Olly Smith —

Live, Mail on Sunday

Best of the Wild West—

Live Mag 15 Apr 2012

I’m cruising across the Golden Gate Bridge in a bright-red convertible Chevy Camaro to the sound of A View To A Kill by Duran Duran.

California is currently the hottest place on the planet for new technology, with some of the biggest names of the 21st century, such as Facebook and Twitter based close by.

But I’ve come to check out a much older technology and see the big-name Californian wine brands that seem to breed on UK supermarket shelves.

Gallo, Turning Leaf, Echo Falls and others produce very fruity wines that maintain a consistent style year in year out that most wine critics seem to despise with a visceral passion.

But if you’re one of the many who enjoy Californian bottles, I’m glad to report that beyond the big brands there’s a world of Californian wines to rock your socks.