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Letters from Lodi

An insightful and objective look at viticulture and winemaking from the Lodi
Appellation and the growers and vintners behind these crafts. Told from the
perspective of multi-award winning wine journalist, Randy Caparoso.

Randy Caparoso
 
April 29, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

Historic Vineyard Society tasting of Lodi’s rarest wines headlines 2015 ZinFest Wine School

ZinFest Wine School

ZinFest Wine School

Everybody loves a luscious Zinfandel, Lodi's signature wine, but Lodi ZinFest has always been about a lot more than Zinfandel. It's been about all the fascinating wines – from light and refreshing white and pink wines, to a joyful variety of savory reds – grown in this, the most widely planted American Viticultural Area in the U.S.

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Time Posted: Apr 29, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Randy Caparoso
 
April 24, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

Lodi Zinfandel gets some “pizazz” from a Sonoma producer

2012 Carol Shelton Piazza Vineyard Pizazz Zin Lodi Zinfandel

2012 Carol Shelton Piazza Vineyard Pizazz Zin Lodi Zinfandel

What happens when a critically acclaimed Sonoma County based Zinfandel producer gets her hands on some Lodi grown fruit?

You get a wine like the newly minted 2012 Carol Shelton Piazza Vineyard Pizazz Zin Lodi Zinfandel ($19): a plump, verging on opulent, almost lascivious style of the varietal; teeming with cherry-bombish fruit coated in nostril tingling cocoa dust and almost piña colada-like sensations.

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Time Posted: Apr 24, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Randy Caparoso
 
April 21, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

Klinker Brick aligns with two bold women-growers

Lodi grower Jean Rauser among her 106-year old Carignan plants

Lodi grower Jean Rauser among her 109-year old Carignan plants

Special red wines grown by Lodi's Jean Rauser and Antoinette Celle

Klinker Brick Winery owner Steve Felten has recently aligned his farming operations with two of Lodi's more enterprising women-growers: Jean Rauser, the owner of Rauser Vineyard in the Victor area, east of the town of Lodi; and Antoinette Celle, owner of Celle Vineyard located at the southernmost edge of the Lodi Viticultural Area, near Linden.

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Time Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Randy Caparoso
 
April 15, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

2015 Lodi ZinFest – more fun than a barrel of floating winemakers!

2015 ZinFest poster

2015 ZinFest poster

Where does the time go? Don’t look now, but the 2015 Lodi ZinFest Wine Festival is just 30 days away — happening this coming Saturday, May 16 (12-5 PM)!

Simply put, Lodi wine doesn’t get any funner than this yearly affair, taking place in the gorgeously lush “island” setting of Lodi Lake Park, amidst giant ancient weeping willows bowing beside blue refreshing waters of the Mokelumne River. Also as in previous years, over 40 of Lodi’s finest artisanal wineries will be pouring over 200 different Lodi grown wines — and not just Zinfandel!

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Time Posted: Apr 15, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Randy Caparoso
 
April 6, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

White Zinfandel is back, and better (when seriously dry) than ever!

McCay Cellar Lodi Appellation White Zinfandel

McCay Cellar Lodi Appellation White Zinfandel

The crying of Lot 13

Don't look now, but White Zinfandel may be back, and better than ever!

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Time Posted: Apr 6, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Randy Caparoso
 
April 1, 2015 | Randy Caparoso

The Mokelumne River Viticultural Area (part 3) – Grapes, ungrafted vines, rags to riches

February pruning of 100-year old, own-rooted Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel

February pruning of 100-year old, own-rooted Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel

Continued from: The Mokelumne River Viticultural Area (part 1 and part 2)

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Time Posted: Apr 1, 2015 at 1:17 PM
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