Best Lodi Wine Country photos of 2013 (part 1)

January 2013: Silvaspoons Vineyards’ Ron Silva talks about what it’s all about (grape growing, handcraft wine and artisanal cheese)

Out of the thousands of photos we take of Lodi Wine Country each year, we do have our favorites: photos that express the vivid realness, sense of family and heritage, the heroism, and sheer joy of Lodi grown wines, vines, and good times.

Dec 30, 2013 at 10:44 AM Permalink

The 10 most interesting blogs of 2013

Late December 2013: just-pruned old vine Zinfandel on Lodi’s west side

What are the lodiwine.com blogposts from the past twelve months that we love best? Those would be the ones that explain exactly what makes Lodi AVA grown wines different from wines grown elsewhere in the world.

Make no mistake: with more than 80 bonded wineries in Lodi today (more than twice as much as just ten years ago), we are seeing more handcrafted, premium quality wines with Lodi on the label than ever before. As a result, we are also starting to see more wines distinguished by sensory qualities unique to this American Viticultural Area — something that went largely unnoticed up until recently.

Dec 27, 2013 at 11:15 AM Permalink

The Ripken family’s “road less travelled” Christmas

The Ripken family (from left): Ryan Ripken; Nathan Lee Ripken; Emily Kolber Ripken; Reuben Jonah Ripken; Simon Oliver Kolber; Madelyn Ripken Kolber; Sadie Violet Kolber; Ben Kolber; Simon Oliver Kolver; Susan Ripken; Matthew Hurst; Nancy and Richard Ripken

Ripken Vineyards & Winery – one of Lodi's largest and most important growers – actually became a bonded winery because owner Richard "Rip" Ripken loved to play Santa Claus every year.

Dec 20, 2013 at 11:33 AM Permalink

Choosing Lodi’s top Zinfandels by style, not someone else’s opinion

Recent gathering of top Lodi Zinfandel specialists at Mohr-Fry Ranch: (from left) Layne Montgomery (m2); Stuart Spencer (St. Amant); Bruce Fry (Mohr-Fry); Joe Maley (Maley Brothers); Jerry Fry (Mohr-Fry); Mike McCay (McCay Cellars); Tim Holdener (Macchia); Ryan Sherman (Fields Family); Chad Joseph (Harney Lane, Maley Brothers, and other wineries)

It's the same for all wine regions that become known for certain wines… be it Napa Valley for Cabernet Sauvignon; Sonoma, Santa Barbara or Willamette Valley for Pinot Noir; or Lodi for Zinfandel: choosing what is "best" becomes more a matter of personal taste or preference.

Dec 18, 2013 at 11:56 AM Permalink

Italian Christmas traditions with Sorelle’s Scott family

The Scott/Caporusso clan: Joanne, Melissa, Emma (Melissa’s baby with husband Garret Ulmer), Kim and Mike

For the Scott family, who own and operate Sorelle Winery – one of Lodi's most successful wineries in recent years – family is everything, and that's the way they celebrate the Christmas season as well.

Dec 16, 2013 at 12:14 PM Permalink

Why Petite Sirah kills with drunken pot roast (with peppercorns and juniper)

Petite Sirah harvest in Lodi’s Vinedos Aurora estate

We're on a roll, so we're going to continue our culinary ruminations on Lodi grown wines.

A lot of wine lovers are not so partial to Petite Sirah in warm months, and who can blame them? Red wines made from Petite Sirah – a grape technically known as Durif (named for the French scientist who crossed Syrah and Peloursin grapes to develop his namesake variety at the end of the nineteenth century) – are pretty much the opposite of "light" or "breezy." Not the easy-going type of wine normally associated with summer.

Dec 12, 2013 at 1:59 PM Permalink

Cold weather culinary partners – Tempranillo and saffroned lamb shanks

Tempranillo at veraison (Silvaspoons Vineyards, Lodi’s Alta Mesa AVA)

As cold weather continues to drive us into the kitchen, now is as good a time as any to talk about one of the most culinary wines of all: red wines made from the Tempranillo grape.

There's something about Tempranillo — its earthy subtlety combined with rich flavors and supple texturing — that makes a wine lover hungry, especially for earthy, stewy, slow cooked, cozy, cold weather foods.

Dec 10, 2013 at 10:51 AM Permalink

Reliving Merlot, classic chicken paprika, and Maya’s passionate talk in Sideways

Merlot grapes in Vicarmont Vineyards

Days are shorter, darker, gloomier. So it's always something of a relief that the holidays are also upon us: we're cheered colorful, twinkling lights, sounds like the opening notes of Jingle Bell Rock, smells of cooking spices emanating from the kitchen, and the rich, velvety taste of a good red wine.

Dec 4, 2013 at 11:05 AM Permalink