Lodi Winegrape Commission http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.bloglist Lodi Winegrape Commission Blog en-us Tue, 19 Mar 2024 03:33:58 -0700 Sun, 10 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0700 Loosely Based On Ray Camden's BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss paul@lodiwine.com,stuart@lodiwine.com,molly@lodiwine.com paul@lodiwine.com,stuart@lodiwine.com,molly@lodiwine.com Vivid images of Lodi's Beauty of Days Gone By http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Vivid-images-of-Lodi-s-Beauty-of-Days-Gone-By

Block of blooming almond trees cultivated in the midst of Lodi's vast expanse of vineyards.

In the seasonal rhythms of life, the cusp of spring (in 2024, coming up on March 19) is when the earth is exhaling, after and months and months of breathing and holding still, conserving energy for the longer days, the warmer temperatures and brighter, more nourishing light.

We respond in kind, as walking, talking, singing organic extensions of the Mother we call Nature. Spring awakens our appetites, and our thirst for wines and life is piqued, re-energized, hopeful, healing, as pent up and bracing as rushing, uncontained snowmelt.

Wild early March growth springing up from the super-sandy loam soil beneath grapevines well over 100 years old in Lodi's Mokelumne River region.

Or as in Van Morrison’s The Beauty of Days Gone By: A song (listen to it here) that marvels at how youth is always served—within the awakening earth, and in the foods, the drinks, the words and music inspired by and bestowed upon us by Nature, even as we find ourselves a little older, a little more worse for wear, after every sobering winter.

Recent photo of Lodi grower—whose family has been farming in Lodi since the late 1860s—among prized old vines that he personally planted in 1956, just now coming out of their winter slumber.

Our appetite for life and beauty, though, never goes away, remaining as mental as much as it is physical, providing we keep our wits about us.

As in the words of this Celtic rock bard, matched to pictorial rhythms of Lodi, as this winegrowing appellation—by far the largest in the United States—makes its own yearly pilgrimage into the light and warm embrace of spring...

Burst of morning light peeping through old vine Zinfandel (planted in early 1960s) in Lodi's Clements Hills appellation.

When I recall just how it felt
When I went walking down by the lake
My soul was free, my heart awake
When I walked down into the town...

Waters of March: the Mokelumne River, shimmering in light of rising sun, where it lazily flows into Lodi Lake.

The mountain air was fresh and clear
The sun was up behind the hill
It felt so good to be alive
On that morning in spring...

Blue oaks on green knoll among grapevines in the rolling lower Foothills terroir of Lodi's Clements Hills appellation.

I want to sing this song for you
I want to lift your spirits high
And in my soul I want to feel
The beauty of the days gone by...

Pulling at the bursting new buds of old vine Zinfandel in Lodi's historic Mokelumne River appellation.

The beauty of the days gone by
It brings a longing to my soul
To contemplate my own true self
And keep me young as I grow old...

The first buds of March popping out from the long gnarly arms of ancient vine Lodi Zinfandel, originally planted in 1901.

'Cause beauty of the days gone by
The music that we used to play
So, lift your glass and raise it high
Till the beauty of the days gone by...

Sheep munching on late winter shoots among old vines in Lodi's Mokelumne River Viticultural Area.

I'll sing it from the mountain top
Down to the valley down below
Because my cup doth overflow
With the beauty of the days gone by...

Late winter mustard, neglected old vines and historic railroad tracks just north of the City of Lodi.

The mountain glen where we used to roam
The gardens there by the railroad track
Oh, my memory it does not lie
Of the beauty of the days gone by...

Peach blossoms ablaze in March light alongside trellised Syrah in Lodi's Mokelumne River region.

The beauty of the days gone by
It brings a longing to my soul
To contemplate my own true self
And keep me young as I grow old...

And keep me young as I grow old.

Vertically trained old, old Zinfandel in the heart of Lodi wine country, at the start of March bud break.

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Sun, 10 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=A1D75E82-BA95-D272-CF72-4F2B57D9B8E8
The magic of Tempranillo (particularly with meaty dishes such as chocolate chili) http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/The-magic-of-Tempranillo--particularly-with-meaty-dishes-such-as-chocolate-chili-

Tempranillo cluster in Anaya Vineyards, Clements Hills-Lodi AVA.

Tempranillo is not an obvious wine.

Yet by now, you have had either a personal experience or have heard all about this red wine varietal, made from the cultivar of this name that is native to Spain. 

At least within the Lodi appellation, where the varietal has a place of little more importance than in other American wine regions. Among local wineries, there are now as many bottlings of Tempranillo as Cabernet Sauvignon (but not nearly as many as Zinfandel, Lodi's signature variety).

Like Lodi itself, Tempranillo has a bit of history in California. According to records, Tempranillo was planted in California as early as the 1880s. Only, for the first 100 years or so, it was not actually listed by the USDA as Tempranillo, but rather by one of its synonyms, Valdepeñas. 

"Valdepeñas" was never a household name.

Why did Tempranillo go unappreciated for so long in California? Clearly, it's because of the varietal character of the grape: It was not distinctive enough to interest the wine industry anywhere in the country. 

Tempranillo in one of Lodi's oldest blocks, planted on the east side in the mid-1990s.

For instance, in the authoritative 1976 book called Wines, Their Sensory Evaluation (W.H. Freeman and Company), UC Davis professors Maynard Amerine and Edward Roessler did not list Tempranillo among black-skinned grapes having "recognizable varietal character." Rather, the authors singled out grapes such as Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Grignolino, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Petite Sirah, Pinot noir, Ruby Cabernet and Zinfandel.

Everyone know that grapes such as Pinot noir and Zinfandel make extravagantly scented and flavorful wines. That Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet France produce pungently rich wines, often with minty/herby qualities. All tangible fruit profiles, not exactly subtle, but something into which consumers and vintners alike can easily sink their teeth. 

Tempranillo, on the other hand, was never even an afterthought. Mostly because even at the most intense levels, its varietal profile tends to add up to little more than hints or suggestions of berryish fruit, more often than not encased in equally faint notes of leather, tobacco, red meat, and/or earthy nuances. 

Low key, earthy qualities are perfectly okay for classic Spanish red wines such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero, where there is more Tempranillo grown than anywhere else in the world. But for the longest time, this was not good enough for Americans, who like a little more emphatic, easily identifiable taste.

Tempranillo harvest in Lodi's Anaya Vineyards.

Therefore, it was not surprising that Tempranillo was not among the varietals leading the state's modern-day wine boom, which began in the 1960s and '70s. It would not be until the late 1990s that pioneering vintners such as Bokisch Vineyards in Lodi, and Abacela in Oregon, would finally begin to lead something of a charge, finally bringing Tempranillo to the attention of American consumers.

But here's the thing: Once a growing segment American consumers learned to appreciate more understated qualities in wines, interest in Tempranillo suddenly soared. A typical Tempranillo may be more earthy than fruit driven in the nose, but it is on the palate that it comes alive. Once it hits the tongue, a typical Tempranillo gives a gripping yet sumptuous sense of fullness. The flavors come across as textured or layered, and seem to roll and flow and fill the palate. 

Yet unlike, say, a typical Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, it is a palate-feel that rarely comes across with a burdensome impact of bitter tannin, sharp acidity or excess alcohol. Tempranillo is more like... smooth. Foodies would describe this as a savory taste.

Above all, the varietal profile of a good Tempranillo, elusive as it might be, is a boon for food; particularly high myoglobin protein meats with juicy, savory qualities. It is precisely the savory, nuanced nature of Tempranillo that suddenly become more delineated and intense, often in dramatic or surprising fashion, when enjoyed in the context of dishes. This is true of all the great Tempranillo-based reds of Spain, and just as true in many of the finer Tempranillos grown on the West Coast.

Chocolate chili according to foolproofliving.com.

Chocolate chili, a super-natural match for Tempranillo

Of all the dishes often served in Lodi wineries, chocolate chili may be the single most natural dish for Tempranillo. Why? Because of the deeply savory, almost mole-like textured qualities of the dish. The earthy chocolate and moderate spiciness of chocolate chili are big parts of the affinity with Tempranillo. It seems to coax out the restrained qualities of the wine, bringing definition to the low key fruit and earthy nuances intrinsic to the grape. The flavors in both the wine and the dish meet on the palate, like lovers in the the moonlight.

The following recipe is an iteration by Aysegul Sanford of foolproofliving.com, and serves approximately six.

Sanford recommends ground turkey, but my preferences are either ground grass fed beef or bison. You can also substitute with ground chicken, pork or any of your preferred blends of meat. Use meaty mushrooms as a vegetarian option.

One ingredient you won't find in Sanford's recipe (nor any online) is Lodi sausages. In Lodi, sausages from Lockeford Meat and Sausage are typically added to chocolate chili because, well, this is landmark Lodi neighborhood butcher shop. Its sausages are phenomenal. By all means, any mildly spiced sausage by your own favorite brand is also recommended in chocolate chili (example: allrecipes.com's Chocolate Chili with Chorizo).

Sanford's recipe calls for unsweetened baking chocolate. 93% dark chocolate or authentic Mexican dark chocolate will also work. Sanford cautions against using sweetened cocoa powder, which will make the chili too sweet and diminish the overall complexity (as well as wine affinity) of the dish.

Chocolate chili ingredients. foolproofliving.com.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped ~ approximately 1 cup
2 jalapenos seeded and chopped (or serrano chile or bell pepper, according to desired spiciness)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 lbs ground turkey (for vegetarian option, use cremini or baby Bella mushrooms)
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate roughly chopped
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes with their juices
3 cups chicken stock (beef broth if ground beef is used)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped - (Optional) plus more as garnish

Optional toppings:
¼ cup sour cream optional
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 lime cut into wedges
Maple syrup (drizzle)

Chocolate chili (lavished by Lockeford sausauge) served at Lodi's Harney Lane Winery.

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapenos, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes or until onions are softened.

Add in the ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink parts remain. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute or so.

Add in the cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, sweet potatoes, black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt and black pepper. Give it a big stir. Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fully cooked. If using, stir in the chopped cilantro.

Ladle into bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream on top and drizzle with a teaspoon of maple syrup and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro, and serve with earthier styles of Lodi red wine (Tempranillo, of course, or a west side grown Zinfandel).

Bokisch Vineyards grower/owner Markus Bokisch attending to Tempranillo in his Las Cerezas Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi.

Notable Lodi Tempranillos

Lodi grown Tempranillos retain the earth toned character of the grape, although the region's particular variant of Mediterranean climate steers the varietal profile into more of a red fruit spectrum (in contrast to darker fruit qualities typical of Spain or Southern Oregon). If anything, a big plus for spice accented dishes.

Some quick notes on a few key Lodi bottlings of Tempranillo, any of which would make a phenomenal match with a dish like chocolate chili:

McCay Cellars, Lot 13 Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi Tempranillo—Fine, silky, medium bodied style with lots of perky "red" fruit qualities (licorice, strawberry, pomegranate) enhanced by French oak vanillin flourishes.

m2 Wines, Kirschenmann Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi Tempranillo—Similar to McCay's bottling but aged in American barrels, giving "sweeter' oak tones to black cherry, cranberry and dusty/earthy qualities in the nose and on the palate, as silky smooth as any Tempranillo.

Harney Lane Winery, Home Ranch, Mokelumne River-Lodi Tempranillo—"Exquisite" is an operative term, despite crafty splashes of toasty oak, accentuating raspberry/violet/plummy fruit intricacies and a meaty, stewy palate feel, almost filagreed in the finish.

Las Cerezas Vineyard Tempranillo, Mokelumne River-Lodi.

Heritage Oak Winery, Mokelumne River-Lodi Tempranillo—Redolent baskets of fresh, lush red fruit veering towards candied cherry and embellished by mildly sweet oak tones, packaged in rounded, silky textured medium body supported by mild tannin and moderately zesty acidity..

Bokisch Vineyards, Liberty Oaks Vineyard, Jahant-Lodi Tempranillo—Multifaceted nose of plump, ripe, spiced red cherry/berry, smidgens of cinnamon, bacon fat, and rose water, couched in a vanillin oak frame suggesting sprigs of dill. Medium-weight body, firm yet svelte with moderate tannin and restrained oak.

Bokisch Family Estate, Las Cerezas Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi Tempranillo—Bing cherry and red berries define an exuberant varietal aroma with a sense of ripeness, all the more amplified by a rich dose of oak—adding subtle notes of tobacco and dark chocolate—plus the characteristically faint, dusty earthiness. Medium-full, meaty feel generously supported by oak.

Tempranillo "jungle" in Silvaspoons Vineyards, Lodi's Alta Mesa AVA.

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Wed, 06 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=3417AD29-AD1C-E25D-3C2F-5B830615C426
Early sensory report on Lodi's challenging, yet exceptionally promising, 2023 vintage http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Early-sensory-report-on-Lodi-s-challenging--yet-exceptionally-promising--2023-vintage

McCay Cellars' Mike McCay raising a toast in one of his old vine Zinfandel blocks.

California's 2023 harvest, you might have heard, was problematic, especially in the Lodi appellation

In Lodi, the challenges were more economic than those of issues imposed by Mother Nature. It was, in short, a cooler than usual vintage. Theoretically, this is good, because Lodi is a warm climate winegrowing region. But as San Joaquin County Viticulture Farm Advisor Jim Kissler put it, “Some growers had trouble obtaining the minimum sugar requirements of 22˚ Brix [i.e., sugar readings]... and growers without a home for their grapes found it frustrating."

As of 2023, the entire California wine grape industry is beset with a problem of oversupply. Many vineyards up and down the state went unpicked last year, with vineyard owners left holding the bag. According to a report posted by Stuart Spencer (Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission) this past December 4 on the Lodi Growers page:

The 2023 wine grape market was one of the worst in recent memory, with uncommitted grapes struggling to find a home and contracted grapes struggling to make it into the winery for a variety of reasons. Sluggish to negative wine sales over the past few years, combined with a global oversupply of grapes and wine, led many wine grape buyers to search for ways to reduce inventory and produce less wine in 2023. Unfortunately, this situation left many vineyards (growers) without a buyer at the end of the day.

2023 Cinsaut harvest in Bechthold Vineyard, Lodi's oldest continuously farmed vineyard.

In respect to grape integrity, Spencer adds:

The growing season presented several other challenges for growers as well. Most vineyards and grape varieties were at least two to three weeks behind normal, and in some cases, logistical challenges at wineries extended harvest even later. A relatively cool and humid August and September increased disease pressure and pushed harvest later, exposing vineyards to an increased risk of not getting harvested. In some vineyards, mostly Zinfandel, multiple fruit thinning passes by hand was required to remove rot. A statewide multi-crop “super bloom” of fruit flies this year only exacerbated the rot pressure.

That was the bad news. The good news is that many of the wines will be excellent. Cooler climate vintages, after all, have a way of producing wines with excellent balance of natural acidity, resulting in more freshness in resulting wines, plus markedly richer depth of phenolic content (i.e., the natural phenols and polyphenols contributing to the taste, color and flavor of wines). 

Lodi Winegrape Commission's Stuart Spencer (right) with Bruce and Jerry Fry of Mohr-Fry Ranches.

For instance, Spencer's own 2023s (bottled under the St. Amant label) are already showing multiple facets of spectacular, bright and pure intensity. Writes Spencer on the broader industry's fortunes:

Despite the challenges and late harvest, winemakers are reporting exceptional quality wines from this year’s crop. Winemaker compliments for the 2023 Lodi vintage include fantastic color, higher acidity, and excellent flavor. And due to the longer growing season, many vineyards achieved ripeness at lower sugar levels resulting in fresher, lower alcohol wines.

Acquiesce Winery winemaker Christina Lopez filed a report going into more detail, pointing out that, apart from cooler weather, in 2023 the Lodi appellation saw 32 inches of rain, more than double the annual average of 14 inches. In all of California's coastal wine regions—including Lodi, which is directly influenced by Bay Area air moving in through the Delta—virtually all yearly rainfall occurs during winter, well before and after there is fruit on the vine. The impact of higher than average rain on grapevines was felt at the front end of the season, delaying bud break by two to three weeks, depending upon vineyards and sub-areas.

Acquiesce Winery winemaker Christina Lopez.

Adds Lopez:

Once the sky started to clear in spring, the benefits of a wet winter began to show. Our cover crop was lush and pushing 7 feet tall in some areas which drew in troves of wildlife. Not only was it wetter, but it stayed cooler for longer. We typically see bud break right around St. Patrick’s Day [in 2023, March 17], but this year it didn’t happen until the beginning of April when we started to see temperatures break into the 70ºs. 

We kept waiting for the triple digit days to knock us out of our bliss, but we only saw one of those days in June. In fact, we only saw 24 days of 95°+ in 2023, with zero of these days occurring in September... These cooler temperatures provided optimal growing conditions with physiological ripeness occurring at lower Brix and perfect chemistry at harvest. I think this is a vintage California winemakers will be raving about for years to come, going in the books as one of the greats. I expect 2023 California wines to have more restraint, elegance, finesse, and balance.

In other words, while the growers have been struggling, the consumers will benefit with more delicious—and in many cases, more interesting and potentially longer lived—wines.

Unusually small (for the cultivar) cluster of Grenache, typical of the old head trained vines in Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA.

In what ways? To find out, we recently sat down with a sampling of six 2023 Lodi reds from individual vineyards, planted to different grapes, currently resting in French oak barrels at McCay Cellars. If anything, according to owner/winemaker Mike McCay, virtually all the 2023s will be brighter, more upbeat and vivid expressions of Lodi-grown fruit. 

The 2023 vintage turned out to be so unseasonably cool that McCay estimates that all his key vineyards were picked anywhere from three to five weeks later than normal; not that conditions (re battles with heat and drought) over the past ten years could be considered "normal." All the same, says McCay...

2023 could be described in two words—"hang time." Unlike most years, we never had to push because of sudden heat or sugar spikes. Grapes had a chance to reach maturation slowly with few issues. In my vineyards, no rot, no leaf hoppers, none of the curveballs that usually hit us around veraison {i.e., when black skinned grapes turn color].

Ancient vine Zinfandel harvest in Rous Vineyard, east side Mokelumne River-Lodi growth planted in 1909.

The wines of McCay Cellars are a good barometer of the vintage because they are all produced as naturally, or with as little winemaker intervention, as possible. Therefore, most of what you taste is, indeed, as Mother Nature intended it to be. Adds McCay...

A key indicator of the cooler vintage is that our vineyards, especially Zinfandel, hardly needed watering. If we had needed to water in May or June, this would had facilitated mildew. Neither did we need to drop much fruit. The older vines put out exactly what was needed. I think that for growers who farm well balanced vineyards, with right proportions of canopy to fruit, the benefit was better than average quality. For us, this is great because our style involves no acid adjustment, no adds, all native yeast ferments.

Bechthold Vineyard Cinsaut cluster on 2023 harvest morning.

Our notes on each barrel sample, with Mr. McCay's comments:

2023 Bechthold Vineyard Cinsaut

Bechthold is Lodi's oldest vineyard, owned by the same family since 1886. Says McCay, "Bechthold is usually picked between mid-August and the first week of September—this year was September 20, almost a month later than some recent vintages. As of right now the wine is in neutral French oak barrels, and will be bottled next February (2025)." 

Even now, the 2023 Cinsaut right out of the barrel is super-bright in color and aroma; gushy in unfettered cranberry, blueberry and rhubarb-like fruit plus, as McCay puts it, "grandma's spice rack... cardamom and dates." 

Adds McCay, "Extra time in the barrel will give the palate more layers and definition... Compared to previous years, the 2023 is tasting a little more complex, on the elegant side... alcohol is 13.0%, in line with previous vintages, although it is showing more phenolic structure than usual on the palate... The 2023 will end up with more layers in the nose and on the palate, a good example of what to expect from the vintage."

