Cathal McBride on wine: California is known for full-bodied reds, but it also offers superb pinot noirs and chardonnays

Almost one in every ten wine bottles comes from the US and almost 90 per cent of those are Californian

Vineyard crews pick zinfandel grapes at Dry Creek Vineyards in California: the black-skinned grape is synonymous with big, bold, tannic-forward wines. Picture: Getty

After Italy, Spain and France, it’s the world’s largest producer of wine. In terms of volume consumption, it’s at the very top. It has some 11,000 wineries in all, generating a total of 23 million hectolitres every year.

We are, of course, talking about the good old US of A. Almost one in every ten wine bottles comes from here and almost 90 per cent of those are Californian. The US market has a reputation ...