This post is sponsored by AVA Grace Vineyards. All opinions are my own. 

Did you know? California makes about 90 percent of all American wine. California is a huge state (larger than Germany!). Because of this, California has a diverse climate and a wide range of soils. These unique features of the Western state allow for over 100 varieties of grapes to grow and overall over 526,000 wine grapes are made in California! I have seldom had bad experiences when picking California wines to try, and California is one of my favorite wine regions in the world. I recently came back to New York from a 45 day trip around the Middle East and boy, did I miss drinking wine! My friends invited me to a small winter party and the first thing I did was went to the liquor store to chose a few bottles to pair with our dinner.

I was instantly drawn to a beautiful bottle of California Chardonnay from AVA Grace Vineyards. Chardonnay has more acreage than any other wine grape in California with over 100,000 acres in production. It is by far the most popular grape in California. Chardonnay is also the most popular wine consumed in the US – likely due to its great acidity (it is crisp and refreshing). The labeling on the bottle is absolutely stunning: it emphasizes vintage elements and striking gold designs straight out of a Victorian style home! Whoever worked on that marketing did their job well because I pulled out my Vivino App to read more about AVA Grace.

AVA’s winemaker, Andrea Beltran, has over 12 years of experience and describes her personal style as “creating fruit-forward wines that show off the grapes natural acidity, aromas, and flavors.” I also love how AVA describes it’s wine by drawing parallels to my second favorite thing (after wine): travel!

“With a sense of curiosity and wonderment, you know the journey is more important than the destination. Looking for a spark of wonder every day, you appreciate that all the little things in life are what make it beautiful. AVA Grace is inspired by the beauty of nature, which weaves in and out of everything we create: from our thoughtfully crafted wines to our artistic packaging.”

Since I typically prefer reds, I chose an AVA red blend from the shelf. The bottles were a great addition to our get together. Easy, smooth, balanced drinking at a great price. The red blend paired great with prosciutto and the Chardonnay matched well with grilled shrimp. If you are looking for an affordable wine with a bold, lasting taste, I recommend adding AVA Grace to your wine list!