Bokisch Vineyards winemaker Elyse Perry

In the third of our profiles of the Lodi wine industry’s most powerful women, we are highlighting Elyse Egan Perry, the winemaker of Bokisch Vineyards.

Ms. Perry’s position is a huge, complex responsibility, as it not only entails vinification of Bokisch Vineyards’ cutting-edge, multi-award winning Iberian varietal wines, but also the custom crush production of wines for numerous winery clients purchasing fruit from Bokisch Ranches. The Bokischs’ farming operation supplies some 40 different grape varieties grown on over 2,200 acres, in six of Lodi’s seven official sub-appellations.

Needless to say, a job like this requires not just boundless energy and organizational skills, but also a love of the winemaking process – particularly that of Spanish style grapes, the Bokisch family’s specialty. In Perry’s case, those qualifications are enhanced by an instinctive feel for contemporary style wines – wines that are a tad lighter, notably fresher, significantly crisper, and purer in natural fruit expression. Wines that are a little more appealing to the growing number of wine lovers representing the millennial generation, who are just begin to surpass all other existing generations (even the long dominant boomers) in wine consumption in the U.S.

Today’s 20- and 30-something wine lovers do not have the same tastes as 20-to-30-somethings twenty or thirty years ago. The nature of premium American wines is changing right before our eyes – or ears, noses and palates, as it were – and winemakers like Elyse Perry are playing a key part in this transformation.

Ms. Perry did not come down a chute from heaven as a ready-made winemaker. Before even entering the wine industry, she lived in San Francisco for 17 years, pursuing other occupations while cultivating a wine afición. She first met Markus and Liz Bokisch as a burgeoning, independent winemaker looking for grapes; with designs of striking out on her own with Spanish varietals produced under her own brand (Egan Cellars). Perry's story also proves a point: it is very possible to change careers mid-stream, and be very successful at it.

Elyse Perry conferring with Markus Bokisch during 2015 crush

Recognizing her talent, the Bokischs engaged Perry as a full-time winemaker in the beginning of 2014; just as they were constructing their new winery on the site of their 100-acre Terra Alta Vineyard, in the Clements Hills AVA, on the east side of the City of Lodi – a fortuitous turn of events for everyone.

Our recent conversation:

LoCA: Please talk about the circuitous route that you took you to where you are today.

E.P.: The start of my most recent journey began in 2008. I was still working as a project manager for a nonprofit in San Francisco, and had reached a point where I realized I was not terribly happy with the field I was in. I wanted to do something that I was passionate about. I had already started looking into the wine industry after visiting Spain and Italy on my honeymoon in 2004, although I wasn’t sure what aspect of the industry I wanted to pursue. I was introduced to Ed Kurtzman, winemaker for August West and Sandler Wine Co., and was offered a harvest internship in the cellar. I immediately fell in love with the work and decided to focus my energy on winemaking.

LoCA: So you eventually found your way to Lodi, with the support of your family and husband (Jeff Perry, who is now the tasting room manager for Bokisch Vineyards)?

E.P.: Yes, although Jeff and I don’t have kids. Insofar as family, I’m originally from the East Coast, which is where my parents and three older brothers still live.

Elyse Perry, pressing last of 2015 Albarino in Bokisch winery

LoCA: What are you loving most about your job?

E.P.: I love the fact that the process of making wine is ongoing, ever changing, and a blend of both art and science. Every year is different, and each grape variety is different. I love using both senses and intellect to create wines that people enjoy.

LoCA: What is your proudest achievement thus far?

E.P.: I’m very proud of the work that I’ve done over the past two years with Bokisch Vineyards. I helped manage the construction of the new winery, and all facets of building what has already become a successful custom crush program, all the while continuing the tradition of making excellent wines from Spanish varietals.

LoCA: Has being a woman ever been a hindrance?

