skip to main content

Lodi Winegrape Commission

  • Home
  • Wineries
  • About
  • Visit
    • Visitor Center
  • Club
  • Events
  • Store
    • LODI RULES Sustainable Certification
    • White Wines
    • Rosé Wines
    • Red Wines
    • Sparkling/Dessert Wines
    • Old Vine Wines
    • Merchandise
  • Blog
TOP

Letters from Lodi

An insightful and objective look at viticulture and winemaking from the Lodi
Appellation and the growers and vintners behind these crafts. Told from the
perspective of multi-award winning wine journalist, Randy Caparoso.

Randy Caparoso
 
March 28, 2018 | Randy Caparoso

Spenker Winery's magical transformation into a farmstead artisan creamery

Spenker Winery winemaker/owner Bettyann Spenker and fine-hoofed friends

Something exciting is afoot – or shall we say, a-hoof? – at Spenker Winery, a 60-acre winery estate located on the west side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA.

This coming June 2018, the Spenker family will officially expand from being an estate grown winery to also being a licensed producer and seller of artisan farmstead cheeses ("artisan" defined as hand-made cheeses, and “farmstead” technically meaning that cheeses are produced only from milk raised on-property). A goat barn is already up and running; and construction of a creamery, which will share space with a new tasting room and retail space, is nearing completion as we speak.

Spenker Winery, the future Spenker Artisan Creamery (center), and estate grown Zinfandel

The cheesemaker will be winery co-owner Bettyann Spenker, who also happens to be the Spenker Winery winemaker. According to her daughter Sarah Spenker, who handles the sales of Spenker wines (her sister Kate Spenker spearheads the family’s graphic and building designs, and their father Chuck grows the grapes): “The cheesemaking started when my sister and I went off to college in 2008. Now the family joke is that when Bettyann’s kids left home, she replaced them with two other kids.”

That is to say, exactly two female Nigerian dwarf goats.

Bettyann Spenker handcrafting Gouda style aged cheese (for non-commercial purposes) in her winery lab

According to other Spenker lore, Bettyann and Chuck Spenker first met at a home winemakers’ party. Chuck is a third generation grape grower, who traces his Lodi roots to his grandfather Fritz Spenker, who first arrived from Germany during the 1890s to work for his second cousin, Joseph Spenker (founder of the more widely known Spenker Ranch, which is now the Jessie’s Grove Winery property). Fritz Spenker established his own vineyard in 1902, just across W. Turner Rd. from Joseph Spenker’s original square-mile block.

Bettyann and Sarah Spenker

Bettyann and Chuck established Spenker Winery in 2004. Since Bettyann had the background in biological sciences and as an educator, the winery became her domain. It was almost inevitable that she would become interested in other types of production – one bound to bring a new educational experience to the community. In fact, as Lodi’s first-ever brand of homegrown cheeses.

“The cheesemaking started off as a hobby, really,” says Bettyann. “I became interested in goats because I didn’t grow up on a farm (in Colorado Springs), and wanted to experience what I had missed. It actually started with chickens – which they say is like a ‘gateway drug’ for people just getting into farm animals – and then came the two Nigerian dwarf goats.

Convivial Spenker farm employee

“At first they were like pets; but a friend of mine, who thought I was a brilliant scientist, encouraged me to start making cheese from their milk. The problem with miniature goats, however, is that it means there is a miniature amount of milk; which was okay, because I probably couldn’t handle full sized goats in the beginning.”

One thing led to another. The Spenkers’ goat herd now numbers around 24 “working” goats, plus their kid goats. “The number fluctuates,” says Bettyann, “because we sell some of the kids, or give them away, to manage the size. Besides the Nigerian dwarves, we now have Nubian goats, known for their long floppy ears and Roman noses. We also have MiniNubians – a cross of Nigerian dwarves and Nubians. Our lastest breed, starting just two months ago, are Lamancha goats, recognized by their very short ears”

The Spenker family's goat barn

The prospective Spenker Artisan Creamery is the culmination of nearly 10 years of cheesemaking practice. According to Bettyann: “Our primary product will be chèvre, fresh goat’s milk cheese. But we’ll also sell Gouda style cheese, which is a pressed and aged washed curd cheese; as well as a Camembert style goat’s milk cheese, which has a bloomy rind, like what you find in Brie. To top it all off, there will be Spenker Artisan frozen yogurt, and maybe a few handmade soaps as well.”

The unfinished interior of the Spenker Creamery and future tasting room, with windows through which visitors may watch the cheesemaking process

After a visit with her exceedingly friendly flock of goats, Bettyann took us into the newly constructed creamery and tasting room – all but the interior already completed. She tells us: “Just like we grow our own grapes to make our wines, we will use pasteurized milk from our own goats to make our cheeses and yogurts.

“When people visit, it will be an educational experience – they will be able to see the goats being milked and how cheese is made through glass windows, from the tasting room. The educational value is important to us – we want to exposed people to the process, and get them excited about it the same way that we were when we first started.”

The unfinished Spenker Artisan Creamery and new tasting room (with temporary doors, which will be replaced by more ornate barn doors)

And of course, when you drive into the Spenker estate from off N. DeVries Rd., you pass the family’s beautifully manicured head trained Zinfandel vines, all lined up like Chinese terracotta soldiers. If the vines look a little smaller than what you might see elsewhere in Lodi, that’s because these are not what you would call “old vines” – the property was completely replanted recently, in 2003 and 2004.

Sarah Spenker explains: “We had old vines, but they began to fall prey to a virus (fanleaf); and to survive as commercial grape growers, we had to pull them all out and replant with more resistant plants, on disease-tolerant rootstock. Most of our fruit is sold to other wineries, but we keep a little each year – Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and a little Muscat of Alexandria – for our own production.”

Sign certifying the Spenker family's state-of-the-art grape growing

The Spenker family’s entire vineyard, however, is “Certified Green,” following the strict, third party audited and certified protocols of LODI RULES for Sustainable Winegrowing.

Of Spenker Winery’s modest line-up of wines, the most attractive right now may be their 2012 Spenker Winery Lodi Zinfandel, which is a classic “west-side” Lodi style rendering of the varietal: soft, round and fruit-forward; accessibly moderate in weight, rather than big or heavy; and zippy with bright cherry/raspberry fruit with distinctively earthy/loamy undertones.

If you are interested in keeping tabs on the Spenkers’ magical metamorphosis from estate grown “Winery” to “Winery & Artisan Creamery,” we strongly suggest dropping by their current tasting room (visiting hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 12-4 PM), or by signing up for their mailing list online at spenkerwinery.com.

Can’t wait ‘til June!

From the Spenker Winery Web site: A portrait of the family (Sarah, Chuck, Bettyann and Kate Spenker)

 

