Another Practical Resource for Varietal Information

 This publication Wine Grape Varieties of California is available from University of California's Agriculture and Natural Resources, 

It is Publication #3419 and can be found at this website:  ANR Communications Services website 

    It is an excellent resource with much practical information about several major wine grape varieties (36) grown and recommended for California. Each of these has a full 4 page entry that includes a short history of the variety, a description of its growth and soil adaptability, clones (if available), recommended rootstocks training and pruning, trellising, susceptibility to insects and diseases and the variety's common applications in the winery.  The book has a section dedicated to rootstocks and their capabilities and characteristics, some general cultural techniques, and a section on minor varieties that includes brief descriptions of such varieties as: Petit Verdot, Tannat, Montepulciano, Arneis, Sylvaner and even our New Mexico heritage variety, Mission. The book closes with a working glossary of terms....that every winegrower should know ;)

    Of course we live and grow in  New Mexico. but many of our grape growing regions have much in common with California in that we are semi-arid to arid and have hot summer temperatures. If you want a resource that is always at your fingertips without logging on, clicking through, waiting for all the internet advertisements to run their course and ultimately relying on the power grid, you will not regret obtaining a copy of this publication....brought to you courtesy of the United States Land Grant University system and Extension Service. In this case the California version at University of California, Davis.

Cover of publication 3419, the publication not only contains much practical information, it also has some of the most beautiful full color photos of wine grapes I have seen.

Typical varietal entry page within the publication 3419, Wine Grape Varieties in California, available from Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California (link located at top of blog entry)