E.P.: Never. I’ve always had the respect of my male counterparts – I think due in part to the fact that I started as a cellar rat and worked hard to get to where I am today. I think to some extent I’ve also been lucky to work for winery owners who don’t shy away from hiring women and fostering their advancement. I’m also the type of person who, once I put my mind to something, I’m going to do it. I’ve never considered my gender as an issue to achieving my goals.

Bokisch Ranches' Terra Alta Vineyard sunset

LoCA: Through your activities in the industry and marketplace, what are you hearing people say about today's Lodi grown wines?

E.P.: People I encounter out in the market are pretty impressed with the state of the Lodi wine industry. They are especially appreciating the wide variety of wines, whether they’re Spanish, German, Italian, etc., as well as the pure quality of winemaking that exists in Lodi today.

LoCA: Where do you envision yourself 10 to 20 years from now?

E.P.: In 10 years I plan on continuing making wine in the Lodi region. In 20 years? Who knows, maybe I’ll be living in Spain or Italy on a little piece of land with my own little vineyard and winery. If that doesn’t happen, then I will probably still be making wine in the Lodi region. I love living and making wine in Lodi. At this point, this is where I see myself for a very long time.

LoCA: Where do you envision the Lodi wine region being 10 to 20 years from now?

E.P.: I came to Lodi not only for the wonderful opportunity to work for Liz and Markus Bokisch, but also because this is a region where there isn’t the attitude that one variety or varieties is best. I love the fact that there are so many winemakers experimenting with different varieties and different styles of winemaking. This is one of the reasons Lodi has been receiving accolades from the press, as well as a growing interest from consumers visiting the Lodi region wineries. I believe this will continue as the years go by, and we will see more young winemakers making the decision to live and make wine in Lodi.

LoCA: What kind of advice would you give for younger women who might be interested in working in the wine industry?

E.P.: If you have passion and determination, you can succeed in the wine industry whether you’re female or male. It’s not easy work, but the reward is amazing!

Bokisch Vineyards winemaker Elyse Perry, pouring her Late Harvest Graciano

Lange Twins Family's Kendra Altnow with her Coonhound Bruno

Continuing our series of profiles on the Lodi wine industry’s most powerful women, we present to you Kendra Altnow, the Marketing Manager of LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards as well as LCF Wines (the latter, a multi-brand product line established by the Lange family in partnership with two other families). 

Most Lodi wine lovers are very familiar with the LangeTwins Family brand; headed up by Randall and Brad Lange, who trace their origins in the Lodi Viticultural Region to the 1870s, when their great-grandparents Johann and Maria Lange first established their farm (specializing in watermelons!) with their son Albert. The Lange family began farming grapes in 1916, and since then they have grown into one of the region’s largest and most important suppliers of fine wine grapes.

Many Lodi wine lovers, however, may not have caught up to the fact that LangeTwins Family has also expanded to three additional brands – Caricature, Ivory & Burt, and most recently, Sand Point – adding up to some 70,000 cases, all produced in the family’s meticulously planned winery located in Lodi’s sub-appellation of Jahant, just north of the City of Lodi.

The marketing of LCF Wines, for which Ms. Altnow is also responsible, entails an even larger portfolio. LCF Wines includes another 5 brands – Goosecross, Año Verde, Previous, Downton Abbey, and Assembly – which, like the LangeTwins Family produced brands, are distributed throughout most of the U.S. and in numerous exports markets.

We recently sat down with Ms. Altnow to get the lowdown on the rapid expansion of her myriad projects, and the role she has played in it:

LoCA: Talk a little about your family ties in Lodi.

K.A.: My parents are Brad and Susan Lange, who founded LangeTwins Family Vineyards and Winery with my uncle and aunt. Most of our family has always lived in Lodi – my parents and brother, aunts and uncles, and lots of cousins. My husband and I have a 1-year-old daughter; plus another handful, a 9-year-old black and tan Coonhound.

