · Deloach Vineyards 23 · Kutch Wines 22 · Littorai 21
Napa Valley 510 · Sonoma 388 · Santa Barbara County 103 · Paso Robles 51 · Lodi 43 · Mendocino 29 · Carneros 29 · Monterey 28 · Central Coast 26