Mexican-American Lodi Thanksgiving with Vinedos Aurora’s Anaya family

The Anaya family: Gerardo, Don Victor (grandfather), Armando, Leticia, Ramon and Victor Jr.

Thanksgiving is a special day for the Anaya family, who own and farm 90 acres of top quality wine grapes in Lodi's Clements Hills AVA. They also own Viñedos Aurora – a winery that has become one of Lodi's brightest new stars since the release of their first vintage (2009s), a little less than three years ago.

Nov 21, 2013 at 12:07 PM Permalink

Liquid sweets to top a perfect Thanksgiving

The perfect Thanksgiving finish: d’Art Port

The holidays are the one time of year when it's "okay" to cut loose with all your favorite dishes; complimented, of course, by terrific wine…

Including great sweet wines to enjoy with desserts – who doesn't love that? Your Aunt Gladys and Uncle Boyd, your brother the wine geek, your sister the foodie, mom who loves everything and dad who always proclaims "I know what I like" but still can't remember what he had last week – they all love the smaller sized bottlings winemakers probably work the hardest to craft: sweet dessert wines.

Nov 19, 2013 at 12:13 PM Permalink

For Lodi’s newest winemaker, a bouquet of floral grapes and possibilities

Elyse Egan Perry in Bokisch’s Liberty Oaks Vineyards

One of Lodi's newest winemakers – so new, she doesn't officially start working for Bokisch Vineyards until this coming December 2 – is already showing a magic touch with Lodi grown grapes. A touch that grew out of a long and steady pursuit of her passion – first for unusually aromatic wines, and then for turning aromatic grapes into her own unusual wines.

Nov 13, 2013 at 12:38 PM Permalink

Lodi positioned to ride the growing passion for Petite Sirah

Phillips Farms Petite Sirah (grown for Michael David Winery)

While American wine lovers are familiar with Syrah – often sold as Shiraz on Australian labels – the popularity of this grape as a varietal red wine has been on a notable wane in recent years.

Petite Sirah, on the other hand, has become more popular than ever. It is not the same grape as Syrah: it is a crossing of two grapes, Syrah and Peloursin, originally developed in Southern France in the 1880s, and introduced to California shortly thereafter (about 1884). Although wine connoisseurs have always considered Syrah to be the far greater of the two grapes, many American consumers now prefer Petite Sirah over Syrah.

Nov 12, 2013 at 12:45 PM Permalink Comments (1)

In praise of untannic reds (especially for Julia Child’s French burgers!)

2013 Zinfandel harvest at Jessie’s Grove Winery

In a recent article appearing in Decanter – a U.K. based publication that bills itself as the "world's best wine magazine" (and perhaps it is) – a critic named Andrew Jefford related a recent experience comparing two red wines made from the same grape (Tannat), one from Lodi and one from South-West France:

Nov 6, 2013 at 2:08 PM Permalink

Ancient winemaking, taste of a place, and luscious Zinfandel beef stew

This wood basket press, utilized by Lodi's McCay Cellars, is of the same basic design used by winemakers for nearly 1500 years

There is a memorable story in Cervantes' Don Quixote, told by the character of the faithful Sancho Panza, concerning the great wine connoisseurs in his family; particularly, two on his father's side who were once challenged to identify an anonymous wine from a barrel.

The first one brought the wine to the tip of his tongue, and declared the flavor of iron. The second one just needed to pass it under his nose before declaring a stronger flavor of cordovan leather. The owner of the wine protested, however, saying his wine was perfectly clean, with no trace of iron or leather; but later, the men find, at the bottom of the barrel of the wine in question, there was a lost key made of iron attached to a cord of leather.

Oct 31, 2013 at 3:17 PM Permalink

The mystery of Zinfandel, part 2 – the long strange trip from… somewhere

Maley Vineyards Zinfandel (west side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA) with telltale corkscrew-twisting spurs typical of vines grafted to St. George rootstocks

Continuation from The Mystery of Zinfandel, part 1 - a plot as thick as the wine

Oct 29, 2013 at 4:22 PM Permalink

The mystery of Zinfandel, part 1: a plot as thick as the wine

Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel; east side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA

For the longest time, Zinfandel was known as California's "mystery grape." It has also been long considered an “all-American” varietal; since as far as anyone knew, Zinfandel wasn't grown anywhere else in the world. Make that “all-California,” because virtually all of it is grown in the state of California – and most of that, in the American Viticultural Area of Lodi.

Oct 23, 2013 at 4:56 PM Permalink

The new Macchia Primitivo — the milder, smoother identical twin of Zinfandel

Maley Vineyards Primitivo in 2013: note long clusters and uniform sized berries

Macchia Wines, which produces more single-vineyard Zinfandels than any other winery in Lodi, has just released their first-ever bottling of Primitivo: the 2012 Macchia Lodi Primitivo ($24) – a full bodied yet smooth, mildly tart edged red wine that has something of an "Italian" feel in its bright, upbeat, drink-me-with-food qualities. But like a good Zinfandel, this Primitivo is teeming with sun kissed berryish fruit; tinged with sweet peppercorn spice, and subtle touches of cedarwood-ish oak.

Oct 17, 2013 at 5:12 PM Permalink

2013 Zinfandel harvest nearing end, with a little bit of drama

Piles of discarded Zinfandel clusters next to 97-year old Kirschenmann vines

Lodi grows a greater variety of grapes than any other wine region in California, but Zinfandel is still the specialty – the pièce de resistance. Tegan Passalacqua, the grower/winemaker of Turley Wine Cellars, manages his company’s Zinfandel plantings in Lodi, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, as well as Contra Costa and Amador County. So it's safe to say that he's seen a lot, and has a very broad perspective.

Oct 14, 2013 at 5:50 PM Permalink