Manassero Vineyard Carignan—typical of Lodi, own-rooted old vines planted and farmed by the same family since the late 1950s.

2023 Manassero Vineyard Carignan

The Manassero blocks of Carignan, one of Lodi's heritage grapes because of the cultivar's Mediterranean origin, are all own-rooted vines planted in the late 1950s, south of the City of Lodi in fluffy sandy loam soil. The 2023, says McCay, was picked on October 15, approximately five weeks later than normal. 

The barrel sample of Carignan is currently brooding, more earthy than fruit-driven, with cola, plummy berry and black cherry notes poking out of the wine's haze of funkiness.  What is clear, though, is that the 2023 is revved up with considerably more acidity and phenolic content than usual, coming across as chewy, almost "big," although the alcohol is in the moderate 13.0% range. 

Whereas in 2023 other Lodi growers have reported some extreme cases of mildew and rot with their Carignan, the Manassero blocks escaped this, according to McCay, ,"because they get a good shot of the Delta breeze south of Lodi, minimizing problems... Manassero Carignan is always an earthy wine, more dark plum than bright cherry, and this year the extra phenolic content will make that profile even more prevalent."

Old vine Grenache harvest in Manassero Vineyard, on the south side of Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA.

2023 Manassero Vineyard Grenache

This 1-acre sliver of head trained own-rooted old vine Grenache is contained within a 30-acre block consisting primarily of Zinfandel, planted by the Manassero family in 1938. The 2023 was picked on September 14, approximately three weeks later than previous vintages.

The barrel sample is portraying bright ruby color and intense, pure, fragrant red cherry, backed up by a more rigid palate feel of tannin and energetic acidity. Says McCay, "I've been tasting a nutty, woody taste that doesn't come from oak [the wine sees strictly neutral barrels], which reminds me of sandalwood, more of a woody spice... You can taste the exceptional acidity in the 2023 Manassero Grenache, which will only accentuate the cherry quality."

In September 2023, row of immaculate looking vertical shoot position trellised Grenache in Abba Vineyard, on the east side of Mokelumne River-Lodi AVA.

2023 Abba Vineyard Grenache

This modern day, vertical shoot position trellised block, planted in 2007, is perhaps the appellation's premier Grenache planting—always ultra-bright in the red cherry varietal profile tinged by a peppery spice strong enough to be perceived even by consumers normally oblivious to the scent of black pepper (i.e., manifestations of rotundone components) in wines. 

The barrel sample of 2023—picked at 24.5° Brix (converting to just below 14.0% ABV)—is on the mark; if anything, intensified even further by higher than average natural acidity, giving the palate a zesty edginess despite a moderate phenolic structure. 

Typical of the vineyard, Abba Vineyard's Grenache is rounder, less earthy and more fragrant and spicy than the Grenache from Manassero Vineyard—the much older vineyard producing smaller clusters with higher skin to juice ratios—although sensory differentiations are also due to cultivar selection. Manassero is planted to an unknown selection of Grenache, whereas Abba Vineyard is planted to specific clones with more definable traints, FPS 362 (a French ENTAV-INRA clone) and FPS 10 (a proprietary clone distributed by Alban Vineyards, Inc.), both utilized by McCay.

Mike McCay (left) and Rous Vineyard owner/grower Craig Rous during Zinfandel harvest.

2023 Rous Vineyard Zinfandel

The 2023 Zinfandel from Rous Vineyard—an east side Mokelumne River AVA growth planted in 1909—is indicative of, possibly, a banner year for Lodi Zinfandel. It is a flamboyantly perfumed wine—redolent of blueberry, violet, plum, blackberry, white pepper—coupled with a densely textured yet plush, deep, full-scaled feel of the sort not achieved in over ten years. 

The wine is reminiscent of older vine Lodi Zinfandels from 2010, another cool climate year, although not nearly as over-the-top in terms of fruit ripeness and potential alcohol [whereas many 2010s easily topped 15.5% ABV, the 2023 Rous is closer to 14.5%).

Whereas Rous Vineyard—located in one of the appellation's sandiest sites (average yields, 1 to 3 tons) and planted on St. George rootstock—is typically the first of Lodi's old vine plantings to be picked (usually mid- to late August). The 2023 was picked on September 14 and is described by McCay as "unusually intense, benefiting from the extra hang time... I get a mint, sage-like herbiness, not all that unusual for the vineyard... it's going to be phenomenal."

Mike McCay checking out "old school" style goblet-trained Zinfandel in Bonotto Vineyard on Lodi's west side.

2023 Bonotto Vineyard Zinfandel

McCay opted to demonstrate the 2023 Zinfandel from Bonotto as a way of contrasting a west side Mokelumne River-Lodi planting with an east side planting (Rous Vineyard). According to McCay, Bonotto was originally planted during the 1930s by Ernie Spenker, a cousin of Joseph Spenker (the latter, who planted neighboring vineyards in the late 1880s, still farmed today as Jessie's Grove).

According to McCay, the 2023 Bonotto was picked on September 28, three weeks later than normal for this block of small, low yielding (typically about 2 tons/acre) plants. "These are very small, old school style goblet shaped vines," says McCay, "that used to go to E. & J. Gallo, despite their low yields."

The 2023 Bonotto barrel sample is, in fact, very "west side." Meaning, deep, dark berry fruit in the aroma (unlike the Rous, absent of outward fragrant or floral qualities), markedly earthy in a loamy sense, and round and plump, although quite buoyant in the feel. Like the other 2023s, there is a tad more phenolic content than normal, giving a good, dense texture and layering, without a lot of weightiness (alcohol comes across as closer to 13.5%). 

Veraison in Bonotto Vineyard.

Adds McCay, "Typical of Bonotto, the earthiness is a little briny, almost salty on the palate, and in the barrel the wine has been showing a surprising amount of complexity—particularly, more black licorice, a little like anise, some black pepper spice, and suggestions of blueberry, which is not typical for the vineyard."

Summarizing overall thoughts on the 2023s from old vine plantings, McCay reflects:

It's evident that the older blocks were tired from the previous year. In 2022 they ran a marathon, going through so much heat and rain, so they took a little longer to come around and ripen their fruit in 2023. 

The 2023 Zinfandels are atypical—a little more layered and structured, yet markedly livelier. Because of that I think we'll find a few more hidden notes as they come around in the barrel. That's why I like to leave them in a little longer—I generally shoot for about 18 months before bottling.

As I said, it's "hang time" that is making all the difference. If you're a Lodi wine lover, you're going to enjoy this vintage!

Mike McCay, walking along the ultra-sandy soil of Abba Vineyard, a quintessential east side Mokelumne River-Lodi site.

 

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Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=06A0880E-ADCE-E11A-74EC-114BA4FE943E
Ode to Lodi's legendary Flame Tokay, never to be forgotten http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Ode-to-Flame-Tokay--Lodi-s-original-king-of-grapes

Flame Tokay—a.k.a., Ahmeur bou Ahmeur—on own-rooted Mokelumne River-Lodi grapevine over 130 years old,

About eight miles east of the City of Lodi, there is a short country lane called Tokay Colony Road, demarcated by Hwy. 88 to the west and N. Tully Rd. at its eastern end. It's an interesting road because it was named for the grape variety called Tokay—more properly known by its full name, Flame Tokay—which for about 100 years was the most widely planted grape in the Lodi wine appellation.

Only, it was never really a wine grape. Flame Tokay was primarily a table grape, grown for the fresh market, in supply for no more than a month's time each year.

1922 photo of Flame Tokay cultivated in the extremely sandy, fine grained alluvium of Lodi's Mokelumne River region in J.C. Kakel Ranch. UC Merced Cooperative Extension Archive.

Flame Tokay was always very much a "Lodi thing." It was possible to cultivate this variety outside of Lodi, but happenstance, or terroir, was such that it was only in Lodi that farmers were able to consistently achieve the "flaming" pinkish red color which made these hefty clusters so popular as an eating grape.

The crop was so profitable, in fact, that the City of Lodi, which was incorporated by its citizens in 1906, literally owed its early wealth and identity primarily to this one agricultural product. Lodi, in the early 1900s, proudly billed itself as the "Tokay Capital of the World."

1907 postcard commemorating Lodi's Tokay Carnival, depicting part of the mile-long procession of horse drawn carts laden with just-picked Flame Tokay grapes entering the city through the landmark Mission Arch.

The lost Tokay Colony

The funny thing about Tokay Colony Road is that you can drive along its entire length (a little less than 3 miles), lined by 5-to-12-acre lots, and not find a single planting of Flame Tokay vines.

But the locale did, in fact, start off as a community called Tokay Colony, with the intention of specializing in Flame Tokay grapes. It was founded in 1908 by three farmers of Norwegian descent who were inspired by the widely acclaimed Tokay Carnival, a three-day event organized by the newly minted City of Lodi in 1907.

Asian grape pickers, who once lugged Lodi-grown Flame Tokay grapes in wooden boxes weighing over 50 pounds apiece. San Joaquin County Historical Museum.

According to Ralph Lea and Christi Kennedy, who authored a story published by Lodi News-Sentinel on March 3, 2006 (see Tokay Colony began in 1908 as a farming community), "In 1908, people in Lodi were steadfastly proud of their new progressive city and the region's great agricultural promise."

Hence, the inspiration for Tokay Colony. Writes Lea and Kennedy, "Riding Lodi's wave of self-promotion, [Tokay Colony founders] Houge, Topson and Nordwicke got together and subdivided their farmland into five-acre plots. They sold the land parcels with the understanding that the new owners would plant Tokay grapes. The region would be known as Tokay Colony."

1907 postcard of Lodi ranch showing head trained Flame Tokay vines, already of advanced age.

By 1909, there were enough families buying into the concept to warrant the establishment of the Tokay Colony School District. A one-story schoolhouse was constructed near the corner of Jack Tone and Live Oak roads, housing two classrooms and an auditorium. In 1917, a Tokay Colony Methodist Church was built for the Norwegian Methodist Church; and by 1935, a total of 50 families populated the colony.

Alas, while the farm lots envisioned by the founders were enough for small chicken ranches, vegetable gardens and a few hogs and heads of cattle, the soil type along Tokay Colony Road proved too shallow to successfully ripen the Flame Tokay grapes for which the colony was originally conceived.

Recent harvest of Old School Vineyard, a 1906 Flame Tokay block certified by Historic Vineyard Society, sitting on a deep pocket of ultra-sandy alluvial soil near the banks of the Mokelumne River in which this Mediterranean grape variety absolutely thrives.

Writes Lea and Kennedy: "The heavier soil in the Tokay Colony area produced larger crops, but the grapes stayed green longer. Since they didn't get enough color to be sold profitably as table grapes, the Tokay Colony grapes were usually sold to wineries for a lesser price and crushed into wine or brandy.

"Even though the region did not develop into a thriving village of Tokay grape growers as the Norwegian farmers envisioned, many families enjoyed their lives on small farms in the country"—which they still do, to this day.

Picture-perfect cluster of Flame Tokay growing in the middle of a block of trellised Cabernet Sauvignon owned by Phillips Farms, in the south section of Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA.

Nearly gone but not completely forgotten

Today, we do not talk about Flame Tokay because it is an important commercial product. It hasn't been, for over 40 years.

We still talk about Flame Tokay because it remains emblematic of the Lodi wine region. It is its history in Lodi that defines what makes this appellation unique and special in respect to natural attributes. It explains, in fact, exactly why Lodi is by far the largest winegrowing region in all of California, thus the entire United States.

Award winning crates of Flame Tokay on display during Lodi's 1907 Tokay Carnival.

Simply put, grapes grow extremely well in Lodi, and it all started with the success of Flame Tokay.

Despite the grape's long and prosperous history in the Lodi AVA, there is no Wikipedia page on Flame Tokay. There is, however, a Wikipedia reference to the fact that Tokay can be a synonym for the Hungarian grape Furmint. Furmint is used to produce the legendary wines of Hungary's Tokaji region, but there is no relation between the Flame Tokay of Lodi and the Furmint of Hungary.

In its wisdom, UC Davis' Foundation Plant Services does have a page listing clonal selections of Flame Tokay, while acknowledging its identity as a cultivar of Vitis vinifera (i.e., belonging to the classic European family of wine grapes), probably originally known as Ahmeur bou Ahmeur.

Massive tree-like scale of Flame Tokay at nearly 100 years of age (this specimen, dating back to the mid-1920s), often in blocks planted mostly to Zinfandel, on the east side of Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation.

There are, in fact, numerous synonyms used for Flame Tokay around the world, cited by Foundation Plant Services; including Ahmeur bou Ahmeur, Ahnour bou Ahmou, Amar bou Amar, Angelina, Angelino, Argenlina, Boal Babosa, Bourdji, Brick, Casta de Ragol, Casta tinta, Codego, Cognac, Culo de Horza, Culo de Orza, Datilidos, Encarnada de Ragol, Flame Coloured Tokay, Fondo de Orza, Grumete Encarnada, Hamri, Imperial negra, Imperial roja, Kabylia, Lombardy, Olho de Pargo, Ragol, Ragol roja, Raisin del Bordj, Rhenish, Roja de Ragol, Rouge fils de Rouge, Royal Gordo, San Geromina, San Jeronimo, Tokay, Uva de Colgar, Uva de Ragol, and Vlamkleur Tokai

The European wine marketing platform called wein.plus contends that Ahmeur bou Ahmeur originated in the Mediterranean Basin wine region of Algeria, in North Africa; describing the cultivar as "only moderately sensitive to drought... suitable for hot regions."

1884 illustration of Flame Tokay by Edwin Deakin, reprinted in East Coast nursery catalogues circulated during the late 1800s.

True to its apparent origins, when Flame Tokay was first introduced to California—most likely during the 1850s, arriving among the dozens of other European cultivars brought in from East Coast nurseries—the grape took to the state's dry summer, warm climate regions like fish to water, but it was in Lodi where it was found to be most easily adapted.

A summary of the plant's history in California:

• In 1857, a crop identified as Flame Tokay was planted by James Rutter in the Florin area of Sacramento County (just north of the present-day boundaries of Lodi's Sloughhouse AVA)—to the best of everyone's knowledge, the first significant planting of this grape.

Lodi Board of Trade ads, circa-1907, proclaiming all the reasons "the Lodi district is destined to be one of the richest and most desirable in the state"—primarily because of the success of Flame Tokay farming.

• While Sacramento County farmers successfully sold Flame Tokay in San Francisco fresh markets, the grape was quickly embraced by growers in the Lodi area (in neighboring San Joaquin County), who discovered that the cultivar could more easily attained its reddish-pink "flame" color in the far deeper, sandier alluvial soils surrounding the community known as Mokelumne (changed to Lodi in 1874).

• In 1861, it was noted that Flame Tokay was among the 20 different grape varieties planted in the Lodi area by George Perley.

• In 1864, George Leffler went on record as planting 6 acres of Flame Tokay, in the vicinity of today's Eight Mile Road, between Lodi and Stockton.

Vintage crate labels harkening back to the days when Lodi-grown Flame Tokay was shipped by railroad to markets near and far.

• Starting in 1886 on his square-mile farm in the Woodbridge area (just west of Lodi), Joseph Spenker planted substantial blocks of Flame Tokay alongside other grape varieties (most notably Cinsaut, Zinfandel, Black Prince and Carignan) found to be suitable to the rich sandy loam soils near the banks of the Mokelumne River.

• In 1907, to celebrate and publicize the wealth brought to the region by the grape, the City of Lodi held a three-day festival called the Tokay Carnival (September 19-21), presided over by a duly elected "Queen Zinfandel" and a court of 10 ladies in waiting. On the first day, the Tokay Carnival opened with a mile-long procession of horse-drawn carts teeming with Flame Tokay grapes. At 8:00 PM on the final night, the Queen "abdicated" her throne to a "King Tokay" who ordered all watches and clocks set back 6 hours and the arrest of anyone found partying on the streets without a mask.

Two postcards commemorating Lodi's 1907 Tokay Carnival: "Queen Zinfandel" and a "Grape Princess," both laden with Flame Tokay, emblematic of the wealth and beauty of Lodi.

• In 1934, three-day yearly celebrations, this time called the Lodi Grape Festival, were started back up again, still inspired by Flame Tokay. While the grape is no longer a commercially viable crop, the Lodi Grape Festival is still celebrated today.

• In 1973, a Flame Seedless (Sultana x Cardinal) grape crossing was developed in Fresno; one of many varieties of seedless table grapes bred to thrive in warmer climate regions in South Central Valley, spelling the beginning of the end of the nearly century-long dominance of Flame Tokay in the Lodi region and economy.

1934 publicity photo for Lodi Grape Festival depicting Police Chief Clarence Jackson, who spearheaded the revival of the yearly celebration, with his daughter and a basket of the symbol of Lodi, Flame Tokay grapes.

Sister grapes

By the 1980s, the introduction of hybridized seedless grapes drove seeded varieties such as Flame Tokay completely out of the fruit market. Fortuitously, the 1980s was also the era of rapid expansion of California wine production. A time when industry leaders such as Robert Mondavi were encouraging Lodi growers to plant more of the grapes needed by wineries, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, and (for about a decade) Chenin blanc. In Lodi, thousands of acres of Flame Tokay were replaced by these major wine grapes.

Among wine grapes, Zinfandel had always been Lodi's leading variety, starting in the late 1800s, and it remained that way during the 1980s because of the White Zinfandel craze. Long before the popularity of White Zinfandel, however, Zinfandel was widely planted in Lodi for the same reason why Flame Tokay was planted: Because both cultivars were the most easily adapted to the region's warm, dry Mediterranean climate and deep, rich sandy loam soils, thus proving to be the most profitable.

Gigantic Flame Tokay alongside relatively diminutive Zinfandel plants in Viola's Vineyard, a Clements Hills-Lodi block planted in 1948, now certified by Historic Vineyard Society.

In fact, Tokay Series is the official name of the soil classification defining the 85,700-acre sub-appellation surrounding the City of Lodi, called Mokelumne River. It is the specific soil type in which both Flame Tokay and Zinfandel thrive the most. 

Lodi still produces approximately 40% of all the Zinfandel in Californial—besides being the home of the country's largest stand of old vines (i.e., vineyards planted between the 1800s and 1960s)—for precisely this reason. It is all about terroir.

Recent harvest of ancient vine Zinfandel in a Mokelumne River-Lodi block interplanted with Flame Tokay.

In that sense, the two grapes, Zinfandel and Flame Tokay, were always considered sister grapes. Lodi was the king of Flame Tokay because you couldn’t successfully grow the grape anywhere else in California. You could go a few miles to the north where the soil transitions from a deep sandy loam to a shallow clay loam, or a few miles south further away from the moderating influence of the breezes coming off the California Delta, and you couldn't get Flame Tokay to turn its vivid pink color (at least on a consistent basis) even if you tried.

Same with Zinfandel. Sure, it was possible to grow good Zinfandel outside the Mokelumne River AVA—in, say, Lodi's Jahant or Clements Hills AVAs, both defined by shallower, gravelly clay soils. But it has only been in the areas that are close enough to the banks of the Mokelumne River, where there are enough deposits of sandy alluvium for grapevines to set the deep root systems necessary for grapevine health, that Zinfandel has been productive in terms of quality and yield.

Late 1960s photo of Jerry Fry (left), during an era when Flame Tokay was still a major part (along with Zinfandel) of Mohr-Fry Ranches operations.

It was Flame Tokay, in fact, that taught some of Lodi's most successful wine grape growers how to farm Zinfandel. According to Jerry Fry, the CEO of Mohr-Fry Ranches: “In a lot of ways, growing Tokay taught us how to grow Zinfandel and other wine grapes. We thinned shoots and pulled leaves to knock out leafhoppers, in order to concentrate the color and flavor of our Tokay. So it only made sense to take care of our Zinfandel the same way."