LoCA: In this day and age where many families are spread wide apart, what is it that keeps most of the Langes in Lodi?

K.A.: Everyone in my family is hardworking and enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors. We look for new experiences, and we are all dog lovers! Wine and food, of course, are a family passion – from cooking at home to trying out new restaurants, visiting new wineries and wine regions around the world.

LangeTwins Family's River Ranch

LoCA: Tell us about your own background, and how you came to your position.

K.A.: I graduated from Lodi High; then started out at University of California in Santa Cruz before finishing at Berkeley, majoring in sociology. Afterwards, in 2004, I began work as a marketing intern at Beringer Blass Wine Estates, which is now Treasury Wine Estates. After the intern position, I was offered a position as Assistant Brand Manager on Australian and New Zealand Brands, and then furthered my experience and became Associate Brand Manager on the Beringer Brand. In 2006 I returned home to start with LangeTwins.

LoCA: So somehow you successfully applied your degree in sociology to wine marketing?

K.A.: As you well know, it is always better to be passionate about your job. If not, it’s not going to be fun. As a Lange, it’s always been easy for me to be passionate about wine. Not only that, here in LangeTwins we always have that family structure. We do things in teams – which is what I also experienced at Beringer. I’m comfortable in close-knit cultures like that. Being a Lange was good training.

LoCA: What’s it been like to be part of the building process of the LangeTwins Family brands?

K.A.: Well, it’s now been 10 years. Sometimes I stop and think – isn’t that crazy? Especially considering the growth – going from a few hundred cases to over 70,000 cases; expansion of a winery with a capacity to produce over 4 million cases; the opening of our hospitality room in 2013.

LoCA: Yet production of wines under the actual LangeTwins Family label has actually remained relatively small. Why is that?

K.A.: Maybe not that small. We started out with about a 1,000-case production; but by 2008 we were already producing about 3,500 cases under the LangeTwins label. The reason why we’ve been adding bigger production brands is that we want LangeTwins wines to remain our highest quality line – our flagship wines, targeted for on-premise (i.e. restaurant and hotels) markets. Our other brands, like Sand Point, give us the opportunity to focus more on specific price points, like $10.99 to $12.99, sold exclusively in retail and chain outlets – markets that we would never be able to adequately supply under our LangeTwins Family label.

LoCA: What is the significance of the name, “Sand Point?”

K.A.: Sand Point is an actual place – the river basin on the Mokelumne River, just below our River Ranch where I was raised. The label design features a quail on a swing, representing the fun times we had there as kids, as well as the ongoing restoration of the riparian environment our family has been working on. All of the vineyards that were once planted along the river, for instance, have been pulled out, and the land has been restored to its natural habitat, entirely with native plants – a place where native wildlife can come back to live. Sand Point means a lot to us as a family because it holds such great memories, and is still where we also come to play, relax, and enjoy nature.

LoCA: How do your differentiate between, say, your Sand Point and Caricature lines?

K.A.: Caricature comes in at a slightly higher price point. Our other brand, Ivory & Burt, is also targeted for retail. Ivory & Burt refers to the names of the owners of Lodi’s original general store – it is a celebration of Lodi’s history, fittingly produced from Lodi grown grapes. Each brand has its own story, its own unique place, with its own “home” in the marketplace.

LoCA: What are the things that keep the original LangeTwins Family label wines a “cut above?”

K.A.: The LangeTwins Family wines are stylistically different – consisting of more varietals, premium blends, and single-vineyard bottlings, which generally spend more time in oak, except for the Sauvignon Blanc and rosé. These are, really, more from David’s world (LangeTwins Family winemaker David Akyoshi). More of a winemaker’s wines – he determines the quality and direction based upon the best grapes grown by the family. Production is kept small because, outside of Lodi, this is an on-premise brand, which is is more of a slow-build. It will take time, but we plan to get there.

LoCA: Talk to me about what you actually do as the Marketing Manager of such a wide variety of brands.

