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
 
June 22, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Lodi’s best-of-the-best wines at the 2012 California State Fair

IMG_4097

Ron Silva's Lodi grown Torrontes named "best" of all white wines at California State Fair

Lodi grown wines garnered their share California State Fair awards, announced earlier this week.  That’s impressive, considering that there were 2,890 wines, made by 688 wineries, submitted for sober adjudication by 72 distinguished wine judges.

2,156 of these wines earned medals; but more importantly, a handful of  Lodi grown wines that garnered top top honors at the State Fair.  Especially this one – grown by Lodi’s Portuguese grape king, Ron Silva, up there in Galt – which was named best white wine period (“better” than over a 1,000 other white wines, of every type and in every category, entered into the State Fair) by the persnickety judges:

Best of Show-White (Double Gold)
2011 Kenneth Volk, Silvaspoons Vineyards Alta Mesa (Lodi) Torrontés ($24)

Hail to the king (Ron, not Lebron!) – who also supplies exotically scented Torrontés grapes to Forlorn Hope in nearby Suisun Valley (Kenneth Volk makes his Torrontés in his Paso Robles winery) as well as to tiny Riaza Wines located right here in Lodi.

IMG_4748

Stellar Lodi grower, Leland Noma

Wines representing more significant blocks of California wine regions (Napa, Sonoma, Sierra Foothills, etc.) are given their due at the State Fair.  Therefore, Volk’s Torrontés was also named 2012’s Best of Lodi White.  The 2012 Best of Lodi Red?  That would be the 2010 Macchia, Delicious-Noma Ranch Lodi Barbera ($20); which, like the Kenneth Volk, also won a Double Gold (meaning that it was a unanimous choice by its respective panel of judges, who don’t always agree).

The Macchia Barbera – an edgy, sinewy, meaty red wine, oozing with blackberryish fruit, with a maple syrup-like viscosity – was grown by Leland Noma, whose fruits and labors were recently profiled in another post in this blog (see “It’s a great time to be a farmer in Lodi”).  Kudos to Macchia owners Tim and Lani Holdener, and especially to Mr. Noma!

Other wines grown in the Lodi AVA taking truly meaningful top honors in their respective categories, over any and all comers from elsewhere in the state:

IMG_5564

Klinker Brick's Farrah Felten

Best Red Generic (Gold)
2008 LangeTwins Family, Lodi Midnight Reserve ($30)

Best Petite Sirah (Double Gold)
2010 Michael~David, Lodi Petite Petit ($18)

Best Syrah (Double Gold)
2010 Klinker Brick, Farrah Lodi Syrah ($20)

Best Merlot (Double Gold)
2009 Maggio Family, Lodi Merlot ($14)

The LangeTwins’ Midnight Reserve – a luxuriously textured, near-perfectly sculpted Meritage style blend of mostly Petit Verdot, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec – is a tribute to this venerable Lodi family’s prowess as winegrowers (read about what a magnificent match this red wine made with Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese‘s finest cheddar at the 2012 ZinFest).

Also demonstrating the region’s somewhat curious penchant for top quality Petit Verdot – usually considered the “least important” of the five major red wine grapes of Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc being far more familiar to wine lovers) – Michael~David’s Petite Petit won Best Petite Sirah despite being a blend consisting of only 85% Petite Sirah:  15% Petit Verdot smoothing out the often rough, jagged edges typical of Petite Sirah.

Like Michael~David’s Petite Petit, the Klinker Brick Farrah Syrah – a bodaciously full and fleshy fruit bomb of a varietal red, named after the daughter of Klinker Brick owners Steve and Lori Felten, who now manages their tasting room on Alpine Rd. – is an example of what ridiculously great values Lodi grown wines can be.  $20 for one of the finest Syrahs in the U.S.?  No wonder the wine sells out each year!

Finally, perhaps the biggest surprise of all, was the Best performance by the Maggio Family Merlot, which frequently discounts for as low as $9.99 in some of the larger retail chains.  How can this be – a “value” shelf wine, winning out over more vaunted $20, $40, even $50+ California Merlots?  Even Oak Ridge Winery (producer of the Maggio line) seemed perplexed; project manager Scott Parker being quoted by Lodi News-Sentinel to say, “we’ve won awards before, but nothing at this level.”

Lodi = highest quality (not to mention incredible value) wines.  It is what it is – perhaps it’s time for persnickety critics and snootier wine connoisseurs to deal with it, and simply enjoy the wines already being appreciated by growing legions of smart, sensible Lodi wine lovers all around the world.

IMG_5564

Lodi = family: Oak Ridge's Rudy Maggio & Shelly Maggio Woltkamp (right)

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