At Jessie's Grove on Lodi's west side, a tiny stand of Flame Tokay is still maintained, and goes into a lightly sweet white Port style wine. Nearby, giant sized Flame Tokay plants in amongst a block dominated by Zinfandel, dating back to the late 1880s, also go into varietal bottlings of Zinfandel as part of a field crush/blend, bottled by both Jessie's Grove (as "Royal Tee") and Marchelle Wines.

Recent harvest of Flame Tokay in Jessie's Grove's Royal Tee Vineyard, originally planted on the west side of Mokelumne River-Lodi in 1889.

There are still some scattered planting of ancient Flame Tokay, hanging on for dear life, primarily for nostalgic reasons, as either neglected or well-tended bushes in front of old Lodi homes. Irregardless, still putting out vividly colored fruit from gigantic, gnarly, majestically thick tree-like trunks. 

There is one 4-acre block of well-cultivated 1906 vines on Lodi's east side now registered by the Historic Vineyard Society as Old School Vineyard, all going into a brandy program recently started by Delta Artisan

Karen Chandler in her block of Flame Tokay originally planted in the 1890s with younger Mission olive trees.

On the west side of Lodi is a 3-acre block of Flame Tokay originally planted by Zella Hansen during the 1890s, now called Chandler Vineyard (acquired by Karen Chandler in 2005). Alas, almost half of Chandler's vines, planted on 10 by 10-foot rows, were torn out in the early 2000s and interplanted with Mission olive trees by an over-zealous, since-departed partner, who was itching to get into the olive oil business. In recent years, these noble-looking vines have occasionally gone into interesting dry table wines bottled as Flame Tokay.

In an October 2010 Lodi News-Sentinel article harkening back to the good ol' days of Flame Tokay, Ms. Chandler was quoted to say: “I’ll never pull the vines out, not as long as I own the property... It’s hard to let that go, no matter if we could put another crop in there and make a ton of money."

Flame Tokay clusters at a peak of their flaming pink color and flavor in Chandler Vineyard, on the west side of Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation.

Chandler hopes that her vines may soon be adopted by a school as part of a "future farmers" project, but as of yet she has not been successful in that endeavor. All the same, she remains committed to her Flame Tokay vines, well over 130 years old.

"It’s all about that tradition, and I don’t want to let it die!” says Chandler.

1941 Lodi Grape Festival princesses showing off—what else?—the crown jewels of Lodi agriculture, Flame Tokay.

 

 

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Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=E061A8FC-EB50-987D-C865-CA59B8EFBE55
Favorite Lodi Zinfandel and cheese matches http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Favorite-Lodi-Zinfandel-and-cheese-matches

Mokelumne River-Lodi Zinfandel cluster and cheese.

The air is still a little nippy, if not downright damp, which  is why I, for one, tend to tucker down in the safety of my four walls at night. Preferably with a bottle of Zinfandel.

I drink Zinfandel with almost everything, including my favorite foods, such as spaghetti and meatballs, pan fried pork chops, Asian spiced barbecued baby back ribs, hibachi grilled salmon, or just plain pasta and garlic. How do you spell comfort?

Zinfandel, as it were, is also surprisingly good with cheese. Especially the gourmet type cheeses you find at Cheese Central, the artisanal cheese store owned by Cindy Della Monica, located in Downtown Lodi.

If you ever catch Cindy herself at her store, go ahead and ask her about her favorite cheese and wine matches. Her experience is such that she is a world class expert on that subject.

Cheese Central proprietor Cindy Della Monica in her Downtown Lodi shop. Lodi News-Sentinel.

I have my own favorites, with an emphasis on the plurality of that word. I will say this, though, which may contradict the live-and-let-live opinion of many a wine and cheese lover: There are certain wines that go better with certain cheeses than others, and vice-versa.

Would you, for instance, boil up some spaghetti to go with beef stew? No, you wouldn't, because rice or potatoes is a better match. For the same reason, you put ketchup on hot dogs but not ice cream, and spaghetti tastes better with sauces made with tomatoes and olive oil rather than curry or chimichurri. Certain things make sense.

Vintage magazine ad for Wines of California, advising a match of Sherry or rosé with good ol' American cheese.

So before going into a few thoughts on specific Lodi Zinfandel matches with cheeses, here are two basic observations on wine and cheese matching in general:

1. A surprising number of cheeses go better with white wines rather than reds. In fact, if your favorite cheeses are the pale colored cheeses that taste best when they're young and fresh—think mozzarella, Havarti, feta, and many of the endless variations of goat or soft ripened cheeses you find in every store—you are probably better off drinking white wines with these cheeses. They just go better, like spaghetti goes with tomato sauce.

2. If, on the other hand, you enjoy firmer, deeper colored, richer flavored cheeses that are made that way because they are aged for a good amount of time before they are sent to market, you're probably better off with a red wine.

Two contrasting basic cheese types: (left) fresh mozzarella, ideal with white wines; (right) aged cheddar, ideal with red wines.

I realize that the two aforementioned points smack of "hard and fast" rules (and who likes "rules?"), but there is a little bit of science behind it. It is basically because cheeses that see a little aging have elevated amounts of amino acids, or glutamates, that give them the deeper, more savory flavors that you expect out of them. These kinds of cheeses have an easier affinity with red wines because red wines are made by fermentation in contact with grape skins, which also boosts savory flavors.

More specifically speaking, aged cheeses have the type of crystallized, savory taste often described as umami (see our post, Deconstructing umami in wine and food contexts). Deepening of umami sensations through the aging process is why cheeses such as Parmigiano, Manchego and cheddars are often grated onto foods like pasta—they are used to help accentuate flavors in saucy pasta dishes.

Science and Food illustration of how umami receptors on the palate work: (left) when no glutamates are present in foods there is an absence of savory sensations; (middle) with the presence of glutamates savory sensations of umami are triggered; (right) when glutamates are accentuated in foods by other compounds, savory sensations are increased. Understanding umami.

The world, needless to say, is overflowing with more wines and cheeses than anyone can need. We're spoiled rotten when it comes to choices; even just in Lodi, where over 100 grape varieties are commercially grown.

Zinfandel, however, is Lodi's signature grape. It just so happens that Zinfandel is also one of the most food-versatile wines of any color in the world. It's ideal with food because it is almost always brimming with fragrant berry-like fruit yet is zesty with refreshing acidity while almost never too heavy or drying with tannin, the bitter component derived from the seeds, stems and skins of red wine grapes.

Therefore, I want to talk specifically about favorite Lodi Zinfandel and cheese matches. Here are a few, singled out by Della Monica as some of her own favorite cheeses...

Mimolette cheese. The Art of Eating Magazine.

Mimolette with bright, zesty east side Lodi Zinfandels

France’s Mimolette cheese, made from cow’s milk, comes in an orbular shape and tanned crust; and when you slice into it looks, for all the world, like a cantaloupe, with its vivid orange flesh tinted by annatto, with a lush, round yet moderately firm, faintly hazelnutty flavor somewhat like Edam, with a savoriness similar to a good Parmigiano. 

I have read in some places that Mimolette is ideal with soft, fruity white wines such as Moscato or Chenin blanc-based white wines from France (i.e., Vouvray); but honestly, I think that wouldn't be my first choice. In my mind, it is precisely the aged quality of this cheese that gives it a deep enough flavor to embrace the sturdy yet bright, lively taste of Zinfandels grown on the east side of the Lodi appellation.

What is "east side" Lodi Zinfandel? Geographically, it's Zinfandels sourced from vineyards east of the historic railroad tracks running through the center of Downtown Lodi. The line marked by the tracks is significant because the soils on the east side of Lodi are sandier and less loamy than the soils on the west side. Therefore, grapes such as Zinfandel grow as smaller clusters, with smaller berries, than they do on the west side. This makes for more fragrant Zinfandels that are a little zestier in natural acidity. 

Historic east side Lodi Zinfandel growth: Harney Lane Winery's Lizzy James Vineyard, first planted in 1904 in a literal pile of sand, producing a zestier, fragrant styles of Lodi Zinfandel.

East side Lodi Zinfandels may have the same alcohol content as west side Lodi Zinfandels, yet they always taste lighter and perkier because of their natural acidity, which is why they are so, so good with a cheese like Mimolette. Perfect examples include any brands specializing in east side Zinfandel such as Perlegos Family Wine Co., Harney Lane Winery, Mettler Family Vineyards (especially this family's vineyard-designate bottlings), Heritage Oak WineryStonum Vineyards, LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards (particularly the Langes' vineyard-designate Starr Vineyard), or Klinker Brick Winery (especially the Felten family's Marisa Vineyard bottling).

Other cheeses that are delicious with fragrant, zesty styles of east side Lodi Zinfandel: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Hornbacher, Manchego, Pecorino Romano, and Beemster Royaal Gouda.

The ash infused Bermuda Triangle Chèvre by Cypress Grove. The Farmer's Daughter.

Bermuda Triangle with fuller bodied, earthy west side Lodi Zinfandels

The triangular shaped Bermuda Triangle cheese is a modern day style of Chèvre made from goat’s milk, and crafted by Cypress Grove in Arcata, California. As such, it is almost creamy soft, yet slightly sharp, tangy, and pungently earthy/grassy (as goat’s milk cheeses tend to be). It is also crusted and infused with silvery streaks of vegetable ash, which accentuate the earthy qualities in distinctive fashion.

While most Chèvres are white wine cheese, what makes Bermuda Triangle a different ball of wax is its infusion of earthy qualities giving it savory, umami qualities, which calls for zesty red wines. This is a match for west side Lodi Zinfandels because of the richer loamy profiles of the soils on this side of town, giving many of the wines fuller, deeper, darker fruited qualities with discernibly earthy/loamy, often mushroomy or brothy qualities—the latter sensory attributes, almost nonexistent in Zinfandels grown on the east side—in the aroma and flavor.

Wintering Zinfandel in Soucie Vineyard, a 1916 planting that produces the epitome of the deep, dark, pungently earthy style of Zinfandel (under labels such as m2 and PRIE) typical of Lodi's west side.

Excellent examples of earthy west side Lodi Zinfandels include those of m2 Winery, Michael David Winery (despite the fact that this winery blends east and west side Zinfandels in their bottlings), St. Amant Winery, The Lucas Winery, Mikami Vineyards, Van Ruiten Family Winery, Alliance Winery, Oak Ridge Winery, Jessie's Grove Winery, Spenker WineryOak Farm Vineyards, and the Bonotto and TruLux Vineyard bottlings of McCay Cellars.

Other cheeses that make seamless matches for deep, earthy styles of west side Lodi Zinfandel: Queen Bee Porcini, Boschetto al Tartufo, Pecorino Tartufo, Chili Pecorino, and Fiscalini Truffle Cheddar.

Beehive's espresso and lavender infused Barely Buzzed. igourmet.

Barely Buzzed with generously oaked styles of Lodi Zinfandel

Made by Beehive Cheese Co. in Uintah, Utah, Barely Buzzed is an intoxicatingly original, cheddar style cow’s milk cheese rubbed with espresso coffee and lavender oil, adding eye opening volume to the crystallized butter/butterscotchy, caramelized taste of this intensely aged cheese. 

It is the coffee and caramelized qualities of this aged cheese that make it ideal with Zinfandels aged in barrels long enough to garner discernibly oaky (i.e., smoky/vanillin) qualities, whether sourced from east or west side Lodi vineyards. In fact, oak enriched dimensions have been the stock and trade of Zinfandel specialists such as Michael David Winery, Klinker Brick Winery, Mettler Family Vineyards, Macchia Wines and m2 Wines' Select Block—all the better for cheeses such as Barely Buzzed.

Other deeply flavorful cheeses excellent with generously oaked styles of Lodi Zinfandel: Two Sisters Gouda Rosalina, Beemster Smoked Gouda, Beemster Classic Extra Aged Gouda, Coastal Mature Cheddar, and Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar.

Valdeón blue cheese. City Market.

Valdeón with Port style or Late Harvest Zinfandel

Even if you’re not partial to blue veined cheese, it’s hard not to love Valdeón from Spain: made from a mix of cow’s and goat’s milk to produce a creamy, lusciously soft and silky style of blue that is extremely fine and subtle in the characteristically earthy/salty/sharp qualities of cheeses aged by Penicillium, the fungus that is used to produce all the great blue cheeses of the world (i.e., Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Cabrales, Cambozola, Stilton, Danish blue, et al.).

Because salty sensations are always balanced by sweetness, all blue cheeses are ideally matched by wines finished with residual sugar. Over the years, a small number of Lodi wineries—such as The Lucas Winery, Van Ruiten Family and Macchia Wines—have produced Zinfandels crafted in this fashion, made from grapes picked late enough in the season to have enough sugars to produce perceptibly sweet wines. In recent years, the Late Harvest Zinfandel by d'Art Wines has been the most consistent in terms of local production.

Zinfandel left on vines in November to shrivel and intensify in sugar in the The Lucas Winery's ZinStar Vineyard to produce a Late Harvest style sweet red wine.

Although located in Oxnard (Ventura County) rather than Lodi, Herzog Wine Cellars has specialized in lusciously flavorful Late Harvest Lodi Zinfandels because they are a kosher winery (there are many fans of sweet red wine among Herzog's Jewish customer base).

But perhaps the most dynamic match for Valdeón (and virtually all blue cheese for that matter) of all may be Harney Lane Winery's Old Vine Lizzy James Vineyard Port, a fortified sweet red wine finished at a mild 18% ABV which still manages show off the joyously intense and distinctly perfumed varietal quality of east side Zinfandel, crafted as it is from a vineyard originally planted over 120 years ago.

If anything, I would say: Do not miss out on sheer, exhilarating pleasure of sweet style Zinfandels and blue cheese!

Zinfandel harvest in Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation.

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Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=CA324241-E79F-18D6-A0F5-C602890961EC
For one last time: level of alcohol has little to do with overall quality or balance in wines http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/For-one-last-time--level-of-alcohol-has-little-to-do-with-overall-quality-or-balance-in-wines

There was an unexpected response to one of our articles posted at the end of January on Zinfandels tasted at the last big Zinfandel Advocates & Producers Grand Tasting in San Francisco (see At 2024 ZAP, it is clear that California Zinfandel has finally grown up).

On social media, one widely known wine journalist asked, "Why did you not list alcohol levels of the Zinfandels you wrote about?" His explanation for his question: "Knowing the alcohol levels helps me decide if I like a wine or not."

When it comes to wine, the rule is always to-each-his-own. Neither I nor anyone can ever tell you how to appreciate wine. But when it comes to alcohol, particularly as it pertains to California Zinfandel, I can advise you based on simple facts: It is a big mistake to pre-judge a wine by its level of alcohol—something the industry often refers to as ABV, or Alcohol by Volume, usually listed in small print on the sides of wine labels.

Bottles of Lodi-grown Zinfandel at the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting in San Francisco, each averaging approximately 14.5% to 15% ABV, a current industry standard.

Alcohol by Volume variance

First, it is true that a bottle's ABV can give a consumer an idea of a wine's sense of body or fullness. On a sensory level, table wines that are more than 14% in alcohol tend to be fuller bodied than wines less than 13% or 12% alcohol. Wines that are just 10%, 11% or 12% alcohol tend to be lighter in body than 15% or 16% ABV wines.

There is, however, one huge hitch: In their eternal wisdom federal regulators also allow wineries a leeway of as much as 1.5% plus-or-minus in the stated ABV on their wine labels. For wines above 14% ABV, the leeway is 1%, which still means a wine that is actually 15.5% in alcohol may say just 14.5% on the label. For wines below 14% ABV, the 1.5% leeway means a 14% ABV wine can be listed as having just 12.5%; and vice-versa, a wine that is just 12.5% in alcohol may be listed as having 14%.

Many wineries endeavor to be truthful about their ABV. I would say, however, that most wineries routinely take full advantage of the allowance variance in order to project a semblance of consistency in their product from year to year. This is all part of branding. Therefore they will list, say, 14% or 14.5% on their labels each and every year, no matter what the actual ABV of their wine actually is. 

Almost the exact same variance, incidentally, is allowed for imported wines. Why, for instance, does your favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux from France or Chianti from Italy always say 12% or 12.5% ABV year-in and year-out? Do you actually believe these wines are finished with the exact same alcohol level in each and every vintage? Of course not. Wines are made from grapes, and grapes do not grow the exact same way each year. Some years they produce less sugar (resulting in lower alcohol) and some years they produce more sugar (giving higher alcohol). Listings of ABV on import labels are approximations at best.

Ergo, it is not wise to judge a wine, any wine, by the ABV that you see on a label. There is more than a 50% chance that it is not an actual indication of how much alcohol is in a bottle. Something that is, nevertheless, in full compliance with federal guidelines.

Why alcohol is not an accurate barometer of wine quality or balance

Since it was an article on California Zinfandel that sparked a return to the subject matter of alcohol in wine, let me cite an interesting conversation I happen to be in the middle of a couple of years ago, at the table of a popular Lodi restaurant. It involved two winemakers—who shall go unnamed, but both highly regarded by media, trade, colleagues and consumers—sharing a bottle of a Lodi Zinfandel over 20 years old.

Visiting sommelier with old vine Lodi Zinfandel, over 100 years old.

The Zinfandel was amazing—fresh, fragrant, zesty, incredibly well balanced and lively on the palate. I suspected it might be just as good or better after another 10 years of aging! Winemaker #1 made the blanket statement, "This goes to show how good Zinfandel can be when the grapes are not picked overripe and the potential alcohol is low." Winemaker #2 turned the label towards his colleague and pointed out the stated ABV on the bottle: 16.2%. Not exactly "low."

The point is this: Alcohol is an indication of body, but it is not an indication of what matters most when we perceive attributes considered pertinent to quality. That is, qualities of flavor, balance, freshness, expression of grapes and place, and so forth. Because the best wines of the world are always a sum of their parts, quite often a 15% or 16% ABV wine may taste lighter and more finesseful, thus "better," than a 12% or 13% ABV wine. By the same token, 12% or 13% ABV wines often taste heavier, rougher and less satisfying from an overall quality perspective than 15% or 16% ABV wines.

That's because wine quality is perceived on a sensory level, not on the basis of numbers listed on a label. A bottle's ABV can tell you how light or full bodied a wine might be, but it will never tell you how good, bad or so-so you may actually find it to be.

Lodi Zinfandel lover.

Wine geeks, of course, like to talk about "balance" in wine. A wine can be described as balanced when all its sensory qualities are in harmony, without excess of one element or another. That is to say, acidity is balanced when a wine is neither too puckery nor so soft that it lacks freshness or crispness. Tannin is balanced when the wine is not unpleasantly bitter or astringent. Body is in balance when alcohol does not taste harsh or hot. 

Aromatic qualities—such as oak, herbiness or fruitiness—are all subjective to a beholder's sense of balance. After that, all bets are off, because what may seem like a balanced wine to one person may be rough and excessive to another person, or weak and wimpy to still another. There is no accounting for taste, even among crafty winemakers or respected critics, but hey, vive la différence

What is unacceptable is the assumption that universal standards even exist. About twelve years ago, for instance, a group of American wine industry professionals started an informal movement called In Pursuit of Balance to draw attention away from fuller-bodied, intense styles of wine (i.e., wines higher in alcohol and ripe fruit qualities), based upon the inference that lighter, more subtle wines are more "balanced."

Longtime Zinfandel lovers at the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting.

