jimmyt, you are not wrong in saying the vast quantity of Calif wine comes from the Central Valley and the big commercial companies that produce the mega volume are not Napa or Sonoma. It was, however, way back in 1976 that two Napa Valley wines won in a blind tasting in Paris over a slew of high-pedigree French wines (see story here.)

The point I was making to SRS was a different one, though. I was stressing that appellations and labeling are every bit as strictly controlee in California as in France, Italy etc.

Cheers,
Michael