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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
 
May 10, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Rous Vineyard’s immaculate perfection, with help from St. George

Craig Rous with his 103 year old zin vines

One of Lodi’s most highly regarded Zinfandel growths over the past dozen or so years has been the 10 acre vineyard owned and meticulously farmed by Craig Rous.  Rous Vineyard is located in the heart of the “eastside” of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA – a level pocket of some 30 feet of porous sandy loam soil, built up by millenniums of overflow from this major waterway, pushing down from the Sierra Nevadas – and Mr. Rous himself holds the position of Director of Operations & Planning of the Kautz family’s Bear Creek Winery...

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Time Posted: May 10, 2012 at 9:26 AM Permalink to Rous Vineyard’s immaculate perfection, with help from St. George Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
May 7, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

The chefs’ slate at 2012 ZinFest Cooking School

 

It’s all about foods we love to eat with Lodi’s lush, juicy wines under the 2012 ZinFest Cooking School tent this coming May 19 in Lodi Lake Park.

The Cooking School will start off at 1 PM with Chef Fabrice Dubuc of Wine & Roses Hotel, Restaurant & Spa – which has been rated among the Top 10 Most Romantic Inns by American Historic Inns – who will be demonstrating the pissaladiere of his native Southern France...

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Time Posted: May 7, 2012 at 9:22 AM Permalink to The chefs’ slate at 2012 ZinFest Cooking School Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
May 3, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Ironstone’s astounding Petite Sirah from little known Sloughhouse appellation

Ironstone's Sloughhouse AVA Petite Sirah vineyard

Of the seven sub-appellations – officially called American Viticultural Areas (i.e. AVAs) – within the greater Lodi AVA, the Sloughhouse AVA (officially recognized in 2006) is among the least known, despite its incredible potential...

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Time Posted: May 3, 2012 at 9:17 AM Permalink to Ironstone’s astounding Petite Sirah from little known Sloughhouse appellation Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
May 1, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Experience terroir, the cutting-edge, chocolates & cheese at ZinFest Wine School

ZinFest wine lovers enjoying their day in Lodi Lake Park

There will be some fascinating 30 minute seminars offered at the 2012 Lodi ZinFest, taking place underneath the Wine School tent.  You can...

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Time Posted: May 1, 2012 at 9:13 AM Permalink to Experience terroir, the cutting-edge, chocolates & cheese at ZinFest Wine School Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
April 26, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Celebrate Lodi spring with 2011s & 50 salads at Wine & Roses

 

This Sunday, April 29, 2012, Wine & Roses – Lodi’s premier hotel, restaurant and spa destination – will host its first annual Spring of The Vine.  Or as Wine & Roses’ French born Chef Didier Gerbi puts it, Le Printemps des Vins...

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Time Posted: Apr 26, 2012 at 8:59 AM Permalink to Celebrate Lodi spring with 2011s & 50 salads at Wine & Roses Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
April 24, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Exotic wines, lush Delta & words from the Grape Goddess at 2012 ZinFest

 

Why have more and more wine lovers been flocking to Lodi’s ZinFest Wine Festival, a yearly celebration taking place this year on Saturday, May 19, 2012 (12-5 PM)?  More than 6,000 attended last year’s festival, yet amazingly…

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Time Posted: Apr 24, 2012 at 8:55 AM Permalink to Exotic wines, lush Delta & words from the Grape Goddess at 2012 ZinFest Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
April 20, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

How Lodi caused Odisea’s “Temporary Insanity”

Odisea's Adam Webb with Jean Rauser, in her 103 year old Lodi Carigane vineyard

I fought against the bottle
But I had to do it drunk…
- Leonard Cohen (That Don’t Make It Junk)

The 2009 Odisea California Temporary Insanity ($30) is a perfect example of how some of California’s most original, and quixotic, wine producers get hooked on Lodi; and why winemakers consider this American Viticultural Area increasingly where it’s at when it comes to winegrowing derring-do...

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Time Posted: Apr 20, 2012 at 8:52 AM Permalink to How Lodi caused Odisea’s “Temporary Insanity” Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
April 17, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

LangeTwins’ SLEWS project: waking up to smell the mugwort

Mature oaks beside LangeTwins' old Zinfandel plantings along Mokelumne River

LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards has been among the Lodi AVA’s leaders in Lodi Rules certified sustainable winegrowing.  During the past eight years they  have also devoted some 10 acres north of their winery on E. Jahant Rd., plus another 10 acres on their Sandpoint property along the Mokelumne River, to habitat restoration projects in association with SLEWSCenter for Land-Based Learning‘s Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship program –which engages local high school students in the winery’s conservation efforts...

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Time Posted: Apr 17, 2012 at 8:47 AM Permalink to LangeTwins’ SLEWS project: waking up to smell the mugwort Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
April 12, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Fields Family’s latest midnight smokin’ wines

Fields Family Wines' Ryan Sherman

But to live outside the law, you must be honest…
- Bob Dylan (Absolutely Sweet Marie)

Lodi’s Fields Family Wines has released what might be considered the region’s first Super Tuscan style wine:  the 2010 Fields Family Lodi Il Ladro ($25).

Why il ladro – Italian for “the thief”?  The story goes back some six, seven years ago, when co-proprietor/winemaker Russ Fields was just getting into winemaking as an avid amateur.  As part of his self-training, Fields used to “liberate” tiny bits of fruit that had gone unpicked (hence, tragically wasted) in neighboring vineyards in somewhat surreptitious fashion.  There have been worse things – like ex-presidents’ partying, or ones who lust or never inhale...

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Time Posted: Apr 12, 2012 at 8:35 AM Permalink to Fields Family’s latest midnight smokin’ wines Permalink
Randy Caparoso
 
April 10, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

At bucolic Heritage Oak: the birdmen of Lodi

David Yee, talking about the secret life of the Western Bluebird

The vineyards belonging to Heritage Oak Winery are tucked atop a particularly bucolic bend of Mokelumne River, just east of the town of Lodi.  Out of Heritage Oak’s 186 acres, 105 is devoted to wine grapes, and the rest to fauna and flora:  a beautiful convergence of riparian woodlands and vines, teeming with life — circumstances developed by design as much as by natural extension...

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Time Posted: Apr 10, 2012 at 8:32 AM Permalink to At bucolic Heritage Oak: the birdmen of Lodi Permalink
Contact

Lodi Wine Visitor Center
2545 West Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242
209.365.0621
Open: Daily 10:00am-5:00pm

Lodi Winegrape Commission
2545 West Turner Road, Lodi, CA 95242
209.367.4727
Open: Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

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