Best California wines

The export market can often bring higher prices.

Chionetti (Piemonte):

Santa Tresa (Sicily):

Pater Noster (Basilicata):

In Italy, EVERYONE makes wine. There is a surplus of production, and economies of scale dictate that a lot has to be produced to justify operations, even for 'small' wineries.

For some wines thats true. Wines sold at a US winery fetch a far higher price than if sold at the local wine shop. They won't undercut their own distributors.

I don't know Italian. How many cases do they produce of a given wine? It seems odd that a winery producing say 500 cases produces in one country and exports overseas with added expenses to Ohio to sell it.

These are not 'tiny' wineries, but they're not 'large'. They're typical for Italy.

"2,330 cases made"

Santa Tresa:

" Our winery partners generally produce less than 7,500 cases and some produce less than 1,500 cases. These family-operated wineries produce very limited quantities of handcrafted wines of the highest quality. We feature the following boutique wineries:"

I think part of it is the wide availability of CA wines directly from the wineries that are right there in the state but when I go to a Trader Joes, Andronicos, or another grocery chain in CA I don't see as many CA wines as should be there but sometimes in wine areas like Paso Robles or Los Olivos the mom and pop stores seem to carry a large selection of CA wines not just from their own area.

Because of the export orientation of some wineries in Italy, it may actually be easier to get a wine from a small winery in Sicily than one in Calfironia.

'... CA wines as should be there ..."

Regarding TJ's wines, that is one of the reasons I shop there, is that I have a selection of foreign wines.

I know though that in our Virginia liquor (ABC) stores, about the only wine you will see is Virginia wine. I think there is something by law that abides them to selling only the commonwealth's wine. You will see Virginia wine carried in Virginia Walmart stores.

As to CA wines, they are pervasive. No problem buying them here in VA. Dee

By law Virginia ABC stores can only stock and sell VA wines.

Trader Joes doesn't have that great of a wine selection from anywhere. However, there are some bargains there if you know what to look for especially in 2nd labels.

Andronicos is similar to AJ's that we have here in Phoenix. A very upscale full service grocery store. There is by far more CA wines there than from anywhere else. However, other countries all combined equal whats available from CA.

The stores I go to mostly are wine stores. Thats all they sell. Generally 1/2 the store is CA wines and the other 1/2 is imports from all over the world. If ever in Phoenix area try A-Z Wines or Epicurean Wines both in Scottsdale. Everywhere else I've found either has poor selection or is absurdly priced.