K.A.: As the Marketing Manager, my focus is on brand and corporate marketing, advertising, competitions and submissions, and coordination of wholesale compliance in each state. For advertising, for instance, I create the media plan, which is executed in trade and regional publications. I don’t travel often – my position does not include actual sales. For market feedback – what is working, and what is not – I rely on the eyes and ears of Randy and Char (her uncle Randall, and his wife Charlene Lange), who head up the sales team. For social media communication, we rely on Joe and Amanda (Ms. Altnow’s cousin Joseph Lange, and his wife). I concentrate on the traditional side of marketing.

LoCA: How widely are the LangeTwins Family produced brands distributed today?

K.A.: While we technically sell our brands in 28 states, domestically we are focused primarily on California, Colorado, Texas, and Illinois. We also dabble in many export markets, while focusing primarily on Canada, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, and Guam.

LoCA: So far, what are you loving most about your job?

K.A.: I love knowing that what I am doing is building upon the base that my parents and aunt and uncle started as LangeTwins Family Vineyard Management. Furthermore, knowing that we are providing the same opportunity for the next generation has been equally rewarding. On a day to day level, I love creating the look and feel of our brands, and executing projects that help educate wine drinkers on LangeTwins and Lodi – and of course, tasting wines with our winemakers.

Kendra Altnow with Sand Point and LangeTwins Family bottlings

LoCA: Is there one accomplishment you are particularly proud of?

K.A.: Apart from just being able to work with my family, I have to say that I’m especially proud of the Sand Point project. From its launch, we have heard nothing but positive feedback from the story, label design, and wine quality. It was the first new brand development project that I took the lead in bringing a place that our family appreciates to life as a wine brand.

LoCA: Do you have an ultimate goal?

K.A.: I share my family’s goal, which is to successfully transition from being a grape supplier and custom crush winery, and ultimately turn every grape that we grow into wines sold under one of our own brands – which is well within the winery’s current capacity.

LoCA: The LangeTwins have planned well, but that would be a lot of wine.

K.A.: Yes! But it could be our children, or our children’s children, who finally see that. At the end of the day, the goal is to showcase the fruit and vineyards farmed by LangeTwins Vineyard Management. The story of LangeTwins is that we are multi-generational, we are all actively involved, and that it all starts in the vineyard.

The Lange twins, Randall and Brad, personally pouring in their "Press Room" hospitality center

LoCA: Through your work, what are you hearing people out in the market saying about Lodi grown wines?

K.A.: Just a couple of weeks ago I was listening to a podcast mentioning there are people who aren’t hip to Lodi, but also people who personally don’t understand why Lodi has the negative reputation it generally has. This is only one example of what we are hearing. Increasingly, people are questioning Lodi’s stereotype and trying wines from the region, and seeing that Lodi is crafting wines of quality that can stand up to other appellations. The simple fact that the Lodi appellation was recently awarded the Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast illustrates how minds are finally changing.

LoCA: Where do you envision yourself 10 to 20 years from now? K.A.: I will be living in Lodi and working with the family. I’m sure that I’ll be looking back at the progress we have made, and looking forward to continuing it. I will be raising a family, enjoying every moment of time I have with them; trying my best at setting an example of work/life balance – working hard and having fun along the way, just as my parents did for me.

LoCA: Where do you envision Lodi as a wine region and community 10 to 20 years from now?

K.A.: In 10, 20 years Lodi will unquestionably achieve the solid reputation it deserves, and will be recognized by wine drinkers and industry colleagues as an appellation with innovative winegrowers and vintners with the highest quality vineyards and wines. The community will have grown to host the growth of tasting room visitors who are looking for the finest wine region experience; yet still with that down-to-earth atmosphere that visitors find today.

LoCA: What kind of advice would you give to younger women who might be interested in working in the wine industry?

