California wine is wine mae in the U.S. state of California. Nearly three-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly 90 percent of entire American wine production. The production in California alone is one third larger than that of Australia; if California were a separate country, it would be the world's fourth-largest wine producer. The state's viticultural history dates back to the 18th century when Spanish missionaries planted the first vineyards to produce wine for Mass.