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
 
July 28, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

What makes Lodi special? According to Craig Rous, it's

Craig Rous among his 106-year-old Rous Vineyard vines

Craig Rous among his 106-year-old Rous Vineyard Zinfandel vines

Over the next two weeks we will feature words from a few winemakers and growers, speaking out on one subject: what makes Lodi special.

That is to say, the things that make the Lodi Viticultural Area different from other American AVAs that go beyond terroir – the mostly natural elements of a wine region related to climate and topography.

We will start with Craig Rous, the Director of Operations and Planning of the Kautz family’s Bear Creek Winery. Mr. Rous not only oversees the processing of a myriad of wine grapes from all parts of the Lodi AVA, he also happens to be the owner/grower of Rous Vineyard – a 10-acre Zinfandel vineyard originally planted in 1909 on St. George rootstocks, located in the beach sand-like soils of the east side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA.

Rous Vineyard has long been considered one of Lodi’s great growths. It is always one of the highlights in the line-up of single vineyard bottlings crafted by Macchia Wines each year. The 2013 Macchia Luxurious Rous Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel ($28) lives up to its moniker as a luxuriously textured, flowery scented expression of the varietal.  

Craig Rous harvesting his 2014 Rous Vineyard Zinfandel

Perhaps even more of a definitive rendering of the vineyard is the 2013 Ironstone Rous Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel ($28); aged in more neutral oak barrels to emphasize the grape’s natural, sweetly spiced (cracked peppercorn and clove), fleshy, silken layered fruit, merging black cherry and blueberry-ish perfumes.

There is both nuanced complexity and frank, easy accessibility in Rous Vineyard Zinfandels, which also reflect Mr. Rous’s assessment of what defines Lodi.  In his words:

What makes Lodi special? We can go on and on about warm days, cool nights, sandy soils, and a plethora of old vines. But when you think about it, I think it’s the fact that when you visit Lodi as an enthusiastic wine lover, you really get unfettered access to principals. This is practically the only place where, wherever you go, you find yourself talking to owners and winemakers, not just winery employees.

And in most cases, owners are the winemakers in Lodi, and they also grow the grapes. This means they are doing things that make the best wines, not just for profit. Sandy soils and old vines are important, but so is the close, personal attention that owners naturally apply to what they do.

In Lodi, it’s the personal touch that makes a difference. It’s like Napa Valley was, 40, 50 years ago. We are a large wine region, but within a comparatively small, tight community, with direct connections between winemakers, growers and grapes. Our winemakers and owners are out in the vineyard more than in other wine regions. They live among the vines, and so they are in tune with what’s going on, winter, spring, summer and fall. And it’s a relationship that goes way back – in many cases, for over 100 years.

It’s that close proximity that makes a difference, and it ends up in the wines. Sure, a lot of people still aren’t exactly sure what a “Lodi wine” really is. But our winemakers and growers do, and we’re doing a better job each year getting the word out.

Craig Rous speaking at 2014 Lodi ZinFest (with Turley Wine Cellars' Tegan Passalacqua)

 

 

Tweet
Pin It

Comments

nike's Gravatar
 
nike
@ Apr 30, 2016 at 5:45 AM
http://appshowbox.com/showbox-apk-latest-download/
cool

Commenting has been turned off.
Blog Search
Recent Posts
  • 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
  • December 3, 2020
    The original Lodi Natives — the Plains Miwok
Our Writers
  • Randy Caparoso (803)
Blog Archives
2021
  • January 2021 (3)
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