SRS -- your friend is mistaken bemoaning the lack of 'papers' on California and other American wines, explained that many European wines have credentials guaranteeing that their grapes come from the specific place they claim. The French version of this is "Appellation Contrôlée."

There are a large number of Appellations in California, and labeling is strictly regulated. If the label says "California", the grapes can be from anywhere in the state. If it says "Dry Creek" or "Central Coast", "Russian River" or "Alexander Valley", the grapes must be from that growing region.

There are also single-vineyard designations such as "Beckstoffer Vineryard" or "Hoot Owl Creek", which means that the grapes used all came from a specific plot of land. "Estate" wines use only grapes grown on the winery's own land.

Cheers,
Michael