K.A.: Simply, that if you are truly passionate about wine, you will enjoy working in the wine industry – and will undoubtedly succeed.

Zinfandel's fall regalia in LangeTwins Family's River Ranch

Amy Blagg in her Petite Sirah Vineyard on Lodi's east side

We are continuing our series of profiles on the Lodi wine industry’s most powerful women with a conversation with Amy Blagg, the Executive Director of the Lodi District Grape Growers Association (LDGGA).

The Lodi District Grape Growers Association represents 310 grape growers plus related businesses working within California Crush District 11. The boundaries of District 11 are defined as San Joaquin County north of State Hwy. 4 (bisecting Stockton); south of U.S. Hwy. 50 in Sacramento County; and east of Interstate 5. This roughly (if not exactly) corresponds to the boundaries of the federally approved Lodi Viticultural Area, where over 110,000 acres of premium wine grapes are planted.

LDGGA plays the important role of giving a voice to individual growers, particularly in political matters at local, state and federal levels. Ms. Blagg comes by her position in the most natural way possible; having been born and raised in a Lodi farming family, and now making her own living as a Lodi farmer, in marital partnership with a Lodi farmer, and most likely as a mother of future Lodi farmers (if the local tradition hold true).

We live in a great country, where anyone can grow up to do possibly anything, while living anywhere in the world. Which makes it all the more amazing that Lodi remains one of the few wine regions, outside of Europe, where the profession of wine grape growing manages to last more than two generations within a given family. Here in Lodi, vineyard owners and managers typically go back three, four, even five or six generations.

In addition to her work with LDGGA, Ms. Blagg has served as past chairman for the Young Farmers and Ranchers of San Joaquin County, and represents the area of Victor and eastern Lodi on the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. In 2013 she was recognized for her contributions to these organizations going “above and beyond in service to the ag industry” (according to a Farm Bureau press release) with a Star YF&R Award.

Our talk with Ms. Blagg:

LoCA: How long has your family lived and worked in Lodi?

A.B.: I was born and raised in Lodi, as were my parents. My great-grandfather was of German decent and came from Crimea, Russia. He arrived in Lodi in the early 1920s where he initially worked in vineyards on Alpine Road. He met my great-grandmother, whose family worked on a dairy farm in the Thornton area. They were married and eventually purchased a dairy on Hwy 88 and Harney lane in 1943 – on the site where Omega Cellars is located today. That dairy, operated by my grandfather until 1996, is where my mom (Claudia Valente) was raised. I was also raised on the family dairy farm, and my parents still live on that property.

This photo by Amy Blagg (of her sons Nathan and Henry on the Blagg farm) took a prize in a San Joaquin Farm Bureau photography contest

LoCA: What about your dad’s side?

A.B.: My dad is Joe Valente, the Vineyard Manager for John Kautz Farms. He has worked for the Kautz family since 1980, managing all of their Lodi area vineyards and orchards. My brother Gary also works for Kautz Farms. My dad's parents farmed in Lodi; on the west side, growing hay and other crops. My paternal grandfather was of Portuguese descent. Like many Portuguese-Americans, he came to California by way of Hawaii – born on the island of Kauai. He came to Lodi in the 1930s.

LoCA: What does your job as Executive Director of the Lodi District Grape Growers Association entail?

A.B.: We represent District 11 grape growers on political and regulatory issues. We also provide grower education and networking opportunities, and award scholarships to students studying agriculture. I manage all the LDGGA activities and report to our volunteer Board of Directors.

LoCA: When did you start with LDGGA, and what did you do prior to that?

A.B.: I have held this position since 2008. Prior to LDGGA, I worked for Sacramento County Farm Bureau and the California Fig Advisory Board. I'm a graduate of (California) Fresno State (2006) with a degree in Agricultural Business, and a past recipient of an LDGGA Jim Kissler Memorial Scholarship.

LoCA: What might be the biggest single issue facing LDGGA today?