The intention of In Pursuit of Balance was laudable but problematic in a number of ways, including the fact that 

1. Many wines by dint of origin find their most compelling balance when they are full bodied (i.e., higher in alcohol) and intense from the perspective of ripe fruitiness.
2. Lightness and subtlety are often excuses for wines made in erroneous ways, grown in wrong places or are just plain boring.
3. In many vintages Mother Nature, rather than a vintner, dictates that full-bodied, intense wines be made.
4. There are just as many food affinities for fuller-bodied wines as there are for lighter wines, and
5. Many consumers prefer big, blustery wines that are higher in alcohol.

Singular definitions of balance are simply not applicable to all wines from every place, even when made from the same grapes (the latter factor, a reflection of the American obsession with varietal character, notwithstanding where wines are grown). Therefore, neither alcohol level nor ripeness of fruit character can define "balance"—especially since the qualities appreciated in the world's most interesting wines are determined more by their sense of place than the expectations that anyone might place upon them.

In ancient vine Lodi vineyard, Michèle Ouellet Benson of Lorenza Wines, known for wines lighter in ABV finding favor among more and more consumers.

The current American palate

Baby boomers, who developed their taste for wine largely during their formative years in the 1960s and 1970s, can well recall when both imports and California wines were typically produced on the lighter side in terms of ABV. 12% or 12.5% ABV was the norm. 13.5% or 14% ABV was considered a little more daring, even risqué. 15% or 16% was totally freaky, the kind of wine you don't take home to mother.

Many things have since changed to the point where 14% or 14.5% is now on the lighter side when it comes to American wine. Advancements in viticulture, to begin with, have made it a lot easier for grape growers to produce perfectly ripened grapes, whereas 50 or 60 years ago it was hard as hell to get grapes up to the sufficient amount of sugar level to produce much more than 12.5% potential alcohol.

It is often pointed out that red wines made from Zinfandel typify the current American mania for full bodied, ripe tasting wines. But really, even for the so-called classic varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, 14% or 14.5% ABV is now considered "light," and 15% or 15.5% very common among all the popular varietals. 

Ancient vine (over 100 years old) Mokelumne River-Lodi Zinfandel.

Many of the wines on the American market, from mass-produced supermarket brands to the ultra-rare prestige bottlings, are now sold on the basis of 100-point scores—a convenient way of selling wines put out by media and embraced by retailers in both online and brick-and-mortar outlets. Generally speaking, the fuller bodied and riper tasting the wine, the higher the score. Consumers are demanding more bang for their buck, and the entire industry (from production to sales and marketing) is simply meeting their needs, and reinforcing them by supplying scores.

But if there is anything predictable about the American wine market, it's that everything eventually changes. Fifty years ago Mateus and Lancers Rosés sold in squat or ceramic bottles, Blue Nun and fruity California Chenin Blanc were a big deal. Just twenty years ago the market was still awash with White Zinfandel. Since then, tutti-fruity Blue Nun and White Zinfandel are market afterthoughts, and consumers who used to drink up these wines are now buying either different kinds of fruity wines or have moved on to dryer wines, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, maybe even... red Zinfandel.

Label for one of the most popular imports in the world during the 1960s and 1970s; finished at about 10% ABV, and sold in seemingly every store and restaurant in America.

Lodi grows approximately one-fifth of the grapes in the state of California, and California still produces over 90% of all the domestic wines sold in the United States. And so, yeah, Lodi is a big deal, and anyone can see the changes just within this segment of the grape and wine producing market.

Zinfandel is still Lodi's most widely planted grape (about 40% of California Zinfandel is grown in Lodi), and most of it is now made into red wine rather than pink fruity wines. If you just look at the type of Zinfandel reds now being produced by the majority of vintners utilizing Lodi-grown fruit your can see that the wines are getting

• A little lighter in alcohol.
• Less ripe in fruit profile to the point where they are more floral and less "jammy."
• Have a little more emphasis on natural acidity, adding to a zestier edge rather than soft, mushy qualities.
• Less obviously oaky, to the point where the sweetness and toastiness of wood are barely perceptible.
• In bottlings that highlight the names of vineyards, much more emphasis on taste profiles reflecting "sense of place" as opposed to varietal character.

Visiting sommelier sampling ancient vine Lodi Zinfandel at the source.

The red Zinfandel category in itself, in other words, is changing as we speak. A wine that is "big" in alcohol, possessing accentuated fruitiness or lavished with sweet, toasty oakiness is no longer good enough for an increasing number of consumers. Many of them now want a little more subtlety, sense of balance or restraint, and authenticity from the perspective of tasting like where it comes from (as opposed to a Zinfandel that could have come from anywhere).

Above all, consumers are simply smarter than ever. The more they experience, the less reliant they become on what they read or what they are told. They are more cognizant of their own personal taste, basing their choices on that. 

The same for the industry itself. If you are not producing product to appeal to consumers' increasingly more sophisticated tastes, then you are not keeping up. The fact that there are more and better wines available to consumers than ever before tells you that most of the industry is doing just fine, thank you.

Wine, when you think of it, is an ultimate adult beverage because so much of its appeal is aesthetic, it's intellectual, it's culinary or gastronomic, and historical in respect to heritage vineyards and appellations that have their own compelling history. What it is not is just another alcoholic beverage. 

Therefore, the last thing you want to do is judge—or worse, pre-judge—any wine purely on the basis of its level of alcohol.

Zinfandel lovers at the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting in San Francisco.

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Mon, 19 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=04D2235B-BA3E-ABEE-7C29-416ADF51E062
Christopher Cellars' blend of classic Lodi grapes among Best of Class winners at 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Competition http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Christopher-Cellars--blend-of-classic-Lodi-grapes-among-Best-of-Class-winners-at-2024-San-Francisco-Chronicle-Competition

Christopher Cellars' 2022 Grand Cuvée, one of eight Lodi-grown wines that achieved lofty Best of Class awards at the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Competition, judged among 5,500 other wines from all over North America. Christopher Cellars.

The yearly San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is a massive affair, taking place at the end of each January. The 2024 edition involved 52 professional judges tasting over 5,500 wines. 

Wines are entered from anywhere in North America. Consequently, when the 2024 winners of the 177 classes of wines were announced, winning bottlings hailed from everywhere from California's Napa Valley and Sonoma County to Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Texas, Idaho and New York.

Lodi, as it were, had its share of 2024 Best of Class winners, on top of dozens of gold and double-gold (i.e., when judges agree unaminously) recipients. 

Acquiesce estate owner/grower Sue Tipton (middle, in blue) with visiting wine influencers.

Acquiesce Winery, for instance, entered 13 of their Lodi-grown white wines and rosés into the San Francisco competition. All 13 wines achieved awards, including double-golds for their 2024 Jolie (Viognier/Grenache blanc blend) and 2022 Grenache Rosé, and golds for their 2022 Bourboulenc, 2022 Roussanne and 2021 Sparkling Grenache Blanc. Acquiesce owner/grower Sue Tipton called it a "clean sweep."

One of Lodi's newest wineries, Christopher Cellars, garnered a Best of Class for their 2022 Christopher Cellars Lodi Grand Cuvée ($30), a blend of three black skinned grapes: Carignan, Zinfandel and Cinsaut. The Class in which this red wine was entered "Red Blend" in which Carignan is one of the leading grapes.

Classic Mokelumne River-Lodi old vine growth: Mule Plane Vineyard Carignan, first planted in the late 1920s.

It is no surprise that any Lodi-grown wine made from Zinfandel, Carignan or Cinsaut does well in a blind tasting competition. These are classic grapes of Mediterranean origin, and Lodi has what is classified as a Mediterranean Climate (meaning, cold wet winters and warm bone-dry summers marked by significant diurnal temperature swings which keep grapes fresh and balanced in terms of sugar/acid). 

Zinfandel, Carignan and Cinsaut are as natural to Lodi as apples to Washington, and mango or papaya to Hawaii.

What is new—something we've been seeing only within the past five or so years—is how these heritage grapes of Mediterranean origin are now being used to wonderful effect in blends, rather than just as stand-along varietals. Prestigious handcraft brands such as Sandlands, Marchelle and McCay have recently been producing blends of the same heritage grapes that outshine even their vaunted varietal bottlings.

Christopher Cellars owner/winemaker Chistopher Mora foot-stomping Lodi-grown Cinsaut grapes. Christopher Cellars.

We asked Christopher Cellars winemaker/proprietor Christopher Mora to talk about his 2022 Grand Cuvée, and he told us: 

The Grand Cuvée consists of 50% Carignan from Mule Plane Vineyard [one of Lodi's historic vineyards, planted in the late 1920s], 25% Cinsaut from Sprague Family (a recently planted vineyard in Lodi's Clements Hills AVA], and 25% Zinfandel from Stampede Vineyard [another historic vineyard, planted between the 1920s and 1940s in Clements Hills]. 

This unique blend captures the essence of Lodi, going beyond a mere combination of grapes to represent the region itself. Carignan brings refreshing acidity, Zinfandel contributes robust structure and rich mouth-feel, and Cinsaut adds enchanting perfume. Its most distinctive features are its layering of fruit and velvet texturing.

Stampede Vineyard, a Certified Historic Vineyard Society block in Lodi's Clements Hills, contributing to Christopher's Best of Class-winning red wine blend.

It also helps that Mora crafts his wine in what is considered something of a contemporary, minimalist, "natural" style: implementing native yeast fermentation of whole clusters and whole berries, while backing off on the influence of oak (all French oak, mostly "neutral," i.e., previously used) to emphasize the natural, high toned, super-vibrant berryishness of the grapes, plus their tingly natural acidity layered beneath the silky qualities of the moderate tannin typical of the three varieties.

Mike Dunne comments on Lodi's Best of Class winners

In recent years, longtime former Sacramento Bee wine editor Mike Dunne—also the author of an outstanding new book entitled The Signature Wines of Superior California—has been contracted by the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition to pen the "official notes" on the yearly Best of Class winners.

Fiano grapes in Oak Farm Vineyards, source of a Best of Class winning white wine at the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Competition.

First, the list of Lodi-grown wines joining Christopher Cellars' Grand Cuvée in the 2024 winners circle:

Fiano
2022 Oak Farm Vineyards, Fiano, Mokelumne River-Lodi ($28)

Dry Rosé (One Varietal)
2023 Trevor Grace, Silvaspoons Vineyards Touriga Rosé, Alta-Mesa Lodi ($26)

Zinfandel ($29.00-$34.99)
Milliaire Winery, Rous Vineyard Zinfandel, Mokelumne River-Lodi ($30)

Alicante Bouschet
2021 Sunce Winery, St. Jorge Vineyard Alicante Bouschet, Lodi ($40)

Alicante Bouschet, another heritage grape that is so well adapted to Lodi that wines made from this grape are consistent top medal winners in competitions such as San Francisco Chronicle.

Teroldego
2017 Peltier Winery, Schatz Family Estate Reserve Teroldego, Mokelumne River-Lodi ($60)

All Other Red Varietals
2021 Sunce Winery, Mokelumne Glen Vineyards Dornfelder, Mokelumne River-Lodi ($40)

Red Blend (Zinfandel as leading grape) Up to $24.99
NV Mettler Family Vineyards, Copacetic, Lodi ($19.99)

Acclaimed wine quthor Mike Dunne among ancient vines in Mokelumne River-Lodi.

As Mr. Dunne explains, "My role at the Chronicle these days is to taste best-of-class wines and write tasting notes for the competition's website, winejudging.com. Unfortunately, time constraints and the sheer number of classes (177) prevented me from producing notes on every one them this year. Therefore, I wasn't able to taste the winning wines by Oak Farm, Christopher Cellars and Mettler Family Vineyards, although I would have wanted to."

Nonetheless, Dunne did have some notes to share, executed in his customarily compelling and erudite fashion, on the other Lodi-grown Best of Class winners:

2023 Trevor Grace, Alta Mesa-Lodi TourigaTrevor Grace practices his craft atop a high ridge in California's El Dorado County. Alta Mesa is an appellation within the Lodi American Viticultural Area in California's central flatlands. Together, they combined to produce this charged and beefy rosé based on the Portuguese grape variety Touriga. This is one driven rosé, assertive in both aroma and flavor, solid as granite, and as muscularly rhythmic as snowboarder or skateboarder, zipping and twisting across the palate with assurance and glee.

Touriga Nacional, a classic Portuguese grape grown in Lodi's Silvaspoons Vineyards, source of a 2024 Best of Class red.

2020 Milliaire, Mokelumne River Rous Vineyard ZinfandelFrom vines planted in 1909 in what now is the Mokelumne River American Viticultural Area of Lodi, Steve Millier has sculpted a Zinfandel of uncommon finesse, brilliantly colored, with abiding fresh berry fruit and pinpoint acidity, all draped on a frame svelte and sturdy.

2021 Sunce Winery, Lodi Alicante BouschetLong exploited for the vivid color it brings to blended red wines, Alicante Bouschet on its own can be a varietal wine of alluring if elusive aroma and flavor, pliable tannins, and backing acidity. The Sunce stands out for its suggestions of deli case—a good thing—as well as pipe tobacco, dark fruit and wispy smoke.

Machine harvesting of Lodi-grown Teroldego in the Schatz family estate at Peltier Winery.

2017 Peltier, Lodi Estate Schatz Family Reserve TeroldegoKudos to the Rodney Schatz family not only for a best-of-class designation for one of their Peltier wines but for delaying the release of this big-boy Teroldego until it was ready to drink. Still, its tannins are as imposing as its color is inky and its dark-fruit flavor is rich. But don't let that stop you from pairing it tonight with prime rib.

2021 Sunce Winery, Lodi Mokelumne Glen Vineyards DornfelderBred in Germany and only released for cultivation in 1979, the black grape Dornfelder is rising in planting and prestige. It was created in large part to bring more color to Germany's customarily lightly hued red wines, and it does that almost to the point of overkill, being a veritable barrel of ink. Don't be intimidated by all that color, however. The Sunce is sunny, juicy and supple, its fruit plummy and figgy, with a note of peppermint. The winery suggests it be paired with Hawaiian pizza, Kung Pao chicken, and fish and chips, showing its adaptability at the table.

Dornfelder, an extremely rare (for California) German grape grown in Lodi's Mokelumne Glen Vineyards.

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Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=9A0B790B-F394-F079-085D-912FD7CF11A5
Photographic memories of Lodi's 27th Wine and Chocolate weekend http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Photographic-memories-of-Lodi-s-27th-Wine-and-Chocolate-weekend

Intimate dinner with the winemaker (Stuart Spencer, third from left) in the St. Amant Winery barrel room on the first night of Lodi's Wine and Chocolate weekend.

Neither rain (luckily, minimal!) nor blustery winds seemed to deter thousands of Lodi wine lovers enjoying the region's 27th annual Wine and Chocolate weekend, this past February 2-4, 2024.

Friday the 2nd started with intimate dinners or special tasting events Heritage Oak, Housley's Century Oak, Oak Farm, Peltier, Rippey Family, St. Amant and The Dancing Fox wineries.

Wine and chocolate lovers enjoying a Winery Tours stop at Barsetti Vineyards in Galt, at the north end of Lodi.

For the Saturday self-guided Winery Tours, wine and chocolate lovers could pick and choose to visit 35 participating wineries.

And on Sunday the 4th, it was the festive grand finale, a select group of Lodi's finest wineries showing off their whites, rosés and sparklers at a the Winemakers Toast, held at the Lodi Wine Visitor Center.

The proof is in the pudding; or rather, the images of wine lovers enjoying this special weekend. A few of our favorite photo-memories...

Wine and chocolate lovers at Klinker Brick Winery.

Christy Nakada—widely followed wine influencer (@christyonthevine) and blogger (christyonthevine.com)—enjoying the Sunday Winemakers Toast with her partner Sean.

Three power women of Lodi: Elvira Gutierrez (Bokisch Vineyards Digital & Strategic Coordinator), Christina Lopez (Acquiesce Winery Winemaker) and Susana Rodriguez Vasquez (LangeTwins Family Director of Winemaking)—at the Sunday Winemakers Toast.

Lodi wine lovers at the Friday Winemaker dinner at Heritage Oak Winery.

Lodi tastemaker, wine and fashion influencer Tracci Dare (@daringdarlingbold) takes a sip at the Sunday Winemakers Toast.

Couples relaxing after partaking of the Friday custom blending and bottling event at Peltier Winery.

Heritage Oak Winery owner/grower/winemaker Tom Hoffman playing his baby grand just before the Friday Wine and Chocolate Winemaker Dinner.

Viola during Friday Winemaker Dinner at Heritage Oak Winery.

Wine and chocolate lover enjoying reception just before the Friday Winemaker Dinner at St. Amant Winery.

St. Amant Winery owner/winemaker Stuart Spencer greeting guests at his Friday Winemaker Dinner.

St. Amant Winery assistant winemaker Nathan Haberkern pouring at Friday Winemaker Dinner.

Toasts to good fortune at the Rippey Family Winery Friday night Winemaker Dinner.

Wine and chocolate lovers at Downtown Lodi's Estate Crush, where they started their Saturday Winery Tours.

Estate Crush owner Bob Colarossi sampling guests on his Stellina Estate Zinfandel straight from the barrel.

Wine lovers at Klinker Brick Winery taking their leisure beside the "old vine fountain" during the Saturday Winery Tours.

BFFs celebrating Lodi Wine and Chocolate weekend at Klinker Brick Winery.

Saturday Winery Tours barrel tasting at Lodi's Estate Crush.

Klinker Brick Winery owner Steve Felten personally attending to the  pouring of chocolate sauce during the Saturday Winery Tours.

Wine and chocolate lovers enjoying the Saturday tasting at Klinker Brick Winery.

At Peirano Estate, wine and chocolate lovers enshrining their 2024 Lodi Wine and Chocolate glasses festooned with hearts.

Wine and chocolate lovers looking through the world through rose-colored glasses at Peirano Estate.

Lodi wine and chocolate lovers arriving at Macchia Winery in their limo-van.

Live music at Macchia Winery during the Saturday Winery Tours.

Lodi wine lovers at Macchia Winery during the Saturday Winery Tours.

Fun at the Machia Winery photo booth during the Saturday Winery Tours.

Fashionable Lodi wine maven enjoying a quiet moment at Macchia Winery during the Winery Tours event.

Wine and chocolate lovers at Macchia Winery.

More photo booth fun at Macchia Winery.

Proclaiming the news at the McCay Cellars table at Woodbridge Uncorked during the Saturday Winery Tours.

Connoisseurs of Lodi wine tasting the appellation's best during the Sunday Winemakers toast.

Sampling the Peltier ZANTE! (a dry sparkling Zinfandel) during the Sunday Winemakers Toast.

Enjoying the good life at the Lodi Wine and Chocolate Winemakers Toast.

The Lucas Winery assistant winemaker Eliza Hess treating guests to her winery's dry style Zinfandel rosé.

Enjoying the whites, rosés and sparklers during the Lodi Winemakers Toast.

Intercoastal Wine Company Wine Club Director sharing her winery's whites, rosés and sparkler duirng the Sunday Winemakers Toast.

Sharing the love of Lodi wine during the Sunday Winemakers Toast.

St. Jorge Winery owner Jenise Vierra personally pouring her family wines during the Sunday Winemakers Toast.

Friends and lovers celebrating at Lodi Wine and Chocolate Winemakers Toast event.

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Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=075EC61A-970E-B012-5C7C-83738B672863
At 2024 ZAP, it is clear that California Zinfandel has finally grown up http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/At-2024-ZAP--it-is-clear-that-California-Zinfandel-has-finally-grown-up

There is undoubtedly no organization that has done more for a single varietal category than Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, a.k.a. ZAP.

When ZAP started back in the early 1990s, Zinfandel was on the ropes. Many of the bigger, higher profile brands were dropping the varietal from their line-ups. Cabernet Sauvignon had become California's most important varietal red. The popularity of Merlot was growing rapidly, and Pinot noir was being aggressively planted in the cooler climate pockets of the state where it belonged.

