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.
Best Lodi Wine Country photos of 2013 (part 1)
January 2013: Silvaspoons Vineyards’ Ron Silva talks about what it’s all about (grape growing, handcraft wine and artisanal cheese)
Out of the thousands of photos we take of Lodi Wine Country each year, we do have our favorites: photos that express the vivid realness, sense of family and heritage, the heroism, and sheer joy of Lodi grown wines, vines, and good times.
Part 1 of our favorite photos of 2013:
January: abandoned bird nest on bared vines
January: three generations of the Mikami family (Lodi farmers since 1895, interrupted only during WWII when forced into internment camps); today, producers of gold medal winning Zinfandel
First week of February: pruning of old vine Zinfandel
Early February "ghost vines": Maley Vineyards Zinfandel shrouded in early morning fog
Early February winter chill: Maley's Wegat Vineyard (planted 1958)
Mid-February: a couple gets engaged during Lodi's Wine & Chocolate Weekend
April: three wily winemakers — l to r, Ray Kaufmann & Patrick Campbell (Tierra Divina) and Steve Felten (Klinker Brick) in Jean Rauser's ancient Carignan vineyard (planted 1906)
April: classic split-trunk ancient vine Zinfandel in Rous Vineyard (planted 1909)
May: Concetta Wilkens at Bokisch Vineyards' spring backyard party
May: the Abba family (here, Phil, Bonnie and Louis Jr.) have forged a wine grape growing reputation of excellence since arriving in Lodi in the early 1940s.
May: wine lovers at Lodi's annual ZinFest
May: all in the family at Lodi ZinFest — Klinker Brick's Steve Felten, with his daughter Farrah
May: Lodi wine lover (Skye Morgan) at ZinFest
May: Bokisch Ranches' Markus Bokisch (center) with two Santa Cruz Mountains winemakers (Nathan Kandler on left, Michael Martella on right) who also source grapes from Lodi
June: Richard "Rip" Ripken,'s Guard Rd. vineyard — located 19 ft. below sea level on Lodi's far western edge, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — where he cultivates gold medal winning Pinot Noir and over 25 other wine varieties
July 15: typical of Zinfandel plantings throughout Lodi, this cluster is in the midst of veraison (colors turning from green to purplish reds and blues)
Mid-July: drying Zinfandel clusters, dropped mid-season in Mencarini Vineyards to lighten crop load, hasten ripening and maximize quality
Mid-July: ripening Carignan on gargantuan plant in Jean Rauser's 107-year vineyard, going into perfumed, earthy/scrubby red wines handcrafted by wineries like McCay and Odisea
August 7: the 2013 harvest arrived two weeks early in Lodi — among the first grapes to come in, Phillips Farms' Bare Ranch Chardonnay
August 21: Borra Vineyards winemaker Markus Niggli with his Kerner harvest in Mokelumne Glen Vineyards
Borra's Kerner harvest: Kerner being a German crossing of Riesling and Trollinger, and the major component of Borra's Artist Series Lodi White
August 21: Borra's 2013 Kerner harvest
August: mechanical harvester in Bokisch Ranches' Terra Alta Vineyard, ready to go to work
Pre-dawn of August 19: Pinot Noir picking at Bokisch Ranches' Vista Luna Vineyard — among the first black skinned grapes harvested each year (going into sparkling wines rather than red wines)
Vista Luna Vineyard Pinot Noir, ready to be delivered to sparkling wine producers
Close-up of Vista Luna Vineyard Pinot Noir
August 19: Albarino harvest in Bokisch Ranches' Vista Luna Vineyard
Late August: harvest dinner (for grower and winery clients) in Bokisch Ranches' Terra Alta Vineyard
Late August: Estate Crush owners Sandy Sikeotis, and Bob & Ali Colarossi at Bokisch Ranches' harvest party
Late August: Silvaspoons Vineyard Verdelho — oval shaped bombs of lemon, lime and tropical fruit