A.B.: Currently, water is the biggest single issue. Growers are facing the impacts of the drought, new reporting requirements for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, the curtailments of water rights, and new groundwater management legislation. LDGGA holds water forums to keep our members educated on ever-changing water issues. Our directors and I keep engaged at the local level in water districts and steering committees that are helping to implement new rules and regulations.

LoCA: Talk to us about your own family, and the farm that you’ve established on the east side of town.

A.B.: My husband, Tyler Blagg, is an agent for Petersen & Company Agricultural Real Estate. We have three sons: Nathan, who is 6; Henry, 4 years old; and Oliver, just 6 months. In addition to our "day jobs," we have a variety of farming operations; including a small vineyard – all Petite Sirah, planted in 2013, which goes to one of the larger wine producers. We also raise dairy heifers on pasture, before being sold when they come to maturity; and we are also growing hay.

Lodi District Grape Growers Association Executive Director Amy Blagg

LoCA: You certainly are doing a lot of raising – kids, baby heifers, grapes and hay – but what would you say you love most about what you do?

A.B.: I love the people that I get to work with. The Lodi grower community is made up of some of the hardest working and most genuine people around. I enjoy working with these people on a daily basis, and I also love the variety that my job at LDGGA job brings. One day I can be up in Sacramento meeting with legislators, the next day I can be planning an event, or attending a committee meeting on LDGGA's behalf.

LoCA: Is there one accomplishment you are particularly proud of?

A.B.: I am proud that LDGGA membership continues to grow. As a membership based organization, we are only as strong as our members. I am also proud of the variety of grower education that we are able to provide. Growers today must be focused on much more than just what happens in the vineyard. We are able to help them navigate through the often confusing world of labor and employment regulations, water issues, the winegrape market, and more.

LoCA: Has being a woman heading a farmers’ organization ever been an issue?

A.B.: No! I feel that I have always been treated with great respect by all of our members, and by everyone in the wine industry. That said, I also appreciate the flexibility that this job allows me to have; especially since I am able to work from a home office, where I can also be with my young family.

LoCA: Through your work, what are you hearing people out in the market saying about Lodi grown wines?

A.B.: Right now there is a lot of excitement about Lodi. This area is finally getting the recognition that it deserves after many years of hard work. People are recognizing the quality and value that Lodi has to offer. I see this both in industry and personal settings. Personally, I love sharing Lodi wines with friends and family, and love to see them get won over by Lodi.

LoCA: Where do you envision yourself 10 to 20 years from now?

A.B.: Lodi is home, and always will be. I hope that we can expand our own vineyard and farming operations in the future.

LoCA: Where do you envision Lodi as a wine region, as well as a community, 10 to 20 years from now?

A.B.: I think the strength of Lodi as a wine region will always be the growers themselves. They are the foundation of this community. Many growers have vertically integrated and opened their own wineries – I see these types of grower-owned businesses continuing to grow and succeed.

LoCA: What kind of advice would you give younger women who are thinking about entering the wine industry?

A.B.: There is tremendous opportunity in the wine industry. In the Lodi area, operations are only expanding, and those that once were exclusively family-run are now hiring individuals to fill a variety of roles. The wine industry is one of the most progressive in agriculture, and I do not see roles defined by gender. We see women in leadership positions, women as winemakers, PCAs (i.e. Pest Control Advisors), winery field representatives – the opportunities are endless!

Petite Sirah bud break in Blagg Vineyard

The talented "two guys" behind Fields Family Wines: Ryan Sherman and Russ Fields

The entire concept of “boutique winery" is that when winemaking is done on such a small scale – as little as a few hundred cases a year – attention to detail is a given. It becomes more possible to produce wines of exquisite quality – “handcrafted” in the best sense of the word.

On the other hand, how often have you come across wines from tiny wineries that taste coarse, tired, dirty, oxidized or even “spoiled” by something or another (smells resembling fingernail polish, rotten eggs, barnyard piles, or worse)? It happens – wines that give “boutique” a bad name. More like “amateur hour.”

Fact is, you find the good, bad or ugly in every wine region of the world – Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Washington, Texas, Georgia, France, Spain, Italy, Mexico, all over Australia and South America, everywhere small-scale winemaking is done. Winemaking, after all, is a human endeavor; and humans are, well, human.

A great wine region or vineyard might give a winemaker a leg up, but somehow sloppy winemakers find ways to mess up. Conversely, talented winemakers have been known to turn the most Ugly Duckling grapes from the humblest vineyards or regions into something special (and of course, grapes from fantastic vineyards into something even more amazing). That’s the beauty of wine, and why we love it!

Fields Family's Ryan Sherman in a favorite shirt and place

When Lodi's Russ Fields and Ryan Sherman first got together to start making wine back in 2005, you could well describe the endeavor as your classic two-guys-with-day-jobs-and-extra-time-and-a-tub-of-grapes-on-their-hand situation. Mr. Sherman looks back on their first three vintages as “mad scientist” days; telling us: “We had no formal background, training, experience or reference points other than our own. So we did dozens of trails... just being curious, trying to learn, figure shit out for ourselves without anyone else’s protocol or dogma.”

It could have been a disaster. As it were, the happy result of those early, heady days was that they realized they had a knack! Both, after all, were also wine connoisseurs; which meant that from the beginning they could measure their own wines up against some of the finest in their wine collections, and draw a reasonable conclusion.

And so instead, Mr. Fields and Mr. Sherman went from “couldas” to contenders, flashing serious winemaking chops; and Fields Family Wines was officially launched with the 2008 vintage – if, says Sherman, “you can call 250 cases serious.” Today, Fields Family Wines has grown to about 1,200 yearly cases – enough to be dangerous, but still a negligible drop compared to, say, Lodi’s Michael David Winery (over 700,000 cases) or Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi (over 10 million).

Two distinctly different, and delicious, Lodi grown Syrahs

Which is why neither Fields nor Sherman are not making plans to quit their day jobs – Sherman as a Lodi realtor and Fields as a Sacramento based personal injury attorney (the two originally met when Sherman helped Fields find the Woodbridge Rd. home and vineyard property where those mad-scientist activities have continued).

In a recent conversation we asked Mr. Sherman how Fields Family Wines has grown over the years, and he told us: “The big thing is we’ve gotten more comfortable with the vineyards, now going on 8 vintages for some places. I think it takes a good 6-8 years to figure a place out, get comfortable, make your mistakes, learn and just gain confidence. Part of it is tasting more wines, talking to more people, trusting more in the vineyards and your own intuitions.

“I'm fond of saying, always be curious – try new things, make mistakes, take advice. Sometimes you hit your target, sometimes you miss all together. I think each year we've gotten closer and closer to the bullseye. We are also bottling earlier, for sure, trying to capture more vibrancy and freshness.”

One of Fields Family’s latest wines is also emblematic of that unrelenting curiosity: the 2015 Fields Family Delu Vineyard Lodi Vermentino ($19) – an emphatically bone dry white, pungent not so much with a sense of fruitiness as nostril tingling sensations of lavender, elderflower, smidgens of lemon verbena and a clean minerality, all manifested in a lean (in a positive sense of not being “fat”), mouthwateringly tart, edgy, medium body taste in the mouth.

Ryan Sherman this past April with visiting wine bloggers Liza Swift and Thea Dwelle

Mr. Sherman adds, “The Vermentino grape makes an underrated wine... its Italian coastal iterations deliver a ton of complexity and deliciousness – just makes you want to grab someone, hang out along the coast and just feel sexy.” Or, we guess, as the lady at the table next to Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in that crowded deli – after Meg Ryan simulates the act in “When Harry Met Sally” – says, “I’m having what she’s having.”