This was despite the fact that, for over 100 years, Zinfandel was the tried-and-true grape, adapting far more easily to California's Mediterranean climate than any other variety of Vitis vinifera (i.e., cultivars belonging to the European family of wine grapes) aside from Carignan. At the time, the future of Zinfandel was in serious jeopardy.

Zinfandel lovers at ZAP's 2024 Grand Tasting.

In fact, the only reason why many of California's classic "old vine" growths (that is, thousands of acres originally planted between the late 1800s and early 1960s) survived was because of White Zinfandel, a related but different varietal category. If not for the popularity of this soft, fruity pink wine, most of the old Zinfandel vineyards would have been ignominiously ripped out and replaced with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or (of course) Chardonnay.

The consumer craze for White Zinfandel has since subsided substantially. Just in time for a second resurgence of Zinfandel as a red wine of note.

I'd put this "second coming" of Zinfandel as happening only within the past ten or so years. It's that recent. Up until then, many diehard Zinfandel lovers appreciated the wine more for its full bodied, ultra-dark and ripe fruit profile, commonly described as "jammy." Like fruit cooked with sugar and pectin with alcohol... lots and lots of alcohol.

The faces of today's Zinfandel aficionados at ZAP's 2024 Grand Tasting.

Zinfandel, ironically, is not intrinsically a "jammy" wine. When planted, cultivated and picked in more of a classic style—that is, not excessively high in sugar, which would require the addition of water and acidification to bring the wine into some semblance of balance—it is actually a delicate wine. Moderate in color, not connotatingly black and blue. Fragrant or floral, not so much jammy. Refreshingly bright and sprightly in natural acidity, not fat, flabby or pumped up with fake acid or the artifice of wood from barrels or powdery "dust."

A ballet dancer, not an offensive lineman.

But as the old Western swing song goes, time changes everything. All during Zinfandel's stylistic evolution over the past 30 years, ZAP has been there, drumming up enthusiasm for the varietal, no matter what its various guises.

Perlegos Family Wine Co. co-owner/grower John Perlegos pouring his Clements Hills-Lodi-grown Zinfandel at the ZAP Grand Tasting.

This past Saturday (January 27), ZAP held its annual "Grand Tasting" in San Francisco. More diehard Zinfandel lovers can recall the first ten or twenty years of this yearly gathering as more of a wild and delirious party than a civilized tasting. This is what happens when hundreds of different bottlings are poured, most of them made in super-ripe styles and finished with 15%, 16%, even over 17% alcohol.

2024's ZAP gathering was less of a rave and more of a soirée. There were smiles, murmurs and discussions rather than madding crowds afflicted by uncontrollable laughter. Just twenty years ago glasses used to fall to the floor every few minutes, and Zin lovers would cheer. This year... no broken glass, no cheers, no craziness.

Longtime Zinfandel lovers at the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting.

Does this mean Zinfandel is no longer "fun?" No. Good wine is alway fun, but also something that stimulates the mind, not deadens it. Zinfandel, in other words, is now considered a serious wine, which it has always deserved to be. 

It is, after all, a grape that is ideally suited to California. Many say, far more than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay because it is so simpatico with the climate. The earliest pioneers of the California wine industry recognized that from the start, which is why they planted so much more Zinfandel, far less Cabernet Sauvignon, and virtually no Merlot or Chardonnay (at least not up until the 1960s).

Zinfandel belongs. Not just in California, but also among the great wines of the world.

At the Turley Wine Cellars table during ZAP's 2024 Grand Tasting, Christina Turley (director of sales & marketing) and Tegan Passlacqua (winemaker) pour contrasting Zinfandels sourced from Contra Costa County, Howell Mountain and St. Helena in Napa Valley.

How Zinfandel grew up

Have American consumers finally freed themselves from the compulsion of "bigger-the-better?" I could not help thinking that, while eavesdropping on conversations at the tasting tables during the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting: Zinfandel lovers seemed to be keen on finding, and appreciating, variations of Zinfandel, not the biggest ones possible. 

Like American wine consumers in general, most Zinfandel advocates also appreciate brands, and so the biggest crowds were predictably gathered around the tables of the more established, justifiably prestigious producers such at Turley Wine Cellars, Ridge Vineyards and Robert Biale Vineyards.

However, there were also, at times, crowds bulging two-or-three-deep in front of tables of other producers such as Peachy Canyon Winery, Seghesio Family Vineyards and Hendry Ranch Wines

Zinfandel lovers at the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting.

The thing about today's higher profile brands is that they each produce distinctive styles of Zinfandel. Distinctive, particularly, in terms of sensory qualities associated with different regions, or the specific vineyards from which their wines are sourced. The classic wine term for that is terroir, or "sense of place."

Turley Wine Cellars, for instance, was pouring Zinfandels from their Del Barba Vineyard in Contra Costa County, Dragon Vineyard in Howell Mountain-Napa Valley, and Hayne Vineyard in St. Helena-Napa Valley. The wines, like their respective appellations, couldn't be any different from each other: The Del Barba exhibiting the flowery, finely textured qualities you get when growing Zinfandel in literal sand dunes right next to water; the Dragon possessing a far meatier textured, peppery spiced concentration of its high elevation mountain site; the Hayne showing its burly, ripe toned yet svelte, multifaceted character typical of old vines on the Napa Valley floor.

Serious Zinfandel buff at the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting.

Christina Turley, the winery's director of national sales and marketing, shared one of the more interesting comments that I heard that day. Reflecting on the shifting popularity of Zinfandel in the marketplace, she said: 

When I first started going out, Zinfandel was still considered a little old school, maybe something of a tired, predictable wine. Then a few years ago it became the wine of the hipper crowd, with a retro-cool image. Recently, it's gone back to being a little old school, but not in a bad way—it's old school because it's always been around, and the best ones come from really good old vineyards.

If anything, Zinfandel has become more real to consumers, and Zinfandel specialists in turn are crafting the wines to meet those expectations: Producing wines with less alcohol (14% now seems to be the average ABV) and far less oak influence, allowing the naturally floral/berry qualities of the grape to shine through. Not only that, but also distinctive terroir-related profiles—attributes specific to sites, big or small.

Label for We Know Jack! Zinfandel, aptly named in tribute to legendary Rockpile-Sonoma grower Jack  Florence Sr. whose grapes helped bring definition to this unique appellation.

For instance, Zinfandels grown in Sonoma County's Rockpile AVA generally retain the ironclad tannin/acid structure of Zinfandels associated with Rockpile. Zinfandels from Lodi or Napa Valley's Coombsville AVA invariably have earthy/loamy characteristics that make them all the more interesting. There is often a startling minerality to Zinfandels grown on the white calcareous rocky slopes of Paso Robles. Russian River Valley Zinfandels are typically luxurious in their black fruit berryishness. There are often funky/herby characteristics in Sonoma Mountain Zinfandels, and the funkier the better. And on and on.

Label for Glunz Family Paper Street Vineyard in Paso Robles Willow Creek District, producing Zinfandels with almost startling minerality and elevated acidity, typical of the varietal grown on this region's calcareous slopes.

Zinfandel, in other words, has finally grown up as a varietal category because it is now allowed to taste like where it actually comes from, not ironed into the caricatures of varietal character typical just twenty, thirty years ago. It's as if the grape is finally comfortable in its own skin. Advocates are more cognizant, vintners more sensitive, and media... well, it always takes media (i.e., journalists, especially 100-point proponents) a little more time to catch up to what consumers are enjoying and the industry is producing.

There is still, of course, brand-related stylization involved. It will take a long time before that goes away, since wineries have to compete, and one way to compete is to establish distinctive sensory markers associated with brands.

At the same time, though, there is a growing respect for regional styles as well as greater appreciation for individuality of vineyards. Sure, I'd like to see wineries that produce two, three, even five or six different vineyard-designate Zinfandels begin to fashion their wines to be a little more distinct from each other, instead of slavishly adhering to "house style." But that won't happen overnight.

The important thing is that Zinfandel styles are making progress as we speak. And as a Zinfandel lover myself, I say "hallelujah!"

Lodi-grown bottlings poured at the Lodi Wine table during ZAP's 2024 Grand Tasting.

Notes on Lodi Zinfandels

A few words on Lodi-grown bottlings shown at ZAP's 2024 Grand Tasting:

2021 Perlegos Family Wine Co., Stampede Vineyard, Clements Hills-Lodi—Luminous, penetrating, pure and exuberant black cherry perfume lifted by its lively, zesty, remarkably restrained medium-weight body (13.8% ABV). In a way, un-Lodi-like in its lightness and acidity, yet very Lodi-like in its clarity of varietal perfume.

2020 Ironstone Vineyards, Rous Vineyard Reserve, Mokelumne River-Lodi—Showing the classic flowery (violet-like), mildly herby and blue/red fruited qualities of this ancient vine growth (planted in 1909) in a rounded, fleshy medium-full body with positively negligible oak influence.

Ancient vine Zinfandel in Mokelumne River-Lodi's Rous Vineyard, planted in ultra-sandy soil.

2021 Harney Lane Winery, Lizzy James Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi—What's amazing is how this ancient vine planting (oldest vines, 1904) is always so different from Rous Vineyard, despite being located barely 200 yards away. It is also the sandiest site in Lodi, producing a floral red berry/cherry profile; here, with a trace of pencil wood-like French oak, and a zesty, bright, upbeat medium body retaining the flowery red fruit character all the way through a finesseful finish.

2020 Mettler Family Vineyards, HGM Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi—Another Alpine Rd. (close to Lizzy James) east side growth, exuding the east side typicity of bright red cherry in the nose and round, fleshy, supple medium-full body, allowed to shine with virtually zero oak influence (aged strictly in neutral French oak).

1921 photograph of the Mettler family on the site of the present-day HGM Ranch (east side of Mokelumne River-Lodi): Henry George Mettler in front, with a young Carl Mettler (right), father of Mettler Family Vineyards' current family patriarch Larry Mettler.

2021 Michael David Winery, Lodi—This internationally known brand has come a long ways since its "7 Deadly Zins" days; this value priced bottling (less than $20) shows off the pungent, generous red/black berry and earth toned (herby/loamy) characteristics of Lodi-grown fruit, couched in a svelte, easy textured medium body, handsomely framed by subtle toasted oak.

2021 St. Amant Winery, Mohr-Fry Ranch, Mokelumne River-Lodi—Sourced from the Fry family's early 1940s blocks, another quintessential Lodi style varietal in its fragrant/floral red berry profile tinged by a mild loamy earthiness; easy, rounded, notably balanced medium body, emphasizing the varietal character within the scope of the broader appellation's sensory signatures.

Lodi-grown Zinfandel being poured at the Lodi Wine table during the 2024 ZAP Grand Tasting.

2021 Macchia Wines, Generous, Mokelumne River-Lodi—Another, (as the name implies) more "generous" heaping of Mohr-Fry-grown fruit, with the characteristically floral, slightly earthy nuances; its rounded, easy textured, medium-full body encapsulating exuberant varietal berryishness, amplified all the more by a touch of sweet oak.

2021 LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards, Starr Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi—Exciting new bottling from this winery's single vineyard portfolio, meant to put "sense of place" at least on the par with varietal character. In a way, this particular east side Lodi growth is more "Lodi" than most Lodi bottlings in its true-to-the-appellation black tea-like iteration of the grape; a little less emphasis on earthiness, and a little more emphasis on red cherry/berry qualities, zesty and lithe in its medium-weight body, holding firm within its sturdy structuring through an even keeled flow of the pure berry/tea leaf character, completely unimpeded by oak. 

West side Mokelumne River-Lodi Zinfandel harvest in Cherryhouse Vineyard, owned and farmed by the Perlegos family.

2021 Christopher Cellars, Cherryhouse Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi—Quintessentially fragrant, flowery Lodi profile; red cherry perfume manifested in sleek, vibrant, acid driven medium body in the "new" low intervention style fermented on native yeast and minimizing the influence of oak.

2018 Oak Ridge Winery, 1906 Vintners, Mokelumne River-Lodi—This label, paying homage to the winery founders Maggio family's arrival from Italy, represents the brand's top of the line, made from their oldest vineyards (planted in the 1950s). The wine is very "west side Lodi," ripe fruit toned with perceptively earthy nuances, rounded and medium-full.

Brochure for upcoming zinfandellive.com event organized by Zinfandel Advocates & Producers.

 

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Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=35D62277-A36F-F0AC-1AD0-D493E31C9AFC
Winter pruning, the crucial time of the year for vineyards, old vine plantings and wine quality http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Winter-pruning--the-crucial-time-of-the-year-for-vineyards--old-vine-plantings-and-wine-quality

Meticulous winter pruning of the long, twisting arms of head trained, own-rooted Zinfandel first planted during the 1920s in Lodi's Clements Hills appellation.

Winter is coming

Winter, you can say, is the "quiet time" of year in wine regions around the world. Yet there is a lot going on. Not just in the wineries, where cellar hands are busy topping off barrels and getting white wines and rosés resting in tanks or wood ready for bottling. But also in the vineyards, in amongst the plants that are bereft of leaves, seemingly in the midst of a cold and continuously rain-soaked hibernation.

Consider the fact that, depending on plant spacing, there are somewhere from 900 to 1,200 grapevines per acre in most California wine regions. In Lodi, there are over 100,000 acres of planted wine grapes. This means there are over 90 million grapevines that need to be pruned during the course of each winter. If it sounds like a daunting task, it is!

Winter pruning of trellised grapevines in Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA.

It is true that there are now machines that can help with the yearly pruning. But these machines primarily do what is called "pre-pruning," the cutting off of canes to 6-to-12-inch lengths. After the machines pass through, pruners still need to walk through the vineyards and manually attend to each and every vine; selecting the wood to take off or leave on each plant, making a decision of how many and which buds to leave in anticipation of the upcoming spring growth.

The Lodi wine region is famous, of course, for vineyards configured in the older styles: grapevines trained on single stakes, without the support of trellis wires. The vast majority of vineyards in California may be trellised, but in Lodi there are more of these free standing, spur pruned vines—most of them planted over 60 years ago, plus quite a few planted over 100 years ago—than in any other region in California.

Lodi vigneron Markus Niggli pruning Prohibition era head trained Zinfandel block in Clements Hills-Lodi AVA.

As "old vines" increase in cachet in the wine industry and ever-expanding market, more and more attention is being focused on Lodi, precisely because it happens to sit on such a plethora of historic old vine plantings.

It is not possible to machine-prune older vines trained on single stakes. Each plant in an older block is configured in slightly, if not drastically, different configurations. Their spurs, like the branches of trees, grow in directions and angles unique to each individual plant. The older the plant, the more unique the shape of each individual vine. 

Mechanically pre-pruned trellised vineyard in Mokelumne River-Lodi AVA, awaiting follow-up of hand pruning of each individual vine.

Therefore, the thousands of acres of these head or vertical cordon trained vines growing in Lodi must be pruned entirely by hand, from beginning to end. There are no mechanical shortcuts.

Because there are so many grapevines in a region such as Lodi, the work of pruning vineyards in Lodi has to start at least by December, and doesn't end until February or the beginning of March. The job needs to be finished by the time temperatures rise and bud break begins.

Marchelle's Greg La Follette on bended knee, paying homage to Mokelumne River-Lodi ancient vine, originally planted in the late 1880s.

Greg La Follette talks about this crucial time of year

Greg La Follette is the co-owner/winemaker of Marchelle Wines. Although he is renowned for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown mostly on the West Sonoma Coast, he has been sourcing grapes from Lodi's oldest vineyards—originally planted as long as 135, 138 years ago—for over twenty years.

Grapevine pruner in Lodi's Mokelumne River Viticultural Area.

La Follette believes each old vine in Lodi should be approached with reverence, hat off, on bended knee. When asked what he thinks of the importance of the job of pruning old vines, he couched his thoughts in terms of the relationship between a vintner and grapevine: 

I don't think most folks really understand how important simple things such as pruning are to the pure vineyardist. All the things that we love about grapevines and our attempt to try to understand them are very worthy subjects. They tell the story of who we are and who the vines are!

Phillips Farms viticulturist Michael Klouda pruning head trained old vine Zinfandel, originally planted in 1929.

Winter, to La Follette, is a time of "contemplation"—the expenditure of thought processes entailing how to bring out of the best in an individual grapevine in order to achieve the best in a vineyard, which directly correlates with the best possible wine that can be made from a vineyard:

Pruning old vines, especially, is a contemplative experience that allows one to have a closer understanding of the land. To see the years of growth and development of the structure of an older vine is to have a window into the vine's past, and help partner in its future.

Circa-1950s photo of Japanese vineyard owner in Lodi, pruning gobelet trained Zinfandel already of advanced age.

The intrinsic nature of grapevines, La Follette reminds is to be, well, a vine—a plant originally designed by Nature to climb as far as possible, and cling to everything it can. To produce leaves and tendrils. La Follette describes that part of a vine as "vegetative strategy," which he contrasts with "reproductive strategy"—the latter activity, associated with production of fruit, namely grape bunches.

The hands of the vineyardist on just-pruned Zinfandel in Lodi. Allison Watkins Studio.

Like every living organism (including ourselves!), says La Follette, a vine's primary objective is to be "fruitful and multiply." It is how a pruner works with this intrinsic nature that determines the ultimate quality of the resulting fruit...

Grapevines are, by nature, climbing animals. To produce the best wine in a vineyard, though, they need to be given structure and discipline by the hand of the vineyardist to short circuit their tendency to want to take part in vegetative strategy and be given reason to embark on reproductive strategy. 

"Before and after" pruning of own-rooted Zinfandel in ancient vine (planted in 1915) Mokelumne River-Lodi vineyard.

This is why correct pruning is so important. Getting a vine to focus primarily on reproduction starts with how it is pruned. For older vines that have already had a fair amount of structure associated with them, having been disciplined for years by the hands of pruners. there is a built-in advantage, even over trellised vines. Head trained, spur pruned old vines, such as the ones we work with in Lodi, start off much better positioned to follow a reproductive strategy. 

The big challenge of pruning older vines, though, is the fact that each individual vine can be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. An experienced pruner is in tune with what each vine wants to do. In turn, each vine is in tune with the land it sits on. A pruner needs to be able to make the adjustments to each vine, on every site, working hand in hand with each vineyard to achieve the best possible outcome. 

Winter pruning of old vines in Lodi, which can be back breaking work when spurs are barely a foot off the ground.

In the end it's winemakers—which La Follette often describes as "us hose draggers"—that benefit from all the hard work put in by the grapevine pruners in the fields during the cold of winter, making it possible to produce truly interesting wines. Especially wines from old vineyards such as Lodi's, possessing sensory qualities unique to the plants, history and human hands going into each and every site.

Winter pruning of old vine Zinfandel in the Historic Vineyard Society-certified Stampede Vineyard, in Lodi's Clements Hills AVA.

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Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=64B0EDF1-D645-A426-10B7-7DB0BA445DD5
For 2024 Lodi Wine & Chocolate Winery Tours (February 3), a description of each winery and their offerings http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Description-of-each-winery-and-their-offerings-during-the-2024-Lodi-Wine---Chocolate-Winery-Tours--Saturday--February-3-

While Lodi's 2024 Wine & Chocolate weekend is a three-day event—including individual winery dinners on Friday (February 2) and a gala Winemakers Toast at Wine & Roses Hotel on Sunday (February 4)—the main event is still the self-guided, passport style Winery Tours on Saturday (February 3).

On this day, over 35 Lodi appellation wineries will open their doors between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. They each go all-out to outdo each other with special tastings, delectable treats, live music (at many wineries), and of course, lots of chocolate.

The challenge, as Lodi wine and chocolate lovers have found over the past 26 years, is picking and choosing where to go, as there isn't enough time or capacity (we want you to enjoy your Lodi Wine & Chocolate weekend safely and sensibly!) to go everywhere. 

To help you choose, we've compiled the list of participating wineries, a brief description of what they specialize in, and some of the "extras" they are planning on this day. We encourage you to plan ahead (re a map of participating Lodi wineries).

If you are engaging a bus or limousine, please note that not all wineries are able to accommodate these vehicles or parties of over 10. We have specified the policy for each winery listed below.

Tickets for all Lodi Wine & Chocolate events (including the $75/person passport to the Saturday Winery Tours) are available on this lodiwine.com page.

The scoop on what Lodi wine lovers will find at each stop on Saturday, February 3, along with photo-memories of past Lodi Wine & Chocolate celebrations...

Barsetti Vineyards
400 4th St., Suite 150, Galt 95632
(209) 744-6062
Located in the charming community of Galt, just 15 minutes north of Lodi proper, and producing some of the appellation's finest Merlot and Zinfandel, crafted in sleek, svelte styles. Live music by Phil & da Pinots, a chocolate fountain, an array of appetizers, wine and merchandise discounts, plus offerings from artisan vendors Coco's Soy Wax, Rose in the Garden, and Fused Glass by B&K Designs. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+.    

Bokisch Vineyards
18921 Atkins Rd., Lodi 95240
(209) 642-8880
No exaggeration, probably the finest grower/producer of Spanish varietals in the state, if not America. The Bokisch family is certainly one of the first in the country to explore Albariño, Tempranillo and Graciano grapes, inspiring a host of other Lodi growers and vintners to do the same. They also produce an array of French varietals under the Tizona label, all impeccably crafted at their Clements Hills winery estate. On this Saturday, offerings will include a Spanish-style chocolate tapas cone and special tasting menu, not to mention spectacular photo op views of the rolling hills of Lodi's east side. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Cabana Winery
710 S. Beckman Rd., Suite D, Lodi 95240
(916) 476-5492
One of Lodi's independent, handcraft urban wineries, located on the eastern edge of the City. Offering chocolate pairings by Capital Confections, a food truck and wine discounts. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Calivines Winery & Olive Mill
13950 N. Thornton Rd., Lodi 95240
(209) 210-3162
Besides the fact that that this is the home estate of the most award-winning olive oil brand in the state (no one leaves Calivines without buying stashes), this Lodi family also produces its own line-up of LODI RULES sustainable wines. There will be live music, a food truck, artisan vendors plus (of course!) utterly delicious flights of olive oil to taste. More than worth the 10-minute drive (from the center of town) to the western edge of the appellation. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Cellardoor by Michael David Winery
21 N. School St., Lodi 95240
(209) 329-7384
Lodi's most successful and internationally acclaimed, homegrown family winery celebrates Wine & Chocolate weekend at its Downtown Lodi wine bar (rather than at the Michael David Winery on Hwy. 12). Lots of tasty treats from Michael David bakery served in a lively atmosphere—always a buzz in the air at Cellardoor—with, of course, the wide and amazing range of the Phillips family's all-sustainably grown wines. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

d'Art Wines
13299 N. Curry Ave., Lodi 95240
(209) 334-9946
This artisanal handcraft winery is always a must-stop. While producing a full range of premium wines, Port is always winemaker/owners Dave and Helen Dart's specialty, which you can experience in a Port barrel tasting along with the winery's fantastic chocolate chili. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

The Dancing Fox
203 S. School St., Lodi 95240
(209) 366-2634
A landmark Downtown Lodi winery/bakery/restaurant of endless charm and mirth. Enjoy house made chocolate treats with five estate wines, while enjoying slices of artisanal brick oven pizza. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Delta Artisan Winery & Distillery
927 Industrial Way, Suite B, Lodi 95240
(209) 403-1226
Ready for something completely different? This recently opened handcraft producer specializes in old vine Zinfandel plus an exotic Tokay Brandy and Vodka (after all, it is a distillery, harkening back to the days when Lodi produced even more brandy and fortified wines than table wines). Owner/winemaker Blake Bomben invites you to take a tour of his working stills while enjoying wine and chocolate flights. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Drava Wines
1378 E. Turner Rd., Suite D, Lodi 95240
(209) 400-5009
Small batch, handcraft winemaking par excellence in a no-nonsense setting on the eastern edge of the City, operated by brothers Steve and William Carson (Drava is the name of the river that runs through the Slovenian city of Maribor, where the oldest grapevine in the world, planted in the 1500s, still grows, duly inspiring the Carsons). They will be offering equally unusual grilled chocolate ganache sandwiches along with pairings of whites and reds. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

E2 Family Winery
9009 W Hwy 12, Lodi 95242
(209) 334-5911
Take a walk on the wild side at the western edge of the Lodi appellation (on the Delta side of the interstate) to enjoy this family-owned winery's multiple brands consisting of fresh, imaginative wines, along with live music, handcraft vendors and a few edible offerings. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Estate Crush
2 W. Lockeford St., Lodi 95240
(209) 368-7595
Owner/winemaker Bob Colarossi's grilled tri-tip slider (slathered in a Port reduction, no less) is an experience itself, but so is the Estate Crush family of wines offered along with barrel tastings and special weekend prices in Downtown Lodi's original custom crush urban winery. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

GoodMills Family Winery
17266 Hillside Dr., Lodi 95240
(209) 727-0728
This small batch family winery on the east side of Lodi will offer food pairings with a full range of wines, from classic Lodi Zinfandel and Petite Sirah to superpowerful Teroldego and delicate rosés of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Grace Vineyards
28001 N. Nichols Rd., Galt 95632
(209) 370-4333
Visit this lovely "Galt country" site and enjoy live music, delicious chocolate treats and fire roasted tomato bisque with grilled cheese sandwiches. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Hanford Ranch Winery
13200 Loll Rd., Galt 95632
(916) 812-5399
If you choose to visit the charming community of Galt, just north of the City of Lodi, stop by the Hanford family's hilltop ranch to enjoy live music, food, and the handcraft works of local vendors. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Harmony Wynelands
9291 E. Harney Ln., Lodi 95240
(209) 369-4184
In the heart of the east side of Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation, this family owned estate grows and produces some of the region's most exuberant wines, which you can enjoy with the live music of Anissa, exquisite delectables prepared by the acclaimed Ignis Provisions as well as, of course, chocolate treats. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Housley's Century Oak Winery
22211 N. Lower Sacramento Rd., Acampo 95220
(209) 334-3482
Always one of Lodi's most happening stops, this 37-acre family estate will be offering live music, an array of crafts by local artisan vendors, lots of chocolate and a food truck offering fortifications. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Intercoastal Vineyards
13731 N. Hwy 88, Lodi 95420
(209) 213-7142
Intercoastal invites you to "glamp" in style with second generation grower/vintner/proprietors Mitch and Rachele Spaletta. Enjoy s’mores by a camp fire, photo ops and waffles on a stick with toppings by Eventful Cart Co. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Jeremy Wine Co.
16750 CA-88, Lockeford 95237
(209) 367-3773
Take a short drive to the country community of Lockeford to visit Jeremy, plopped down in the middle of a block of Prohibition era old vines. Savor owner/winemaker/growers Jeremy and Choral Trettevik's specialty Chocolate Port, and the red and sweet wines they love to show with chocolates. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Klinker Brick Winery
15887 Alpine Rd., Lodi 95240
(209) 333-1845
The Felten family, who have been farming in Lodi since the end of the 1800s, have established one of Lodi's most prestigious wineries. It's not just a fact that they are now known in every state of the union and beyond, but also the fact that their wines—from Albariño and Grenache Blanc to some of the finest Zinfandels, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and other varietals—are really second to none. More than enough reason to stop by this Alpine Rd. landmark. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

The Lounge at Lodi Crush
21 E. Elm St., Lodi 95240
(209) 400-2112
This Downtown Lodi custom crush facility (where wines for multiple brands are produced) is anchored by proprietor Gerardo Espinosa's Anaya Vineyards; sourced from family vineyards turning out some of the most compelling Albariño, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah in the appellation, not to mention an utterly unique Nebbiolo. Enjoy live music, food, and wines botled for multiple boutique brands. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

m2 Wines
2900 E. Peltier Rd., Acampo 95220
(209) 339-1071
For going on twenty years, m2 has stood for quintessential old vine Lodi Zinfandel, full stop, exclamation point. But that's not all. The iconic, ever entertaining winemaker/partner Layne Montgomery is also known to throw a curve or two; such as a sensual Petite Sirah, sparkling rosés and even an Italian inspired Nebbiolo. From 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM there will be live music by Samantha Henson, plus a "Love Wall," assorted chocolates and the wares of artisan vendors Wine Country Fashions, Lisa Art and Jewelry, and Coco's Creations Cheesecake. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Macchia Wines
7099 E. Peltier Rd., Acampo 95220
(209) 333-2600
For over two decades Macchia has set the standard for some of the most intense and powerful red wines (particularly Zinfandel and Barbera) in Lodi—make that the entire state—bottled under multiple vineyard-designate labels. To borrow an expression, "no wimpy wines" here. There will be live music (prepare to boogie), complimentary meatballs served with a chocolate habanero Zin Port reduction, assorted chocolate treats, and for the love-bugs, a handy photo booth to capture the moment. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

McCay Cellars
18911 N. Lower Sacramento Rd., Woodbridge 95258
Lodi's most critically acclaimed, natural style, handcraft producer, owned by Mike and Linda McCay, is now headquartered in Woodbridge Uncorked, in the historic community of Woodbridge. In short: Phenomenal wines, largely sourced from Lodi's most venerated ancient vine blocks. A tasting of McCay wines is like a walk through Lodi history. Enjoy Rocky Mountain Chocolate, wine special  pricing and more in this storied setting. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

McConnell Estates Winery
10686 W. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove 95757
(916) 685-5368
Make a stop at Elk Grove on the north side of the Lodi appellation to visit the winery and vineyards sustainably farmed for five generations by the Wackman family. Among the more adventurous botlings are Vermentino, Barbera and a proprietary Sheepherders Blend (Barbera/Tempranillo), as well as a classic Zinfandel, Malbec, Petite Syrah and champagne style Blanc de Noir. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Mettler Family Vineyards
7889 E. Harney Ln., Lodi, 95240
(209) 369-3045
The name Mettler is like nobility on the east side of Lodi; and in fact, Lodi wines could not be any nobler than this family's nationally acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, classically styled Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, or more unusual (for California) innovations such as Aglianico and Pinotage, although their Albariño and Chardonnay are second to none. You will find live music, assorted chocolates, a food truck and local jewelry vendors. Accepting buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Nostra Vita Family Winery
1150 W. Turner Rd., Lodi 95242
(209) 334-0274
If you love dry, authentic champagne style sparkling wine, look no further than this W. Turner Rd. winery. Grower/owners Robert Indelicato and Leslie Bloudoff will welcome you with musical entertainment by Jimmy Ashley, provisions sold by Boxcart Deli, plus opportunities to taste from barrels, sipping by an open fire pit and even games of cornhole. Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Oak Farm Vineyards
23627 N. DeVries Rd., Lodi 95242
(209) 365-6565
No visit to Lodi is complete without a stop at this spectacular estate, with its state of the art winery nestled alongside a historic 1800s home right out of "Gone with the Wind." Can you say photo op? The wine styles are fresh and floral in their perfumes, including all the classic Lodi varietals plus a hard-to-find Fiano (a rare Italian varietal white). Appointment required for buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Oak Ridge Winery
6100 E. Victor Rd., Lodi 95240
(209) 369-4769
Owned and operated by the Maggios, who have been farming grapes in Lodi for five generations. Lest you think that this family is only about popular, nationally distributed labels such as OZV and Old Soul, think again. They are now producing ultra-premium bottlings of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay under a 1906 label that more than hold their own against the finest in the state. We kid you not. Besides an extraordinary range of wines, you can enjoy live music and a "sweet crunchy" goodie bag. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

One Way Winery
6539 E. Peltier Rd., Acampo 95220
(209) 918-0692
This "little winery that could" is located on the east side of Lodi along E. Peltier Rd. will be offering Cabernet truffles and brownies to go with their handcraft Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Pinot Grigio. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Peirano Estate
21831 N. Hwy 99, Acampo 95220
(209) 503-3079
The wines of Peirano Estate are as unfussy yet expressive and honest as they come, which probably explains why they are perennial winners of gold and double-gold medals in the most prestigious competitions in the state; reflections of an estate faithfully planted to old school head trained vines and doted on by the same family since the 1890s. Look for gourmet chocolate wafers, appetizers and case discounts during this weekend celebration. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Pondl Winery
665 W. Turner Rd., Lodi 95242
(209) 367-3672
Enjoy chicken mole tacos and this postage stamp sized, small batch winery that is as personal as they come. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Rippey Family Vineyards at Lodi Vintners
3750 E. Woodbridge Rd., Acampo 95220
(209) 368-2019
Many of Lodi's finest wines (under several brands) are actually made at the Rippey family's historic Lodi Vintners facility (the Lodi region's first winery was established on this spot in 1900) on E. Woodbridge Road. If you love Sauvignon Blanc, you probably won't find a better one than Rippey's (sourced from Lodi's oldest planting of this grape), although their Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon are also first class. Enjoy live music and creative wine and chocolate pairings at this venue, located right alongside historic railroad tracks. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Scotto's Wine & Cider
14 S. School St., Lodi 95240
(209) 224-8590
The Scotto family has its own storied history; arriving in Brooklyn in 1903 from Ischia (a winegrowing island in Italy's Bay of Napes), before landing in California to start a wine brand (Villa Armando) in 1963. Today's fifth generation of Scottos take as much pride in their cider production as they do their winemaking, which they show off at their School St. tasting room. They are offering live music as well as various snacks to go with their full range of adult beverages, including Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese from Lodi's acclaimed Mohr-Fry Ranches, and a Torrontés (a stunniingly aromatic varietal white of Argentine origin) from the multi-award winning Silvaspoons Vineyards. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Spenker Winery
17303 N. DeVries Rd., Lodi 95240
(209) 367-0467
Much more than a 100% sustainable vineyard and winery, Spenker Family Farm is also a Farmstead Cheese estate, housing its own herd of specialty goats and pristine cheesemaking facility. It doesn't get more "handcraft" than this! Enjoy the family's estate grown wines with their truly fresh and delicious variations of chèvre, along with a "popcorn bar," and maybe a chance to say hello to their certifiably cute dairy goats. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

St. Amant Winery
1 Winemaster Way, Bldg. 1, Lodi 95240
(209) 367-0646
St. Amant is where the most discriminating connoisseurs of Lodi wine go. Exquisite Zinfandels crafted from historic vineyards, "Best of Show" winning Barbera, Petite Sirah and Ports, and even Lodi's most acclaimed red wine blend (called Speakeasy Red)... it doesn't get better than this. The Spencer family will also be serving chocolates; but once you're there, guaranteed all attention gets focused on wines for which words like "amazing" and "authentic" are just understatements. No buses, limousines or groups of 10+. 

Stama Winery
17521 N. Davis Rd., Lodi 95240
(209) 727-3314
Wines crafted by winery/vineyard owners, the Kapiniaris family, who came from Greece with winemaking already running through their veins. Expect a full range of classic Lodi and California varietals served with decadent chocolate brownies, plus live music from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+. 

Valensin Vineyard & Winery
10675 Valensin Rd., Galt 95632
(916) 883-2555
Another Galt community destination consisting of a winery and 11 acres of grapevines nestled along a picturesque lake. Enjoy chocolate pairings with a full range of varietal reds, whites, rosés, sparklers and Port style dessert wines. Accepting buses, limousines and groups of 10+.

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Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=5FB6FC73-E81E-D820-DD5A-D4C8A399DBFF
A masterly photographer shows Nature and Lodi winegrowing under a muscular, jarring, different slant of light http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/A-masterly-photographer-shows-Nature-and-Lodi-winegrowing-under-a-muscular--jarring--different-slant-of-light

Cutout of photograph exalting a Lodi ancient vine Zinfandel harvest by Allison Watkins.

There are photographers and there are photographers. We have invited Allison Watkins of Allison Watkins Studio to share a photo-essay because of her distinctively artistic feel for wine photography. Particularly her Lodi Viticultural Area photography.

Watkins lives in Napa Valley  and teaches fine art photography. An inveterate inhabitant of the darkroom since high school, she studied fine art photography while taking her BA at San Jose State University, which led to a Master of Fine Arts at San Francisco University.

While her work has been affiliated with numerous commercial entities, she has also become increasingly known for her photography, design and website development for the wine industry. Among her list of half-dozen or so winery clients at a time, she is currently working with Perlegos Family Wine Co., second generation Lodi grower/vintners.

Allison Watkins in her element.

The Watkins signature entails muscular shades and shadows, and more like miserly dribs and drabs of light to encapsulate Nature. Applied to vineyard settings, hers is jarring, distinctively personal, emotional. Think of musical genres, such as Cajun or blues, where there are no real happy songs, yet can be extremely upbeat or optimistic. It's as if Watkins lives for stormy days, in the sky and mind. She recently shed some light on this perspective, telling us:

When I first stepped foot in a Lodi vineyard I was moved by a feeling of nostalgia and I immediately thought of my grandfather. He was a refrigeration engineer in the Santa Clara ("The Valley of the Heart's Delight") beginning in the late 1930s, and worked for the same refrigeration plant for most of his long, arduous career. 

Allison Watkins, Allison Watkins Studio.

After over twenty years working as a professional photographer, Watkins now finds herself drawn to the wine industry, and is particularly compelled by labors—as gleaned in images fusing hands, dirt, skin, crevices, and colors of photosynthesis drilled down to cellular levels—in vineyards. Connecting her early consciousness of Santa Clara agriculture with the state of California winegrowing today, she adds...

I'm drawn to places in California that have been preserved or protected for agricultural purposes since the Santa Clara Valley wasn't protected at all. It was once full of orchards and fruit trees and now only one orchard exists today. I'm inspired by vineyard owners and the farm workers who continue to protect these [disappearing] spaces, and who also farm organically despite high costs and low yields.

For the rest of this post we'll let Watkins' work and her own words do all the talking...

Harvest Moon, Lodi, 2023.

There are certain vineyards that gauge my interest and one of them is Stampede Vineyard in Lodi. This old vine Zinfandel vineyard is unique in that you can stand in the center of the vineyard, turn around, and see all around you. Old vines allow me to move freely in the space with my camera, and their form is endlessly fun to photograph. They have a lot of character and I love seeing how they change throughout each season. This photograph was shot just before sunrise, one of my favorite times to photograph the grape harvest because these moments are like no other. It is the energy of the grape harvest that calls me back every time.

Old Vine Grape Harvester, Lodi, 2023.

I've always loved conveying narrative within one image, and the harvest season is full of action, so there are many monents that I want to capture. There is so much movement and energy among the vineyard workers and growers that it's impossible to capture it all. During sunrise, I like to look for areas where the vine is lit by a headlamp or the first rays of sunlight and then capture the moment with a fast shutter speed. Harvesters work at very fast speeds and I'm always at awe of the work that has been accomplished by the end of the pick. The moment where the sun begins to rise is especially magical and makes me wish I could photograph places in the vineyard simultaneously.

Old Vine Grape Harvester, Lodi, 2020.

This was a moment when the sun broke through a smoke filled sky. We were dealing with wildfires and the pandemic, and everyone was keeping their distance. My connection to photography became even stronger as I needed a creative outlet during quarantine.

Old Vine Harvester II, Lodi, 2021.

Harvesting grapes can feel like a spiritual act, and I was able to capture this beautiful moment when it felt like the grapes were being held in exaltation.

California Old Vine Zinfandel, Stampede Vineyard, Lodi, 2021.

