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
 
August 7, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Lodi puts on most arduous wine seminar in the world at Steamboat Wine Festival

Steamboat 1

Winter, spring, summer or fall, a visit to Steamboat Springs – a 6,732+ ft. elevation ski resort/community in the Rockies of Colorado – is a breathtaking affair.  Especially if you happened to participate in the Mud, Sweat and Cheers event that was part of the yearly Steamboat Wine Festival, which took place this past August 2-5.

Steamboat 2

David Phillips & Michael McCay

The mud, sweat and cheers were supplied by three vintners who were among the contingent of the seven wineries representing Lodi, and its “LoCA crazy-by-the-barrel” energy, at this mountain high festival:  Joe Lange of LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards, Michael McCay of McCay Cellars, and David Phillips of Michael David Winery.

Lange, McCay and Phillips led 15 wine lovers through what has to qualify as the most strenuous wine seminar in the world:  starting with a 2 hour mountain bike ride through the trails of Mount Werner, which was only then followed by a presentation by the winemakers and lunch at one of Steamboat Springs’ premier restaurants, the Truffle Pig.

In an article that appeared on the front page of the local paper, the Steamboat Pilot & Today, the wine lovers were said to have gathered at the top of the gondola of Steamboat Springs’ famous ski resort, where Mr. Lange greeted them by saying, “you’ve got to work hard… I want everyone to come to lunch… a little sweaty, a little dirty.”  And so, led by the three vintners attired in colorful cycling jerseys, emblazoned with their winery logos, the group biked over the mountain, with the taste of Lodi wines and their gourmet lunch waiting for them as a reward at the end of their arduous exercise.

Donn Wiese, who came with his wife Helene from Golden, Colorado, was quoted to say, “it was a totally new experience… and the scenery, holy cow… we’ve never been to Steamboat in summer before.”  Ms. Wiese chimed in, saying “I loved it… it was so cool… to go out on a mountain like that.”

Says Lange, of this most unusual “wine seminar,” “it was great to get out on a bike and talk to people in a setting that’s not a booth setting.”  Mr. McCay agrees, telling us, “it was work, but fun, too… I’m definitely coming back (to the Steamboat Wine Festival) next year for sure… it’s a slam dunk, just because of the way I’ve been treated.”

Steamboat 4

One of the Lodi wines featured at the Truffle Pig lunch was the 2011 McCay Lodi Rosé ($18), one of the finest dry pink wines made in the world today, vinified primarily from phenomenal 109 year old Carignane vines owned by Jean Rauser:  teeming with fresh strawberry fruitiness, tasting light, lithe, lush and juicy in the mouth.

Back home in Lodi, David Phillips reminisced enthusiastically about the experience, telling us that “it was a fantastic event… we were swamped by people telling us how much they loved our wines – telling us that the Lodi wines were the best wines at the festival (there was a total of 30 wineries, from around the world, showing in Steamboat Springs), and that they would be coming out to visit us in Lodi soon.”

Lodi was also represented by d’Art Wines, Jessie’s Grove Winery, Klinker Brick Winery, and Van Ruiten Family Winery; putting on a total of four seminars, which included the mountain bike ride as well as a hike, and participating in the Steamboat Grand Tasting, attended hundreds of consumers from far and wide:  work hard, playing harder!

Phillips also noted that Bob Lauchland, a fourth generation Lodi grower (with his brother, Richard Lauchland), was also at the wine festival.  “The fact that Bob was there, cheering us on, demonstrates the solidarity that exists between Lodi wineries and growers… we are all working together towards the same goal,of expanding the appreciation of Lodi wines wherever we can.”

Steamboat 3

Joe Lange, Michael McCay and Bob Lauchland

Tweet
Pin It

Comments

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