Anggur California, $20 hingga $40, untuk diminum saat ini.

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Ini adalah pertanyaan yang sering saya dengar setelah salah satu dari serangkaian rekomendasi saya tentang 20 anggur di bawah $20: “Mengapa begitu sedikit anggur California?”

Bukan karena botol di bawah $20 dari California langka. Saya melihat banyak. Masalahnya adalah bahwa kebanyakan tidak terlalu bagus, tentu tidak sebanding dengan apa yang bisa saya temukan dari tempat lain di dunia, termasuk wilayah lain di Amerika seperti Finger Lakes, di New York.

California menghasilkan anggur yang bagus. Tetapi kebanyakan harganya lebih mahal daripada anggur berkualitas serupa dari wilayah-wilayah Eropa. Saya ingin menjelajahi beberapa alasan untuk disparitas ini sambil merekomendasikan 10 anggur California luar biasa dalam kisaran $20 hingga $40 yang saya temukan baru-baru ini saat berbelanja di New York.

Particularly significant are the cultural differences between wine production in the European Union and in the United States.

Europe has vastly more diversity in its wine than California. Not only does each of the historic European wine-producing countries generally feature its own distinctive array of grapes, almost every wine region within those countries makes different sorts of wines, often the result of centuries of tradition.

Many small producers take particular pride in what they consider their heritage, no matter how unfashionable the wines might be. They farm and make the wine conscientiously, and because their grapes and regions are not well known, they are relatively inexpensive.

California’s setup is entirely different. Its choicesof which grapes to plant are more likely to be based on sales potential rather than legacy or tradition.

Despite the many different appellations within the state, only a handful of grapes dominate production. Among white grapes, chardonnay accounted for more than 52 percent of acreage planted in 2023, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, more than five times as much as the second most-planted variety, sauvignon blanc, about 10 percent.

Among reds, four grapes — cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, zinfandel and merlot — comprise roughly 74 percent of the acreage, with more than twice as much cabernet as pinot noir, followed by zin and merlot.

Prestigious regions in California that have successfully built reputations, like Napa Valley for its cabernet sauvignon or the Sonoma Coast for chardonnay, have been rewarded by being able to fetch high prices for their wines. Other regions seem content to piggyback on these successes, producing plenty of cabernet and chardonnay from everywhere else in California, including a lot of mediocre or poor mass-market wines at moderate prices.

Paradoxically, the narrow set of choices has proved to be a commercial advantage for California, especially among consumers who choose not to pursue the more esoteric options available from around the world.

“California is more focused on marketing,” said Stephen Rannekleiv, a global beverage strategist with Rabobank, contrasting it to the industry in the European Union. “All these lesser-known grapes may be great quality, yes, but they require investment by consumers. Most consumers walk into wine aisles and get overwhelmed.”

I understand this, but, as a wine lover, it’s sad. Diversity and complexity are beautiful, but marketers prefer simplicity. They might wish to eliminate dozens of, say, Italian white grapes so they could focus on selling pinot grigio. A few large commercial producers might make a lot more money. But that would mean destroying local traditions and diminishing choices. For wine lovers, where’s the joy in that?

In California, it’s the smaller producers working around the margins that I’m drawn to. They tend to work with grapes deemed less prestigious or profitable than the dominant few, or, if they are using familiar grapes, they’re doing their best to make expressive wines rather than pale imitations.

Other factors play into this price gap. Labor costs, surprisingly, are probably not one of them.

“You would think so, but labor costs are high in Europe and regulations are tight,” said Mike Veseth, a retired economics professor who writes The Wine Economist, a blog.

But land costs are often a consideration. For small estates in Europe, vineyard land has often been in a family for generations. It’s paid for, while vineyard owners in California are often mortgaged and need higher returns than in Europe, Mr. Veseth said.

This may be felt indirectly, as many of the California producers I recommend here don’t own their own vineyards. But costs are passed on, particularly if the producers are buying grapes farmed organically or biodynamically, which is often more expensive than chemical farming.

The European Union, Mr. Veseth pointed out, often subsidizes grape farmers in ways that the American government does not, which can also make American grapes more expensive.

If wines from California will cost more than similar European wines, you might ask, why buy them?

Pride might be one answer. Just as we might root for American athletes in the Paris Olympics, why not root for American wine producers to make great wines and support their efforts? That goes not only for California, but for Oregon, Washington, New York and other American regions, too.

Just as important, the wines are different. The grapes are grown in different climates and soils, and the winemakers have their own sensibilities. California wine producers may be inspired by great European wine traditions, but they are making wines with their own singular identities, shaped by American terroirs.

I love these wines and want to drink them, just as I want to drink their European counterparts. As far as wine goes, I feel like a citizen of the world. But I can’t forget I am American, either.

Here are the 10 bottles I recommend, in order of price. If you can’t find these producers, dozens of others are just as good.