Tweet
Pin It

Comments

Commenting has been turned off.
Blog Search
Recent Posts
  • January 19, 2021
    French students break down Lodi winegrowing, marketing, and its Alta Mesa appellation
  • January 13, 2021
    Alternative style Lodi wines reflecting the wave of the future — part 2, new interpretations of heritage grapes
  • January 11, 2021
    Alternative style Lodi wines reflecting the wave of the future — part 1, an unfamiliar white and red
  • January 5, 2021
    Discerning wines of the immediate future through what we know about the past and what's going in Lodi
  • December 29, 2020
    Lodi 2020: The year in pictures
  • December 27, 2020
    The small steps of Lodi growers led to giant leaps for Lodi wine country
  • December 22, 2020
    Looking on the bright side of fading old vine plantings in Lodi
  • December 17, 2020
    Our list of nice Lodi reds, rosés and fortified dessert wines for Christmas gifting and sipping
  • December 15, 2020
    A Lodi white makes the world's Top 100 list, and other Lodi whites for Christmas shopping and sipping
  • December 9, 2020
    The 1980s and 1990s — start of Lodi wine country's modern era
Our Writers
  • Randy Caparoso (804)
Blog Archives
2021
  • January 2021 (4)
2020
  • December 2020 (7)
  • November 2020 (7)
  • October 2020 (6)
  • September 2020 (7)
  • August 2020 (7)
  • July 2020 (7)
  • June 2020 (8)
  • May 2020 (8)
  • April 2020 (8)
  • March 2020 (8)
  • February 2020 (6)
  • January 2020 (6)
2019
  • December 2019 (7)
  • November 2019 (6)
  • October 2019 (6)
  • September 2019 (5)
  • August 2019 (5)
  • July 2019 (7)
  • June 2019 (6)
  • May 2019 (6)
  • April 2019 (6)
  • March 2019 (6)
  • February 2019 (5)
  • January 2019 (7)
2018
  • December 2018 (7)
  • November 2018 (7)
  • October 2018 (9)
  • September 2018 (6)
  • August 2018 (7)
  • July 2018 (8)
  • June 2018 (7)
  • May 2018 (9)
  • April 2018 (8)
  • March 2018 (9)
  • February 2018 (8)
  • January 2018 (8)
2017
  • December 2017 (6)
  • November 2017 (8)
  • October 2017 (10)
  • September 2017 (5)
  • August 2017 (6)
  • July 2017 (7)
  • June 2017 (6)
  • May 2017 (5)
  • April 2017 (7)
  • March 2017 (6)
  • February 2017 (5)
  • January 2017 (7)
2016
  • December 2016 (7)
  • November 2016 (8)
  • October 2016 (7)
  • September 2016 (7)
  • August 2016 (5)
  • July 2016 (7)
  • June 2016 (7)
  • May 2016 (6)
  • April 2016 (6)
  • March 2016 (7)
  • February 2016 (6)
  • January 2016 (5)
2015
  • December 2015 (8)
  • November 2015 (6)
  • October 2015 (7)
  • September 2015 (5)
  • August 2015 (6)
  • July 2015 (7)
  • June 2015 (6)
  • May 2015 (5)
  • April 2015 (6)
  • March 2015 (6)
  • February 2015 (7)
  • January 2015 (5)
2014
  • December 2014 (8)
  • November 2014 (5)
  • October 2014 (7)
  • September 2014 (5)
  • August 2014 (3)
  • July 2014 (5)
  • June 2014 (6)
  • May 2014 (7)
  • April 2014 (7)
  • March 2014 (5)
  • February 2014 (4)
  • January 2014 (7)
2013
  • December 2013 (8)
  • November 2013 (6)
  • October 2013 (7)
  • September 2013 (5)
  • August 2013 (6)
  • July 2013 (4)
  • June 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (4)
  • April 2013 (5)
  • March 2013 (2)
  • February 2013 (2)
  • January 2013 (4)
2012
  • December 2012 (7)
  • November 2012 (9)
  • October 2012 (9)
  • September 2012 (7)
  • August 2012 (9)
  • July 2012 (8)
  • June 2012 (8)
  • May 2012 (9)
  • April 2012 (8)
  • March 2012 (9)
  • February 2012 (7)
  • January 2012 (9)
2011
  • December 2011 (7)
  • November 2011 (8)
  • October 2011 (7)
  • September 2011 (7)
  • August 2011 (8)
  • July 2011 (8)
  • June 2011 (9)
  • May 2011 (7)
  • April 2011 (9)
  • March 2011 (8)
  • February 2011 (8)
  • January 2011 (7)
2010
  • December 2010 (8)
  • November 2010 (6)
  • October 2010 (2)
  • September 2010 (6)
  • August 2010 (5)
Additional Resources
  • Media & Trade
  • Lodi Winegrape Commission
  • Donation Requests
  • Returns & Cancellations
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
Contact

Lodi Wine Visitor Center
2545 West Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242
209.365.0621
Open: Thursday - Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm

Lodi Winegrape Commission
2545 West Turner Road, Lodi, CA 95242
209.367.4727
Open: Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

Have a question? Complete our contact form.

  • © Copyright 2021 Lodi Winegrape Commission
  • Winery Ecommerce by WineDirect