New World Mastery
California
Napa Cabernet to cool-coast Pinot and Sonoma Chardonnay.
20 lessons3,881 practice questions1 certification exam~7 hrs of reading
What you’ll master
Explain California's scale, diversity, and global significance as a wine-producing region
Explain Napa Valley's geographic and climatic structure, including how the San Pablo Bay marine influence creates a temperature gradient from south to north
Identify the defining geographic, soil, and climatic characteristics of Napa Valley's major sub-AVAs and explain how each shapes wine style
Identify and explain the three named soil series within Rutherford: Bale Loam, Pleasanton Gravelly Loam, and Yolo Loam, and articulate how each shapes vine behavior, yield, and final wine character
The curriculum
20 lessons01
Module 00: California Wine, Overview & Foundations
18 min read221 practice questions
02
Napa Valley: America's Most Consequential Wine Region
14 min read151 practice questions
03
Napa Valley Sub-AVAs: Terroir, Character, and the Art of the Recommendation
21 min read206 practice questions
04
Napa Valley Floor AVAs: Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap & More
20 min read216 practice questions
05
Calistoga & St. Helena: The Northern Heart of Napa Valley
20 min read202 practice questions
06
Napa Mountain Districts: Howell Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain & Mount Veeder
27 min read211 practice questions
07
Atlas Peak & Coombsville: Napa's Eastern Frontier
18 min read173 practice questions
08
Module 03: Sonoma County, California's Most Diverse Wine Region
16 min read173 practice questions
09
Sonoma Valley & Moon Mountain District: The Valley of the Moon
18 min read186 practice questions
10
Russian River Valley: California's Pinot Noir Heartland
17 min read149 practice questions
11
The True Sonoma Coast: California's Most Extreme Maritime Frontier
21 min read186 practice questions
12
Sonoma's Warm Interior: Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Mountain & Knights Valley
18 min read236 practice questions
13
Los Carneros: Where Two Counties Meet the Bay
23 min read177 practice questions
14
Central Coast: California's Most Geographically Diverse Wine Region
33 min read268 practice questions
15
Mendocino & the North Coast: California's Rugged Northern Frontier
17 min read168 practice questions
16
Lodi, Sierra Foothills & Beyond: California's Other Wine Country
14 min read160 practice questions
17
California Rhône Rangers: The Movement That Changed California Wine
20 min read156 practice questions
18
California Sparkling Wine: Méthode Champenoise in the New World
24 min read228 practice questions
19
California Vintages: Reading the Harvest Year on the Floor
22 min read208 practice questions
20
The Architects of California Wine: Winemakers Who Shaped a State
19 min read206 practice questions
California Mastery Exam
LockedComplete all 20 lessons to unlock the exam and earn the Wine Saint Certified: California credential. A free account tracks your lessons and holds your certificate.