Lodi Zinfandels from Kirschenmann Vineyard blow a few minds at 2014 ZAP

Four Seasons ballroom set up for ZAP/HVS FLIGHTS Experience

I’m going to grow my hair down to my feet so strange
'Til I look like a walking mountain range
Ride into Omaha on a horse
Out to the country club and golf course
Carrying the New York Times
Shoot a few holes, blow their minds…

- Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Free No. 10

Kirschenmann Vineyard – a prototypical, own-rooted east-side Lodi Zinfandel planting dating back to 1915 – made a memorable debut as a vineyard-designate bottling by five different prestige winemakers in the ballroom of the luxurious Four Seasons San Francisco last week Friday (January 24, 2014).

Jan 27, 2014 at 12:06 PM Permalink

Giant leap taken by Lodi wines at 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competiton

Peirano’s Lance Randolph: old school Lodi winegrower, suddenly “hip” among wine judges

The results of the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition held earlier this month are in, and Lodi American Viticultural Area grown wines have fared better than ever!

Jan 20, 2014 at 2:45 PM Permalink

Appreciate Zinfandels like Picassos at LoCA sponsored ZAP TERROIR TASTING

You won't need flowers in your hair – just a true-blue enthusiasm for Zinfandel – to fit right in with the thousands of other wine lovers who will be flocking to San Francisco to attend the 2014 ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) TERROIR TASTING, co-sponsored by LoCA… that is, The Wines of Lodi, California.

Jan 17, 2014 at 3:47 PM Permalink

Three chicken dishes, endlessly surprising Lodi wine matches

Incoming Lodi Zinfandel: classic match for etoufee style chicken

Let's talk chicken and wine matches. ¿Por qué?

Jan 15, 2014 at 4:14 PM Permalink Comments (1)

What a wine lover wants in 2014

The face of “new” wine lovers at 2013 Lodi ZinFest

What are wine lovers looking for in 2014? Whatever it is, you can be sure that the Lodi is in the thick of it — as America’s largest American Viticultural Area, it has to be. Let's break it down, according to some of the buzz we are hearing in the opening days of the New Year:

Jan 9, 2014 at 4:42 PM Permalink

Best Lodi Wine Country photos of 2013 (part 2)

Lodi’s future, as it has been since the 1850s, lies in the next generation — like Chiara Colarossi, here checking out the 2013 Zinfandel harvest in Bob and Alison Colarossi’s Stellina estate

Welcome to 2014!

The second half of 2013 was dominated, of course, by the Lodi Wine Country harvest. Vintage 2013 was among the earliest on record: white wine and sparkling wine grapes — such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — were being picked by the end of the first week of August, at least two weeks sooner than usual. More exotic white wine grapes — such as Albariño, Verdelho and Kerner (a German crossing of Riesling x Trollinger) — came in soon after. A warm summer had a lot to do with the hastened harvest; but mostly, it was because the spring bud break and flowering occurred at least two weeks earlier than usual.

Jan 2, 2014 at 5:05 PM Permalink

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