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.

Photos of Lodi Wine Nation at another fun, tranquil ZinFest
ZinFesters know what they like…Lodi grown wine!
Blame it all on their roots, they showed up in boots, and all kinds of hats and wine-country-chic apparel, including threads studded with corks from their favorite bottlings of Lodi wine!
Continue »
Beautiful thing – the refreshing purity of Onesta Wines
Jillian Johnson DeLeon at Lodi cellardoor, where her Onesta Wines can be tasted and purchased
The Lodi AVA grown wines of Onesta Wines winemaker/owner Jillian Johnson DeLeon are distinguished by two closely related things...
Continue »
Lodi wines for tasting, purchase and by-the-glass at ZinFest Festival
2015 ZinFest Scene
2015 ZinFest Festival
Are you ready for Lodi’s 2015 ZinFest Festival, happening this coming Saturday, May 16?
Continue »
The 2012 ZinFest Commemorative Zinfandel is an essence of Lodi
2012 ZinFest Commemorative Zinfandel
ZinFest 2015: Lodi's Premiere Wine Tasting Event
Each year the Lodi ZinFest produces about a 1,000 bottles of a Commemorative Lodi grown Zinfandel under a colorful Belle Époque inspired art label by our official ZinFest artist, Vince McIndoe, always featuring the same mysterious "red headed girl."
Continue »
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.
Continue »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »