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.
Historic Vineyard Society tasting of Lodi’s rarest wines headlines 2015 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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Apr 29, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Lodi Zinfandel gets some “pizazz” from a Sonoma producer
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.
Continue » Apr 24, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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Klinker Brick aligns with two bold women-growers
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.
Continue » Apr 21, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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2015 Lodi ZinFest – more fun than a barrel of floating winemakers!
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!
Continue » Apr 15, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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White Zinfandel is back, and better (when seriously dry) than ever!
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!
Continue » Apr 6, 2015 at 8:00 AM
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The Mokelumne River Viticultural Area (part 3) – Grapes, ungrafted vines, rags to riches
February pruning of 100-year old, own-rooted Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel
Continued from: The Mokelumne River Viticultural Area (part 1 and part 2)
Continue » Apr 1, 2015 at 1:17 PM
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