What do you give a Zinfandel lover who has everything, has been there and done that? It is possible to find something he (or she) would shout hallelujah! about in the early hours of Christmas morn; and that something would be something rare, highly individualistic (in terms of pure winemaking aesthetics), and yes, a bit…
A history of Zinfandel crystallizied by the old soldiers behind Macchia’s Outrageous… However Yoda-like as it may sound, when Tim Holdener, winemaker/proprietor of Lodi’s Macchia Wines, talks about how he earned his reputation as a Lodi zin master, he likes to use the phrase, “treat the vine like a man, and the wine like a…
It’s mid-December, and who among us is not thinking about… It’s a Wonderful Life? We sure were, last week when Chris Storm, Viticulturist for Lodi’s Vino Farms, took us through this vineyard management company’s showcase property: grandly named Grand Vin Lands. Located on the far eastern edge of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA off E. Peltier,…
It was on the last day of this past November when we met with Lance Randolph, owner/winemaker of Peirano Estate, one of Lodi’s original landmark wineries; located just off of Hwy. 99, south of Peltier. Mr. Randolph, conspicuously, was wearing a warm flannel shirt and a clean pair of jeans rather than bright red shorts:…
“Happy families,” wrote Tolstoy, “are all alike, and every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Or are they? As it’s also often said, we don’t get to choose our families, but to a large extent, we can certainly control the circumstances under which we see them. Especially for Thanksgiving, which is all about…
Let your turkey guide your wine choices, and one Lodi family’s Thanksgiving menu and secret family recipe for potato rolls… The turkey is one of our greatest comfort foods. When we were kids we simply traced our fingers to draw them. It has also remained as all-American a culinary delicacy as any: as ubiquitous as…
Russ and Melinda Fields (and their three kids) and their partner/winemakers at Lodi’s Fields Family Wines, Ryan and Jalynn Sherman (with their two kids), celebrate Thanksgiving in the usual tradition. But the during the weekend after, according to Ryan, the families and their friends get together to commence their “post-holiday throw-down.” The Fields and Sherman…
Who doesn’t love a great sweet wine? Your Aunt Gladys and Uncle Boyd, your brother the wine geek, your sister the foodie, mom who loves everything and dad who always proclaims “I know what I like” but still can never remember what he had last week: they all love the wines winemakers probably work the…
The goods: A compelling array of orange blossom, rose petal, tropical flowers (jasmine and frangipani) and honeysuckle perfumes tease the nose; and then totally deliver on the palate: feathery light(10.3% alcohol) and modestly sweet (4.8% residual sugar) sensations, with the airy crispness of lemon cookies and a tingly touch of effervescence (what the Italians would…
Have you heard about one of Lodi’s newer “boutique” wineries: Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi? We kid you not, since April Fool’s is in April, not November. If you’re planning to cover the Lodi winefront during THE FIRST SIP weekend this coming November 13-14, it might be a good idea to set aside a few minutes…
“Gala” doesn’t quite describe Artisan Masters’ Lodi Wine & Art Auction that took place in Lodi’s Hutchins Street Square this past Saturday (10/23). How about, say, an extra-sensory, fantastical, phantasmagoric vinous adventure? The eye opening spices and vividly flavorful barrels of ’09 and 2010 Zinfandels presented by twenty of Lodi’s top wineries certainly made many…
While taking a taco truck break with his pickers last week (first week of October) at Egger Vineyard, a stand of 20 year old head trained Zinfandel vines on the north side of Peltier Rd., Jonathan Wetmore ventured an opinion: “All the wineries have been happy so far with the quality of the 2010 harvest.”…
September 23, 2010 Lodi Harvest Report Over the past two weeks the night harvesters in Lodi have been busy while you’ve lain in bed dreaming. White wine grapes have pretty much come off the vine; and at this date, red wine grapes from the warmer sites (generally on Lodi’s eastern side) have started to trickle…
One of Lodi’s singularly most original, and quite possibly most significant (if you dream in Italian) white wines today may be the one made from the Vermentino grape by Jim Moore, owner/winemaker of Italian inspired wines under the Uvaggio label. “Vermentino,” says Moore, “is the thinking man’s Pinot Grigio.” Like Pinot Grigio, it tends to…
Celebrate the 2010 harvest with us at the Lodi Grape Festival… September 16-19 – When was the last time you’ve savored true Americana? The annual four-day Lodi Grape Festival has been serving up sky-high slices of it, with sides of Tokay and glasses of teeth staining Zinfandel, continuously since 1934. The first grapefest was a…
LODI TERROIR — A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME… Attention shoppers, wine geeks, or anyone who just wants to know more about what the heck they like in a wine (why should geeks have all fun?): at the upcoming Lodi Wine & Art Auction eighteen wineries will present, for your sensory and intellectual pleasure, over…
2008 VAN RUITEN FAMILY, LODI OLD VINE ZINFANDEL The taste of an ultimate zin: Begins with a sweet toned, harmoniously composed nose of aromas suggesting blueberry jam, blackberry syrup and vanilla pods, with nary an overripe or raisiny note. On the palate, the luscious, vibrant fruit qualities are couched in a moderately full, giving body…
A fluke? A case of perfect celestial alignment? Hmmm. Meanwhile, back at the ranch: this very same Zinfandel came away with a Double Gold medal and was rated “Best California Zinfandel” in the 2009 Lodi International Wine Competition. Not too shabby for a wine that retails for $15 to $18 retail across the country (or…
Markus and Liz Bokisch, who own Bokisch Vineyards in Lodi, have recently been turning the wine world on its head. You’ve probably heard, for instance, winemakers sanctimoniously talk about how they pick grapes “by flavor, not numbers.” How they all wait for “physiological ripeness” before harvesting. As if, of course, they would be waiting for…
When tasting the 2009 Alta Mesa Silvaspoons Vineyards Lodi Verdelho in a San Francisco seminar last month (July 2010), Andrea Immer Robinson (a Master Sommelier and author of multiple wine books) could not stop talking about the “silky dryness” and “perky tartness” of this uniquely scented (think lime, lemon verbena and white peach skin), lithe…
“Lodi may be known for old vine Zinfandel, but right now it is surprising the wine world with the success of its wines made from Spanish varieties.” Thus spoke Mark Chandler, Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, while leading a seminar called Lodi-Beria – The Latin Side of Lodi at the SF Chefs 2010…
How to succeed in business by turning lemons into joy juice “We’re told that our Zinfandel is one of the three top selling wines in Sweden,” says David Phillips, President/Owner of Michael-David Winery. “I guess the Swedes like to barbecue!” While polishing off his huevos rancheros in Phillips Farms (more than just a produce stand,…
The Growing Groundswell By now you’ve heard that Lodi is more than a song (point of fact: after he wrote his famous (Stuck in) Lodi, Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s John Fogerty admitted he’d never visited this historic California town, but that he simply came across it and thought it had “the coolest sounding name”). Lodi is…