Ursa Vineyards discovers Basque roots in Lodi grown Tannat

Ursa Vineyards winemaker/proprietor Deborah Elissagaray

 Ursa Vineyards is made up of the husband and wife winemaking team of Greg Stokes and Deborah Elissagaray, who founded their own winery in the Sierra Foothills sub-AVA of El Dorado in 2001.

Yet a large part of Stokes and Elissagary’s book comes from grapes grown by Ron Silva of Silvaspoons Vineyards, located in Lodi’s Alta Mesa AVA.  Particularly one that pays homage to Ms. Ellisagaray’s Basque heritage:  the black skinned grape called Tannat.  They also produce varietals from Silvaspoons grown grapes of Portuguese origin; including Verdelho for white wine, and Souzão for a smooth, bouncy table red as well as a sweet Port style red...

Mar 1, 2012 at 2:26 PM Permalink

Premier grower Leland Noma says “it’s a great time to be a farmer in Lodi”

Leland Noma, in one of his classic old head trained Zinfandel vineyrds

Leland Noma, says Tim Holdener, winemaker/proprietor of Macchia Wines, “is one of Lodi’s premier growers… always agreeable, and a really good partner.”  Holdener adds that Noma also grows “some of the highest priced grapes in Lodi,” but he’s not complaining.  Especially when you consider the consistently award winning acclaim Noma’s grapes have won for Macchia:  particularly for Holdener’s Outrageous Zinfandel – sourced from a shining relic of a 100+ year old vineyard farmed by Noma along Victor Road, just east of the town of Lodi – as well as for a Barbera supplied from a 42 year old vineyard kept on something of life support by Noma’s stubborn labors...

Feb 28, 2012 at 9:31 AM Permalink

The story continues: Lodi’s magical Bechthold Vineyard

Tegan Passlacqua (left) and Christina Turley of Turley Wine Cellars, harvesting Bechthold Cinsault

Part 2 – Why Lodi’s Bechthold Cinsault may be the “future” of wine

The well known phenomenon of “old vines” is, first of all, the fact that they tend to produce more intense wines because older vines naturally set lower crops.  Bechthold Vineyard, planted in 1886, is as old as it gets for Lodi – an American Viticultural Area replete with vines planted prior to 1960 (although the label designation “old vines” is unregulated, for our purposes what we call old vines would be vineyards with vines planted over 50 years ago — but there is more, much more, to the story...

Feb 22, 2012 at 9:02 AM Permalink

Lodi’s oldest existing vines: the magical Bechthold Vineyard

Wanda Woock Bechthold, Lodi's Renaissance woman

Part 1 – The rediscovery of a diamond in the Delta mists

Tegan Passalacqua, the vineyard manager of the esteemed Turley Wine Cellars, calls it “one of the last of the great dry farmed vineyards in Lodi.” Jillian Phoenix, the former winemaker of Bonny Doon Vineyard and current winemaker/co-owner of Phoenix Ranch in Napa Valley, calls it “a magical vineyard” planted to Cinsault grapes that are “by far the most interesting I have ever worked with in California.” Bonny Doon’s famed owner, Randall Grahm, calls the vineyard “the future of California wine… if people can ever become civilized.”

Feb 20, 2012 at 8:55 AM Permalink

Lodi’s memorable 2012 Wine & Chocolate Weekend

Good times during Wine & Chocolate Weekend at Klinker Brick Winery...

Nearly 5,000 lovers of love, life, chocolate and all the variations of lush, juicy Lodi wine cannot be wrong about Lodi’s Wine & Chocolate Weekend this past weekend, February 11-12, 2012.

Just four of the many vinous and chocolate infused highlights that were enjoyed...

Feb 13, 2012 at 8:49 AM Permalink

Oak Ridge is all about Lodi heart (and spice!)

The Oak Ridge Winery tasting room (housed in Tank No. 150)

If we told you that there is a successful 300,000 case Lodi winery owned by some of this American Viticultural Area’s oldest families, producing wines that are flying off store shelves across the U.S. as well as in European countries like Sweden, then you might say, “yep, Michael-David sure has grown.”

Feb 8, 2012 at 8:36 AM Permalink

What chocolates go with Lodi’s dry red wines?

Raw, pre-fermented cacao seeds and nibs

On the cusp of Lodi Wine Country’s upcoming Wine & Chocolate Weekend (this weekend, February 11-12, 2012), it behooves us to talk about a favorite subject:  the ideal wines for drinking with chocolates.

One the best and easiest wine matches in the world is sweet red wine – fortified sweet reds like Port and late harvest style Zinfandels – with chocolates.  The commonality of sweetness is why this pairing is a classic; but another reason is because, in their raw form, both red wines and chocolates have bitter elements at their core...

Feb 6, 2012 at 8:30 AM Permalink

Harney Lane’s historic Lizzy James has a sister!

Harney Lane's Kyle Lerner in Lizzy James Vineyard, Jan. 2012

Since its inception in 2008, Harney Lane Winery has shot up the proverbial charts of Lodi wine lovers with hit after hit of outstanding Lodi grown wines.

A flowery fresh Albariño, a first class barrel fermented style of Chardonnay, a velvet lined leather glove-y Tempranillo, and a cigar blast of a Petite Sirah have all found favor among Harney Lane aficionados; but it is Zinfandel – Lodi’s heritage grape – that still anchors the brand...

Feb 2, 2012 at 8:17 AM Permalink

Livin’ LoCA at ZAP

ZAP's spectactular 2012 Grand Tasting venue at The Concourse

The yearly Grand Tasting put on by the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (i.e. ZAP) in San Francisco turned 21 this past Saturday, January 28:  that is to say, after over two decades, it’s matured into one of the grandest, most bodacious yet, if you can believe it, most civilized wine events in the country.

A new venue at The Concourse certainly helped.  Close to 8,000 true-blue and purple teethed zin lovers strolled through the length of this south-of-Market building’s 125,000 square feet of spectacularly skylighted heights, rich wood and exposed brick walls (this 8^th & Brannan exhibition center was carved out of an old train station)...

Jan 30, 2012 at 7:54 AM Permalink

Mom always loved Sorelle’s Primitivo best

The Sorelle estate in January, with the historic Dodge House (built 1866)

Another one of the Lodi American Viticultural Area’s gold medal winners at the prestigious 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition was the 2009 Sorelle, Manna Ranch Reserve Lodi Primitivo ($27):  a round, fleshy, velvety, medium bodied red, inundated with vibrant, smoke tinged raspberry and black cherry aromas, unimpeded by moderate, pliant tannin...

Jan 26, 2012 at 7:52 AM Permalink