Jeff and John Perlegos put a lot of care into farming their vineyards and it show in the beautiful formations of the old vines.These old vines are low yield, and when I find a beautiful array of clusters it truly feels like I've discovered gems.

Cover Crop in Early Spring, Lodi, 2021.

I shot this medium format film on a beautiful stormy day in Lodi. There were moments of rain and the sky cleared for a moment and illuminated this flowering cover crop. I used selective focus and shallow depth of field to separate the flower from the craggy old vines, and to give the illusion of the vines framing the flower.

Persephone in Spring, Lodi, 2022.

I captured my sister on a spring day while the sun was setting. Watching the vineyards change throughout the season is soul enriching. I've always loved Greek mythology, and the story of Persephone, leaving Hades and winter behind to give us spring is one of my favorite myths. I used maximum depth of field and a fast shutter speed to stop her in motion and frame her between the old vines. It was important to highlight the flowering cover crop and shoot wide enough to include the sunlight—this conveyed transition—the beginning, and fleeting feeling of the seasons.

Harvesting During the Pandemic, Lodi, 2020.

The crew was harvesting grapes under smoke filled skies and we were about seven months into the pandemic; everyone was shouting through masks and keeping their distance from each other. Despite the air quality and the uncertainty of the pandemic I was happy to just get outside and shoot. Photography has always given me the fuel that I've needed to persevere during difficult times.

Old Vine Details, Lodi, 2021.

I like photographing growers with their vines. This shot taken of Jeff Perlegos shows the sensitivIty and connection between grower and vine. So much work goes into farming organically and the LODI RULES are a great guide for anyone interested in the process of sustainable winegrowing.

Early Spring Cover Crop Details, Lodi, 2021

Jeff Perlegos showing the details of the cover crop that he and his brother plant every year. Documenting the transition of these cover crops illustrates the growth over time and the importance and impact of them on the soil. The light hit the cover crop in such a way that it was illuminated perfectly and it reminded me of a Renaissance painting.

Early Spring Cover Crop Details II, Lodi, 2021

Cover crop is especially beautiful in the early spring.

 

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Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=95385AD3-C8B7-851F-6E00-932C17EB8054
Lodi's Wine & Chocolate (February 2-4, 2024) is a finer, funner, purer, more multifaceted and educational experience than ever http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Lodi-s-Wine---Chocolate--February-2-4--2024--is-a-finer--lusher--purer-and-more-multifaceted-experience-than-ever

Now is the time to snag tickets to Lodi wine country's most popular event of each year: the Lodi Wine & Chocolate weekend!

And it's coming right up, on February 2-4, 2024!

2024's proceedings will be the region's 27th celebration of the theme of Lodi grown wine, locally crafted chocolates (plus many other foods!), and of course, the love of companionship, be it with significant others, friends and family. These are some of the reasons, no doubt, why Lodi wine lovers have been coming out in droves each year for this unique experience.

Lodi Wine & Chocolate is, in fact, perhaps the most important business weekend of the year for the Lodi winemaking community. It has been not only an opportunity to reconnect with friends, both old and new, but it has served to generate funds in support of the region's continuing programs in marketing, education, research, and sustainable viticulture

Since 1997, the goal of Lodi growers and vintners has been to promote and elevate the region and its wines. More than 100,000 guests have helped to generate over $2 million in support of programs directly impacting the Lodi grape growing and winemaking industry.

Simply put, the more wine and chocolate lovers celebrate and learn about Lodi, the better the grapes and wines coming out of the region! Longtime February visitors have undoubtedly noticed this—that the lush, honest, pure fruit driven styles of Lodi wine have been getting finer, lusher, more honest and purer in style by the year, and the future is even brighter!

Three components to Lodi Wine & Chocolate

Lodi wine lovers can pick one of three (or all three) separate ways in which to celebrate the weekend. Tickets to all events can be pre-purchased here on tickets.lodiwine.com.

Here is the skinny...

February 2, 2024—FRIDAY INDIVIDUAL WINERY EVENTS

If you prefer more intimate winery experiences, and opportunities to taste and chat one-on-one with winemakers and owners, the following select events may be for you. 

Please note, two of the events are already sold out, and the limited seating at other venues will be closing up soon. Seats range from $75 to $125, and you can read more about the Friday evening events here.

Harney Lane Winery
Decadent Delights: Wine & Chocolate Pairing (4:00 PM)

Heritage Oak Winery
Winemaker Dinner (5:00 PM)

Housley's Century Oak Winery
Library Wines Tasting & Tour (2:00 PM)

Klinker Brick Winery
Wine & Food Tasting with Tour (1:00 PM)

Oak Farm Vineyards
Winemaker Dinner (6:00 PM)—sold out

Peltier Winery & Vineyards
Blending Experience with Custom Flight (2:00 PM)

Rippey Family Vineyards at Lodi Vintners
Winemaker Dinner (6:00 PM)—sold out

St. Amant Winery
Winemaker Dinner (5:30 PM)

The Dancing Fox Winery & Restaurant
Winemaker Dinner (5:30 PM)

February 3, 2024—SATURDAY WINERY TOURS

You could describe Saturday's passport style, self-guided Wine & Chocolate experience as the  "main event," even if it's not the only one. Saturday's challenge is deciding which stops to make, because you can't see them all! You can find the list (with a map) of more than 35 participating wineries here.

Each year every winery goes all-out—offering a wide range of edibles (including, of course, chocolates!) to fortify wine lovers—and will be opening their doors between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Tickets are $75 per person.

February 4, 2024—SUNDAY WINEMAKERS TOAST

At 11:00 AM-2:00 PM on the final day, the Wine & Chocolate celebration takes place at the luxurious Wine & Roses Hotel. There is, perhaps, no hotel in the country as romantic as Wine & Roses. Just walking the grounds and breathing the air stimulates the senses of ardor and taste.

For this event, a select group of Lodi's finest wineries will be pouring their whites, rosés and, of course, festive sparkling wines alongside a generous myriad of bites prepared by the amazing chefs of Wine & Roses. Individual passes are $95, and (fair warning!) limited in availability.

See you at 2024's Lodi Wine & Chocolate celebration!

Some great memories from last year's (2023) Lodi Wine & Chocolate festivities...

Bourdon Wines' Becca Kufrin—also a "Bachelorette" and "Bachelor" star—with her winemaker, E2 Family Winery's Brett Ehlers, pouring her "dangerously easy" sparkling wines during the 2023 Wine & Chocolate Sunday Brunch at Wine & Roses Hotel.

Lodi wine lovers at the Wine & Chocolate weekend Sunday Brunch. 

Former Major League All-Star Greg Vaughn showing off one of his GV 23 wines at E2 Family Winery.

Sparkling rosés at Lodi's Wine & Chocolate Sunday Brunch.

Great gang of wine and chocolate lovers at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Moment of peace at Bokisch Vineyards in Lodi's Clements Hills appellation.

Keen anticipation during walk into Mettler Family Vineyards for Lodi's Wine & Chocolate's Saturday festivities.

Exceptionally wine-savvy couple at Sunday Brunch at Wine & Roses Hotel.

The widely followed wine influencer/educator/sommelier Samantha Capaldi (@samanthasommelier on Instagram) enjoying the end of Wine & Chocolate's Saturday tastings at The Lounge at Lodi Crush.

Musical corner at The Lounge at Lodi Crush at the end of Lodi's Wine & Chocolate Saturday tastings.

"Samantha Sommelier" visiting with Lodi Crush/Anaya Vineyards owner/winemaker Gerardo Espinosa (left) and Seis Soles Wine Co. owner/winemaker Christopher Rivera at The Lounge at Lodi Crush.

Goofing around at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Wine and chocolate lovers at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Mettler Family Vineyards matriarch Charlene Mettler personally pours her family's specialty vineyard-designate bottlings Zinfandel.

Letting the good times roll at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Lodi's Gina Licari feels the sudden urge to dance at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Kodak moment at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Mettler Family Vineyards GM Kim Mettler Eells overseeing another great, smoothly run Wine & Chocolate weekend.

Rocking it at Mettler Family Vineyards.

Piece of paradise at Bokisch Vineyards.

Leisurely Saturday in the Bokisch family's Terra Alta Vineyard.

Good times at E2 Family Winery.

Enjoying the taste of celebrity wine brands at E2 Family Winery.

Wine and Chocolate lovers at E2 Family Winery.

Toast to red wine perfection at St. Amant Winery.

Forthcoming taste of the ultra-smooth and rich The Bootleg Society Speakeasy Red Blend at St. Amant Winery.

The LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards table at Sunday's Wine & Chocolate Brunch.

Burlington Chandler Wines owner/grower Mark Chandler (also the City of Lodi's two-time former mayor) with his son Dave Chandler, pouring their family wines at Woodbridge Uncorked Wine Bar.

The absolutely fabulous time during Sunday Brunch at Wine & Roses Hotel.

Music by Primitivo—violinist David Holob and guitarist Bill Russell—at Lodi's Wine & Chocolate Sunday Brunch.

Visiting bon viveur Erin DeSoto—an educator from Phoenix—savoring the goods during the Wine & Chocolate Sunday Brunch.

Bokisch Vineyards co-owner Liz Bokisch serving her amazing Rosado (Garnacha-based dry rosé).

Sampling the wines of Lodi's acclaimed white-wine-only Acquiesce Winery (although they also produce amazing dry rosés).

A good moment at the Wine & Chocolate Sunday Brunch.

Peltier Winery owner/growers Gayla and Rod Schatz with winemaker Gianni Abate (back) and former winemaker Susy Vasquez (now Senior Winemaker at LangeTwins Family Winery).

Savoring the moment during the Wine & Chocolate Sunday Brunch.

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Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=5D1A14BE-93CD-A517-8C2C-1ADB2CF88DFF
1929 book on black grapes sheds fascinating light on the history of California wine http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/1929-book-on--black-grapes--of-California-sheds-fascinating-light-on-the-history-of-California-grapes-and-wines

Close-up of Lodi old vine Zinfandel planted in the 1920s to meet the increased demand during Prohibition years, when Perelli-Minetti's groundbreaking research on grapes was conducted and published in "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

At the start of the 1920s, the California wine industry was still in its infancy.

Yet a reading of a 1929 publication entitled Black Juice Grape Varieties In California—authored by Joseph Perelli-Minetti for USDA's State of California Department of Agriculture—provides a fascinating glimpse into how far the science of winegrowing had advanced since the 1850s, and how far it has come between the 1920s and today.

This 80-page book, consisting of highly detailed photographs and notes on leaf and cluster morphologies of 38 of the major black skinned varieties cultivated during the 1920s, was loaned to me over the holidays by Tegan Passalacqua. 

Passalacqua, the winemaker of both Turley Wine Cellars and his own Sandlands brand, is an avid (or, you can also say, obsessed) scholar of California wine history. It is an understatement to say that Passalacqua's minimalist yet science-driven approach to viticulture and winemaking is strongly influenced by his respect for what has been historically done long before he was thought of.

The 1920s in itself is a fascinating era. While, on one hand, commercial wine production at that time was illegal (nationwide Prohibition lasting from 1920 to 1933), the U.S. Department of Agriculture still recognized wine grape farming as a major industry, demanding supportive research in order to stimulate further investment and market growth.

In fact, in regions such as San Joaquin County during the 1920s, both acreage and grape prices soared during the 1920s, primarily because of a loophole in the Volstead Act that allowed American households to produce up to 200 gallon a year of their own wine.

Historically, varieties of Vitis vinifera—i.e., cultivars belonging to the European family of wine grapes—were not brought in from East Coast nurseries until after California statehood, which happened on September 9, 1850. Prior to that, the only European grape cultivated in California was Mission (now also known as Criolla or Pais), planted along El Camino Real by Franciscan missionaries between 1769 and 1833.

Comparison of Mission grape clusters: On left, a recent photograph taken in Lodi's Somers Vineyard; on the right, the image published in 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Wherever there were settlers of European descent, however, there was wine. Even during the 1930s, there were purportedly as many as two dozen commercial wineries operating in the Los Angeles area—their primary stock and trade, a strong, brandy-fortified "white" made from Mission known as Angelica (a sweet semi-generic style of wine still produced by a few handcraft wineries today).

Once settlers began pouring in from all over the world to the newly established state of California, enterprising growers in counties as far flung as Sonoma, Napa, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Joaquin and Amador were shipping over dozens of grape varieties, and trying them all out in newly established vineyards.

In San Joaquin County, for instance, a Massachusetts transplant named George West established a nursery in Stockton in 1852. Along with a bevy of trees, fruits and flowers, West immediately began to bring in grape varieties from Boston—his initial shipment, a reportedly 40 different cultivars of European origin—on a yearly basis.

By 1857, Ezekial Lawrence, one of the City of Lodi's founding fathers, made note of the fact that there were at least 10 acres of grapes grown in the vicinity of the riverbank settlement. At that time this region, located just north of Stockton and south of Sacramento, was known by its indigenous California name, Mokelumne

Postcard image of El Pinal Vineyard dating back to the 1860s. Dr. Dean L. Mawdsley collection, California State Library.

Recognizing the huge commercial potential of grapes for wine production, George West founded El Pinal Winery with his brother William in 1858, establishing their own vineyard in the Stockton area while also contracting farmers in Lodi to plant as many as 30 different grape varieties at a time. The initial idea, of course, was to throw as many of them as possible against the wall to see what sticks—a practice duplicated throughout the state.

While the farming industry in the vicinity of the Mokelumne River was barely ten years old by the end of the 1850s, the area was already highly valued for its deep, rich soils—long evidenced by the watershed's lush grasslands and deep rooted valley oaks—and steadily warm yet moderate climate, highly conducive to multiple crops, from grains to grapes. To this day, Lodi remains a grape-dominated agricultural zone, whereas vineyards once dotting Los Angeles or nearby Sacramento and Stockton have all but disappeared.

Because Perelli-Minetti's 1920s research in Black Juice Grape Varieties In California offers such interesting insights into the evolution of California's wine industry, I think it is most useful to quote excerpts directly from the introduction, which was penned by W.F. Allewelt. 

One of Allewelt's first points is on the prevalence of mixed grape planting in vineyards, a common practice since the 1850s, resulting in the popularity of a wide range of generic blends such as "Burgundy" and "Claret," consisting of any number and types of grapes:

Originally the older commercial wine grape plantings in California, particularly those in the northern coast districts of Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, very largely were of mixed varieties. This was partly due to mixture of the cuttings as originally introduced from Europe, and distributed from the first plantings here; and partly intentional by planting mixtures of varieties desired for certain vintage blends.

Late 1800s label for G. Piuma Angelica, a generic fortified dessert wine made in Los Angeles primarily from the Mission grape.

Allewelt comments on the immediate impact of Prohibition on the make-up of plantings in vineyards, particularly in respect to varieties most suitable for long train rides to grape markets on the East Coast:

With the increase in production during recent years, and rapid development of eastern shipment, the question of variety has become one of major importance. Different varieties are adapted to particular and special uses, and some of the varieties formerly most desired for use in California are not, ordinarily, so desirable for eastern use on account of poor carrying qualities. These factors have brought about a marked differential in the values and prices paid for the different varieties...

One of the book's more interesting observations is on the graphic impact of terroir, or differentiations of site conditions in California, which made differentiation of cluster morphology somewhat challenging:

The difficulty in identifying black wine grape varieties is due not only to the large number of varieties which are very similar in their characteristics, but also to the fact that many of these varieties behave in widely different ways under different conditions. Soil texture, structure, composition and moisture all have an important effect, as well as climatic conditions, which vary not only between districts, but also between different seasons in the same district. 

Many of the factors entering into the detailed descriptions of varieties in this work are more or less variable. Where this is the case the description is made of typical fruit most commonly occurring in those districts where the variety is properly adapted.

Two depictions of Alicante Bouschet: Above, a recent photo of a cluster picked in Lodi demonstrating the grape's red pulp; below, a plate from 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

There is an interesting discussion of Alicante Bouschet, a teinturier (i.e., black juice variety) cultivar highly favored during Prohibition for its sturdiness useful for cross-country shipping:

While the color of juice of the Alicante Bouschet is distinctly red, grapes of this variety from some districts in certain seasons have had very light flesh and juice, this being particularly true in the case of young vineyards in hotter districts...

In his discussion of variations of growing conditions in the different districts, Allewelt makes an interesting reference to Cornichon—nowadays, known as the extremely obscure French Vitis vinifera (also known as Purple Cornichon or Olivette Noire)—as well as Tokay (a.k.a., Flame Tokay), the latter once Lodi's most widely planted grape (up until the 1970s):

The color of the grapes themselves is influenced by soil and climate, and the typical color described is that commonly found in localities where the variety is properly adapted. In this respect, however, there appears to be much less variation in the black wine varieties than in some others, particularly Tokay and Cornichon.

The size of bunches and berries shows some variation between districts, being generally smaller in non-irrigated districts than in those vineyards where irrigation is practiced. The fertility of soil, pruning methods, and volume of crop produced also influence the factor of [grape cluster] size. The form and density of bunches described is that most commonly found in normal crops.

Diagram of grapevine leaf morphology in "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Despite the challenge of finding uniformity in grape morphology across districts cited in the book, Passalacqua's sees this 1929 publication as a historical benchmark, saying, "These 1920s texts were the first wave of information helping to keep people in the California wine industry honest. By looking at the photos of grapes and leaves, a grape grower or winery could ascertain whether or not they were getting the grapes they were supposed to be getting."

Although the 1929 book presages the era of varietal labeling on California wines by some 25, 30 years, Passalacqua reminds us that not all pre-Prohibition bottlings were generic blends: "There were some varietal wines made, particularly with Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, even before the 1920s. This book was extremely useful because it allowed people to see the differences between grapes, offering a true ampelography [i.e., science of grapevines], or guide, even if not all of the information available to the authors at the time was accurate."

Plate depicting grape berry shapes in 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieites In California."

To give you an idea of the red wine grapes considered most important during the 1920s, here is the listing in this book:

Alicante Bouschet
Alicante Ganzin
Aramon
Barbera
Béclan
Black Pinot
Black Prince
(also identified as Rose de Peru and classified primarily as a table rather than wine grape)
Blue Elba
Cabernet Sauvignon
Calmette
(identified as synonymous with Grand noir)
Carignane
Charbono
Crabb's Black Burgundy
(also identified as Refosco)
Friesa
Gamay
Grignolino
Grand noir
(synonymous with Calmette)
Grenache
Jacquez
(identifed as synonymous with Lenoir)
Lenoir (synonymous with Jacquez)
Limberger
Malbec
Malvoisie
Mataró
(listed separately from Mourvèdre, even though today we know it is the same grape)
Mission 
Mondeuse
Mourastel
Mourvèdre
(listed separately from Mataró)
Nebbiolo (synonymous with Spanna)
Petit Bouschet
Petite Sirah
(identified as synonymous with Durif, Serine and Syrah)
Portuguese Blue
Salvador
Serine
(synonymous with Durif, Petite Sirah and Syrah)
St. Macaire
Syrah (synonymous with Durif, Petite Sirah and Serine)
Tannat
Téoulier
Trousseau
Valdepeñas
Zinfandel

Page listing California's most important commercial wine grapes in 1929 from "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Some of my own remarks on a few of the grapes in this 1920s listing:

Black Pinot. According to UC Davis' Foundation Plant Services, Black Pinot is one of several nineteenth century synonyms for the grape known far better today as Pinot noir. Although known to have been cultivated in California as early as the 1880s, according to Foundation Plant Services' essay on The Pinots, "the early history of Pinot noir was marked by confusion as to varietal identification... and lack of integrity in the production of wine produced in the [generic] name of 'Burgundy'... the confusion would not be resolved completely until the 1970s." Hence the fact that, at least in the 1920s, the California wine industry was pretty much oblivious to the charms of Pinot noir, largely because the grape performs optimally in colder climate regions which weren't even explored in California until the 1980s and after.

