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.
Lodi wines compared to Texas wines, hats and cattle
Jeremy Wilson – a sommelier who writes the Texas Wine Lover site and lives in the officially recognized Texas Hill Country AVA (approved in 1991), where he works for Kuhlman Cellars – recently wrote to us, telling us that he believes the Lodi AVA has a lot in common with the Texas wine industry.
Continue »Lodi wines in the news in 2014
As we come to the end of another year in Lodi wine country, let's look back at some of the highlights of 2014 gleaned through widely read wine publications and blog sites.
Continue »Estate Crush is Downtown Lodi’s one-stop for numerous finely crafted brands
Attention, last-minute Lodi wine shoppers: Caught in the usual pre-Christmas time crunch? Then we have the perfect one-stop, direct-from-the-source solution for you: Downtown Lodi's Estate Crush.
Continue »Match made for December: Twisted Roots Petite Sirah & rosemary lamb shanks
You can look at the increasingly short, dark, dreary days of December in two different ways: as a doggoned shame, or as the perfect excuse to enjoy the type of wines and foods that these days call for.
Mike Hodge, co-owner of Twisted Roots Vineyard & Winery, has the perfect prescription for those who choose the positive course: the 2011 Twisted Roots Lodi Petite Sirah ($25) with rosemary lamb shanks. (Twisted Roots multi-award winning wines are available locally at Downtown Lodi's Estate Crush).
Continue »A Lodi wine lover’s wish list: Lodi’s 12 most adventurous wines
Is there a wiser wine lover than a Lodi wine lover?
Lodi is just beginning to forge its reputation as a source of some America's finest, and most cutting-edge, wines. Many of the leading producers in this respect have been around for less than ten, fifteen years.
Continue »Three things that matter (when getting the most out of wine)
GETTING SOME FUN OUT OF WINE
When most of us enjoy our wine, we don't like to think about it too much. We don't need to ooh and ah over the "bouquet," and we don't need to take tiny sips and roll the wine in our mouth for 60 seconds before pronouncing it good.
Continue »How to be your own judge of good wine
Burgundy, schmurgundy
I started out on Burgundy but soon hit the harder stuff. Not really. But that line from one of Bob Dylan's classic old songs (Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues) always sounded great.
Continue »A French style Thanksgiving in Lodi (with Provence style leg of lamb)
How does a French winemaker named Franck Lambert, with his India-born wife Rekha, celebrate Thanksgiving here in Lodi?
Monsieur Lambert was born in Southern France and educated at University of Montpellier (where he attained a Master's degree in winemaking). He has been a quiet but influential part of the Lodi winemaking community over the past 12 years.
Continue »Three reasons why you should open a Lodi Zinfandel on National Zinfandel Day
This coming Wednesday, November 19, 2014 is National Zinfandel Day.
We know, we know: there's a day for everything these days. But National Zinfandel Day holds significance in Lodi because:
Continue »Having a Lodi Thanksgiving
LET YOUR TURKEY BE YOUR THANKSGIVING WINE GUIDE
Is there anything more American than turkey for Thanksgiving, with all the extra delectable accoutrements?
Continue »