On a dark, foggy morning long ago In a place few would dare to go There stood a grower in the eerie light Gazing at a frightful sight Gnarled vines cast shadows in the mist Causing the grower to wonder, what is this? As the sun rose, it became all too clear The grower had…
Why are we fond of saying that Zinfandel is like “autumn in a glass?” Sure, it’s part of the “romance” of wine language; but there is also a scientific reason – one that has repercussions on the aromas and flavors we perceive in typical Zinfandels, and one that has an impact on the foods that…
Can you imagine a perfectly delicious, healthy salad that is also a perfect match for Lodi’s lush, sumptuous, gentle styles of Zinfandel? For the past 11 years, Philadelphia’s Tony Lawrence, the “Global Wine Chef” of “A Chef For You,” has been demonstrating his incredibly Zin-friendly Chocolate Salad at either the yearly ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates &…
“Chilly tonight,” starts off a poem by Lisa Shields – “sweater weather, and I pull out the flannel sheets…” Now that the skies are darkening by 6:00, and the mercury is dipping below 50° at night, it’s also that time of year for cozy red wines, pungent with berryish fruit tinged with aromas suggesting pumpkin…
Behind an iconic wine brand, such as Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, are everyday people like Todd Ziemann: talented, committed and above all, passionate. “The way I like to make wines is fruit with layers of complexity,” Ziemann said. “Fruit is the focus.” Since 2005, the Tokay High and UC Davis graduate has focused on maintaining,…
Our hearts ache in the wake of the devastating fires in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino counties. But together we can help. California’s regional wine associations have united in the #CAWineStrong statewide fundraising project from now through the end of October. Whether winery, restaurant, other business owners or individuals, there is a way for you to pitch…
Lodi Winegrape Commission is participating in a joint effort among all California regional wine/winegrape associations to pull together in support of those areas affected by wildfires. We are disseminating information through joint press releases, social media posts, etc., regarding resources, donation drop offs, and other ways to lend support. Many wineries and businesses are donating…
Barbera is one of those red wine grapes that have been around longer than anyone can remember. Nor can anyone remember why. Like one of those guys you can always depend upon to show up at your parties. Doesn’t say much, but he’s always… there. Good example: In one of the old, classic books on…
A continuation of our previous post, Last rites for Lodi’s old vine growths It’s a good time to enjoy good ol’ old vine Zinfandel. There’s a little bit of chill in the air, leaves are turning color, and the mind drifts off into memories of brown spices, baking pies, stews on the stove, bread in…
Cindy Della Monica started baking bread when she was 8 years old growing up in Cupertino. She took to gardening at age 10. She clearly embraced farm-to-fork before it became a movement. “The farm-to-fork movement is huge,” she said, “though that’s what we used to do all the time.” And Della Monica still is following…
This past August 15, 2017 marked Dr. Stephanie Bolton‘s first full year as Lodi Winegrape Commission’s Grower Communications & Sustainable Winegrowing Director. Yes, that job description is a mouthful; and in fact, Dr. Bolton has already achieved boatloads of accomplishments to match during her first year. This, perhaps, comes as no surprise, as Dr. Bolton…
In a little 8.5-acre vineyard home tucked into the west side of the Mokelumne River AVA, Lodi’s Tamara Maren is running a slightly different type of grape growing business. It’s something more along the lines of the ecotourism concept, where visitors get to chance to enjoy an alternative experience of “Lodi.” In this case, the…
The Phillips Family Issues Dire Warnings Imagine a Lodi without old vine Zinfandel. It’s not an impossibility. This issue always comes up in years when yields are down, as they were in 2017, 15%, 25%, or even more than 50%. This time around it comes in the middle of an economic clusterfudge: Sales of $10-and-under…
“Biblical” can be great, or not so great, and 2017 has been that kind of vintage. But as of this writing – the week of September 11-15 – Lodi Viticultural Area growers and winemakers have been looking at the 2017 crop through their usual rose-colored shades, or glass-half-full mentality; even in a challenging (to put…
Hate to say it, but Acquiesce Winery has had big problems since the day they first opened their doors in 2011: They sell out of every one of their bottlings within months, if not weeks – such is the overwhelming response to their pure, airy, 100% unoaked style of white wines (plus one rosé). This,…
It’s always been said that in the most challenging vintages for any wine region – rain, snow, hail, drought, floods, hot seasons, cold seasons, rampant diseases or pests, anything that Mother Nature may throw at you – it’s the best growers, in the most favorable sites, that end up standing out far above the crowd….
Promising 2017 Verdelho Harvest 6:30 AM, this past Tuesday, August 22 in Lodi’s Alta Mesa appellation: Ron Silva’s harvest crew had already filled three half-ton macro-bins of just-picked Silvaspoons Vineyards Verdelho – green tinted golden, oval shaped orbs of tropical fruit sensations, zapped with palate slaking, lemon-lime acidity. You could practically taste the type of…
Over 650 Lodi wine blog posts ago… In August 2010 we posted our first lodiwine.com blog – entitled, “Oh lord, a blog from the heart of Lodi wine country,” which we are reproducing below to demonstrate how our focus has remained the same over the past seven years: To turn both consumers and professional wine…
If anything, the Lodi Viticultural Area is prolific. We now count 126 grape varieties planted in the region; all variations of Vitis vinifera, belonging to the original European family or species of wine grapes. Why Lodi? Simply put, this is where the California wine industry sources most of the grapes going into wines sold for…
During the past three, four years, Borra Vineyards winemaker Markus Niggli has justifiably garnered considerable media accolades and consumer enthusiasm for his blends of white wine grapes; primarily sourced from Mokelumne Glen Vineyards – an east side riverside vineyard now planted with 50 German and Austrian wine grapes. But lost among all the hullabaloo is…
The first time is always the sweetest! Or so it’s said. Of course, we’re talking about the first time certain influential wine professionals and journalists tasted a Lodi grown wine (or several wines) and thought, “Lodi is for real!” For most of them, it seems, that realization has been fairly recent – only within the…
In recent years, so many Lodi based wineries have begun producing white wines fashioned from the Albariño grape, it’s practically become “Lodi’s Chardonnay.” In fact, you can probably make an argument for that, since you will now find more Lodi wineries producing Albariño rather than Chardonnay, and for good reason: Albariño produces the type of…
Lodi’s Richard “Rip” Ripken has long been known for a philosophy he describes, simply, as taking the “road less travelled.” For Ripken, who owns Ripken Vineyards & Winery, it means several things. For one, exploring off-beaten paths around the world. It was Italy’s Umbria region, for instance, that Ripken and his wife Nancy first discovered…
As of mid-July 2017, it’s that time of year again in Lodi wine country – the start of veraison, the handy French term (véraison) for “change of color of grape berries.” Call it a coming of age (a vinous bar mitzvah?) of grapes, which happens in an often spectacular blaze of colors, from greens to…