Two shots of Charbono: Above, a recent photo of a Mokelumne River-Lodi planting; below, the plate from 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Charbono. Although once touted, up until the 1970s, as one of the state's most prestigious grapes—particularly in Napa Valley—in 1999 UC Davis identified the correct name of Charbono as being Bonarda (as it is known in Argentina), which also makes it synonymous with the Douce noir of France's Savoy region. It is still grown and bottled in California as Charbono.

Two of California's leading nineteenth century grape pioneers: Napa Valley's Henry Walker Crabb (left), and George West (right, founder of Stockton's El Pinal).

Crabb's Black Burgundy. A somewhat fabled grape associated with Henry Walker Crabb, who between the 1860s and 1880s cultivated one of the largest collections of grape varieties in the state, in the vicinity of Oakville, Napa Valley (including the famed To-Kalon Vineyard). During the entire twentieth century Crabb's Black Burgundy was considered to be synonymous with the Northern Italian grape Refosco, reputedly because of similarities in resulting wines—hence Perelli-Minetti's citation. Recent DNA analysis has shown this not to be the case, and that the grape known as Crabb's Black Burgundy was, in fact, a Savoie, France grape called Mondeuse noire, with no relation to Refosco.

Two shots of the cultivar once mistakenly grown as Gamay in California; On left, Valdiguié (Foundation Plant Services); on right, the plate of the misnomered Gamay in 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Gamay. Although Gamay noir is famous as the primary black grape of France's Beaujolais region, up until 30 years ago almost all of the grapes planted as Gamay (a.k.a., Napa Gamay) in California vineyards were actually a variety called Valdiguié (the latter, originating in France's Languedoc-Roussillon). The grape was not conclusively identified as such by UC Davis until 1980. Up until that time, there was also a variety bottled as Gamay Beaujolais, which turned out to be neither a true Gamay nor Valdiguié, but rather a clonal variant of Pinot noir. California wineries were allowed to bottle both misnomered varietals as "Gamay" up until 1999. True Gamay noir does exist in California, but is far more popular as a varietal red in regions such as Willamette Valley and British Columbia.

Recent photo of Cinsaut—the grape formerly known as Black Malvoisie—in Lodi's historic Bechthold Vineyard.

Malvoisie. Up until 2004 this grape was identified by UC Davis as Black Malvoisie; when, in fact, it is synonymous with the Southern French grape far better known and in higher demand as Cinsaut (a.k.a., Cinsault). Because of this simple matter of nomenclature, historic plantings such as Lodi's Bechthold Vineyard (25 acres originally planted in 1886 as Malvoisie) became overnight sensations. Prior to 2004, no commercial winery wanted a black skinned grape called Malvoisie. The redubbed grape went from virtual obscurity to fame, and Bechthold itself was named California State Fair's "Vineyard of the Year" in 2014.

Two shots of Mourvèdre: Above, a recent photo of the cultivar in Lodi's Mettler Family Vineyards; below, the plate labeled as Mataró in 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Mataró. For most of the twentieth century, Mourvèdre was cultivated as Mataró in California, although the two names are listed as if they were separate cultivars in Perelli-Minetti's 1929 treatise. According to University of California researchers, both monikers, along with Monastell, originated in Spain, although the grape is called Mourvèdre in Southern France and Mataró was the parlance typically utilized by California's Portuguese immigrants. By the start of the "Rhône Ranger" movement in California during the 1980s, it was widely understood that Mataró, Mourvèdre and Monastrell were synonyms of the same grape.

Plate comparisons of grapevine leaves: From the Mission grape (top) and Petite Sirah (bottom), in 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Mourastel. Although there are plenty of early 1900s references to the Mourastel grape cultivated in California, the only use of this name found in textbooks today is in reference to the South-West French grape called Fer, for which Petit Mourastel is an even more obscure synonym. It was not until recently, thanks to DNA analysis, that identification of grape varieties has become more of an exact science. Up until then, the multitude of synonymous or similar names has often led to confusion, speculation or errant assumption, even when misrepresentation is given on good faith. Just to give you one example, in the early 2000s a good number of California vineyards were planted to a grape called Monastrell, a well known Spanish synonym for Mourvèdre (a.k.a., Mataró)—but not to be confused with the long discarded Mourastel, nor Moristel (the latter, a completely different Spanish grape). Although this particular selection of Monastrell was sourced from a reputable plant breeder in Portugal, it was found that the grape was neither a Monastrell nor any kind of variant of Mourvèdre, but in fact a Spanish grape called Graciano. Based upon descriptons in other early publications, Passalacqua believes that the "Mourastel" cited by Perelli-Minetti in the 1920s was, in fact, also a Graciano unbeknownst to the author. Foundation Plant Services originally released the misnomered Portuguese selection in 2007 as Monastrell. Following DNA testing, it was re-released in 2019 by its correct name, Graciano (FPS 08). Be as it may, growers who originally thought they had a clone of Mourvèdre (in commercial demand as a French "Rhône" grape) in their fields were suddenly forced to adjust to the fact that they have a Spanish grape—albeit one with plenty of its own positive attributes—on their hands. Since the late 1990s, as it were, Lodi's Bokisch Vineyards has developed a sterling reputation for its varietal Graciano—in this case, a cultivar correctly identified in the field from the very beginning.

Two shots of Petite Sirah with its typical hammer-like shoulder: Top, a recent photo of the grape in Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation; below, a plate from 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Petite Sirah. As recently as the mid-1990s, Petite Sirah was mistakenly believed in California to be a clonal variant of Syrah; and in fact, even today the variety is bottled as Petite Syrah by some wineries. In 1997 UC Davis established, once and for all, that almost all the Petite Sirah grown in California is identical to the variety known in France as Durif, an 1860s crossing of Peloursin and Syrah grapes attributed to a Montpellier, France botanist named François Durif. It has been speculated that the Durif grape was introduced to California as early as 1884, and almost immediately became known as Petite Sirah, most likely because it was thought to be a Syrah, and also because it was often interplanted with actual Syrah (and sometimes with its co-parent, Peloursin).

Two sides of the grape known as Blauer Portugieser: Top, from Lodi's Mokelumne Glen Vineyards; bottom, the plate for Portuguese Blue in 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

Portuguese Blue. Although this cannot be confirmed, based upon language alone (a dicey proposition when it comes to grape varieties), in all likelihood this is the same grape better known today as Blauer Portugieser—something of a misnomer in itself, since the grape of this name originated in either Hungary or Austria rather than in Portugal. Although the origin of its name is lost in time (probably in the 1700s), it has recently become more popular in Germany than anywhere else. While today it is almost unheard of in California, Blauer Portugieser is actually grown in Lodi's Mokelume Glen Vineyards, along with over 50 other grapes of German or Austrian origin.

Comparison of grapevine leaf size and morphology: Tempranillo (left) vs. Zinfandel (right), both samples grown in Mokelumne River-Lodi.

Valdepeñas. A grape far better known as Tempranillo, although listed by the USDA as Valdepeñas (a.k.a., Tinta Valdepeñas) for most of the twentieth century because clonal material of this grape disbursed throughout the state came from a University of California experimental station in the Foothills (in operation during the 1880s), which identified the selection as Valdepeñas rather than Tempranillo. It wasn't until 2000 that Foundation Plant Services conclusively confirmed that the plant material long known in California as Valdepeñas is a selection of Tempranillo. Among Lodi-based wineries, Tempranillo has become arguably the most popular varietal red wine after Zinfandel, although most of the plant material cultivated here has come from more recent selections imported from Spain by growers such as Bokisch Vineyards.

Two sides of classic California Zinfandel: Left, from an ancient vine (over 100 years old) Mokelumne River-Lodi growth; on right, the plate from 1929's "Black Juice Grape Varieties In California."

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Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=2A8B8987-98C7-2C8A-78E9-F3CF3E8EA2F1
Personal thoughts on the start of another new year (2024) in Lodi http://www.lodiwine.com/blog/Personal-thoughts-on-the-start-of-another-new-year--2024--in-Lodi

High wire trellised vines in December in Lodi's Jahant Viticultural Area.

I am not a Lodi native. I have, however, lived and worked in the appellation since 2010. I am looking forward to a fourteenth year in my adopted home.

For two weeks this past December (2023) I went back to my "roots," in the Hawaiian Islands. It was refreshing to see a lot of the old places and faces, and it also reminded me of why I now live in Lodi: Because it's real.

Like Hawaii, Lodi has its own facade; instead of mythical grass shacks and plastic hula skirts, the face of Lodi visible to most of the world is one of low priced wines made to cater to the usual expectations of mass market, supermarket products. Like Hawaii, there is a lot more to Lodi than that.

I recognized it, the first time Mark Chandler—Lodi's former mayor and the Executive Director of Lodi Winegrape Commission during its first 20 years (1991-2011)—introduced me to Lodi during a visit in 2002.

Mark Chandler checking the sugars during harvest in his Burlington Chandler Vineyard.

The first time I saw Lodi I was immediately reminded of vineyards in South-West France, a region known as Languedoc-Roussillon. For the longest time the Languedoc was known mostly for "ordinary" (or as the French say, vins ordinaire) wines, but anyone who has taken the time to explore this vast winegrowing region knows that there is much more to the Languedoc than that. It has its own share of utterly unique and fascinating vineyards, producing wines that are just as interesting—I'd say even great—as any in the world. "Great," that is, once you rearrange your perception of sensory qualities in terms of what constitutes greatness.

But for me, it wasn't so much the underdog status attached to regions such as Lodi and Languedoc-Roussillon, it was the actual physical profile of Lodi that reminded me of the latter. Both are large and wide ranging, and both blessed with a warm, consistent Mediterranean climate.

Then there are the old vines. As in Lodi, most of Languedoc is planted to younger vines, routinely replaced after 25, 30, 40 years at the most. In the course of my previous career as a sommelier/restaurateur, I started going to the Languedoc because I was also attracted to many of its older vine growths. The proof, to me, that this was an ideal wine region was that it had an extremely healthy environment, or terroir if you will, that allowed grapevines to grow to an extremely old age, if so desired. Old vines don't exist without an environment highly conducive to it.

Lodi, I immediately saw, had more old vines than anywhere else in California—the entire U.S., for that matter. Old vine viticulture is so much a part of Lodi culture, it positively exudes and celebrates it. Even if, for the longest time, the vast majority of consumers could take it or leave.

The author in his adopted home, among ancient vines in Lodi.

As a career wine professional, though, the presence of old vines told me one thing: Lodi is an ideal wine region because it has an extremely healthy environment, or terroir if you will. It was just a matter of highlighting that part, which I finally a chance to be help do once I moved over in 2010.

What was also clear to me from the first is the fact that Lodi, more than any other wine region on the West Coast, is more of winegrowing region than it is a winery region. Vineyards, not so much wineries, come first in Lodi. 

When you think of it, one of the oldest sayings in the wine world is that "great wine is made in the vineyard." This doesn't mean you don't need wineries or winemakers. It just means that a talented winemaker, or a first rate production company, has a built-in advantage when the grapes they choose are sourced from great vineyards. 

I love the fact that Lodi is all about vineyards. As such, all about farmers.

In wine regions, the goal of farmers is to cultivate grapevines with a balance of leaf canopy and fruit that produces healthy grapes with an ideal degree of ripeness and flavor. To achieve that, they look for their own built-in advantage: an ideal vineyard site with a combination of soil, climate and overall topography that gives them the highest percentage chance of producing healthy vines and optimal quality fruit. 

Aaron Shinn, one of many Lodi winegrowers who can trace his farming roots in the region as far back as the 1800s.

Many winegrowers still ascribe these natural factors to the blessings of Mother Nature. When you plant a vineyard in a place naturally conducive to grapevines, you are respecting Nature. She certainly has the last say when it comes to weather patterns, which have as much impact on the quality of grapes and resulting wines as site conditions. 

The French use a multifaceted definition of terroir, or "sense of place," to describe the role of vineyards in the quality of wines that ends up in the bottle. Nature has her say, but vineyard management still comes down to decisions made by humans—making the right choice on where and what to plant, and making the right decisions on how to farm, from the precise point and angle in which a cane is pruned to the exact number of leaves that are pulled to prompt optimal ripeness and productivity of a grape bunch. Terroir is Nature working hand in hand with people.

That said, sensory expressions of terroir are perceptible whenever natural attributes of vineyards are allowed to transpire in a bottle. Because the vast majority of commercial wines are made to express brands, the personal styles of vintners or standardized conceptions of varietal character, there has been a recent opinion circling around the industry and even academic circles that terroir no longer matters—that it may not even exist. And if it does, that it exists primarily as a marketing tool of elitist elements of the wine industry in the interest of perpetuating mythical hierarchies of regions, individual growths or producers.

Louis Abba Jr., a third generation Lodi grower who has seen the region shift from large scale cooperative wineries to premium winemaking, including handcraft producers focused on expressions of terroir in the bottle—adding to the value of his family-owned vineyards..

Much of that is true. Terroir is neither here nor there in most commercial wines, and the wine industry has always been replete with myths. Anything having to do with sales and marketing verges on the mythical. Even when we are well aware of it, we buy many if not most products of the basis of mystique rather than fact or practicality.

Think about it: When a wine enthusiast buys a $200 wine, he or she is well aware that it is not 20 times better than a $20 wine. You may be voluntarily submitting to economic rules of scarcity, but you are also buying into a myth as much as a wine. Whatever floats your boat.

Regions such as Lodi and Languedoc-Roussillon exist, on the other hand, because of one simple fact: These are good places to grow wine grapes. The terroir, at least on a physical level, is favorable. The actual taste of terroir may not be a factor in most wines coming out of these regions, but there are enough handcrafted bottlings—produced to express attributes of vineyards rather than brands or grape profiles—to know that terroir, as distinctive sensory attributes, exists as much in a Lodi or Languedoc wine as it does in wines from, say, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa Valley or Willamette Valley

Slowly but surely, Lodi is developing a generalized reputation for soft, fragrant, fresh fruit driven yet effortlessly balanced styles of wine, very much an expression of the appellation's Mediterranean climate and fecund soils. Internationally distributed homegrown Lodi brands such as Michael David Winery, Klinker Brick Winery and LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards have made these sensory profiles their stock and trade.

Maxime Magnon, a South-West French vignerons (i.e., grower/producer) known for wines produced from vines over 100 years old in the appellation of Corbières. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant.

The world may also be "coming to Lodi" because, more than ever, many wine lovers are looking for the term "Old Vine" on wine labels. In fact, the finest old vine wines from Lodi do not even say "Old Vine" on the label. Instead, they display names of individual vineyards, which is implicit of the entire old vine concept and its emerging value in the minds of consumers, while very much falling into the age-old tradition of appreciating wines according to "sense of place."

Naming a vineyard is like a declaration that a wine is supposed to taste like the vineyard it comes from—especially true for an old vine planting.

Although the concept of "Old Vine" is also a marketing term that is still unregulated in wine regions around the world, the use of the description strongly suggests that the grapes going into a bottling come from vineyards consisting of older vines. In California, for instance, it is vineyards with vines over 50 years old that are generally, even if unofficially, considered "Old Vine." 

There is a 501(c)(3) organization called Historic Vineyard Society that recognizes California vineyards consisting of large proportions (at least one-third) of vines over 50 years old. As of 2024, there are over 200 California vineyards certified by Historic Vineyard Society, although there are undoubtedly more than three times that number that are still unrecognized (application for HVS certification is voluntary).

Ancient vine Carignan (planted in 1909) on the east side of Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA.

The cachet of old vines is that these are plants that have grown old enough—many HVS vineyards were first planted as long ago as the 1850s and early 1900s (hence, their "historic" significance)—to have developed deep rooting systems, and trunks, arms or spurs that are strong enough to draw a maximum amount of sap and nutrients from the ground. Therefore, it is no coincidence that vineyards that have thrived for over 50 years in one place also happen to sit on the best possible sites for grapevines.

This past year (2023), the world has also seen the emergence of a UK-based Old Vine Registry which, like Historic Vineyard Society, endeavors to recognize and preserve old vine growths (defined by OVR as vineyards over 30 years old), only on an international scale.

In France, where viticulture dates back to the Roman Empire (27 BC-AD 395), old vine wines are designated as Vielles Vignes. Winegrowing is just as old in Germany, but there are no designations for old vines on German wine labels. However, the finest German vineyards located along the banks of the Mosel and Rheingau rivers are known to have large proportions of grapevines over 50 or even 100 years old. In Spain, there is a prospective Vina Vieja organization that is just beginning to celebrate the prestige of old vines. In these countries, appreciation of old vines is considered a priori—it goes without saying that they can produce the finest wines.

In Australia, there is a Barossa Valley Old Vine Charter that recognizes old vines in four categories: "Old Vine" (at least 35 years old), "Survivor Vine" (70 years),  Centenarian Vine (100 years), and " Ancestor Vine" (125 years). Very recently, South Africa has started its own Old Vine Project, dedicated to safeguarding vineyards over 35 years old like the national treasures they are.

Greg and Leonard Manassero, third and fourth generation Lodi growers, with old vine Grenache (planted in the late 1930s).

Not surprisingly, the oldest vine plantings in both Old World and New World countries consist of grape varieties that are the most ideally suited to their respective environments. In Germany, it is Riesling; in France, grapes such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc. In California Zinfandel was recognized as the most suitable cultivar for the state's Mediterranean climate as early as the 1850s. Therefore, most old vine vineyards in California are planted to Zinfandel, although there are other grapes of Mediterranean origin (such as Carignan, Cinsaut and Mourvèdre) found in California's historic vineyards.

Make no mistake, great wine can also be made from young vines. Napa Valley is considered California's most prestigious appellation, and the average age of Napa Valley vineyards—planted mostly to French grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot—is under 20 years. Younger vines have a distinct advantage in terms of yields, and larger crop loads translates into higher profit. Wine in California, after all, is an $88 billion industry, and just as much a make-or-break business as any other.

Therefore, old vine plantings around the world will always be a distinct minority. They may produce wines of ideal quality, highly expressive of the terroir of their respective regions, but it takes a special dedication on the part of growers, wineries and producers to value a vineyard's quality, character and history as much as sheer profitability. Given a choice between cultivating highly profitable young vines or marginally profitable old vines, most of the wine industry obviously chooses profit.

Winter mullein among old vines in the Mokelumne River-Lodi appellation.

Lodi growers, you might have also heard, have practically defined contemporary concepts associated with sustainability as it relates to viticulture. To a Lodi grower's mind, profitability and sustainability are one and the same. Without profit, you cannot live to plant another day; without sustainable practices, there is no profit. And to wine lovers the world over, the perceived value of bottlings in terms of sustainability, biodiversity, and preservation of the history of vineyards are more important than ever.

The more you know and appreciate wines, the more you care about their provenence as plants; and every day, consumers care more and more.

I have been making a living buying, selling, constantly thinking and writing about wine for over 45 years. I, too, take something of an sustainable attitude towards the profession. I feel that if I am not doing my part by publicly helping to define what it is about wine that should be real or significant to everyone, I might as well find another way to spend my time. Maybe something more relaxing, like lying on a beach in Hawaii.

I am not quite ready for those beaches. Not while wines from Lodi have yet to get their full due. Sure, they are alcoholic beverages like any other. They are also good enough to stimulate the intellect, a collective sense of history and aesthetics, and appeal to universal cravings for distinctive, often surprising, sensory experiences. 

There is still so much more to talk about Lodi.

2023 Assyrtiko harvest in the Perlegos family's Clements Hills-Lodi vineyard.

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Tue, 02 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.lodiwine.com/index.cfm?method=blog.blogdrilldown&blogentryid=C6B7D6A5-F974-C86E-8F86-8E41890817DF