With the 2015 Fields Family Clay Station Vineyard Lodi Grenache Blanc ($24), the Fields Family team ventures into territory that has been successfully explored by other Lodi focused producers, such as Bokisch, Acquiesce and Onesta. Like the aforementioned, the Fields Family Grenache Blanc is silky yet razor-sharp, spare, lanky, emphatically bone dry, upbeat – very much appealing to contemporary tastes – while, notably, a little more intense in pungent, flowery, high toned, tropical perfumes, underscored by a crisp core of pear-like freshness, at least compared to that of other Lodi grown Grenache Blancs.

Sherman’s thoughts are very much an articulation of precociously evolved, “geeked out” winemaking: “Our focus was on producing a more serious Grenache Blanc –meaning, something you can age, more complex or contemplative, if that makes any sense. We looked at similar approaches to the grape being done in Sonoma and the Sierra Foothills, practiced by people with similar winemaking to ours – native yeast fermentation, use of little or no oak, minimal handling, picking early to attain minerality. We were aggressive at the press to get more solids; allowing some exposure to oxygen prior to barrel fermentation, followed by extended time on lees during élevage, all in neutral oak.”

From their earliest vintages, the wine that Fields Family Wines has probably most consistently hung its hat on has been Syrah, however unfashionable as this varietal category has been. But Syrah was the grape that came with the property that Mr. Fields purchased in 2005 (since then, a small portion of the vineyard has been grafted to other grapes), and Syrah is what they have excelled in, whether it is because of the talent of the winemakers or the phenomenal quality of the grapes (our opinion: it is probably a little of both).

Contemporary iteration of "The Temp"

The 2013 Fields Family Estate Lodi Syrah ($24), in fact, might be their best ever, which makes it as good or better than most any Syrah grown on the West Coast: beautifully fragrant and floral – in a penetrating violet and rose petal nuanced sense – and filled to the brim with rich, meaty, full sensations, ringing with vibrant natural acidity. Its price, incidentally, makes this wine all the more amazing.

Perhaps more of a surprise is the 2013 Fields Family Postage Stamp Vineyard Lodi Shiraz ($42); crafted by an Australian clonal selection of Syrah planted on Alpine Rd., on Lodi’s east side. In this wine, the Syrah character is snuggled into a nose that is more positively lush, ripe and meaty than floral – juicy blackberry with smidgens of earthy, sweet eucalyptus – and is seamlessly rounded, dense yet plump in the mouth-feel.

Of the Shiraz, Mr. Sherman says: “This was a wine that we left the f--- alone, letting the fruit shine, with good, natural acid... this ain’t no ‘90s, over-blown, Aussie, hair band style of Shiraz. From what we understand, this vineyard was planted from own-rooted, clandestine cuttings taken by the Mettlers in the late ‘60s during a trip to the Barossa Valley. It’s tiny, roughly 5 rows by 36 vines – a “postage stamp” sized planting, barely yielding 2 barrels each year. It was native yeast fermented and aged strictly in neutral oak.”

Confirming our own assessment, Sherman says that their 2013 estate grown Syrah, also native yeast fermented, is “our proudest iteration since our first vineyard bottling in 2008. I like that it’s bright and fresh, with a Syrah meatiness, and olive and floral notes; although I do not think anyone would identify it as ‘Lodi’ in a blind tasting, since this vineyard seems to give something special that I have yet to taste in any other Syrah from Lodi.”

Speaking of finest iterations: the 2013 Fields Family Lodi Tempranillo ($25) also indubitably qualifies as such; culled from a 3-acre block on Schmiedt Rd., originally planted by the late Alan Kirschenmann in 1989 for Mitch Cosentino (who bottled wines called “The Temp”). This vineyard, now owned and farmed by Mike McCay (of McCay Cellars), produces a style of Tempranillo that is pungent with sweet Spanish leather laced with rose petal and earthy/meaty/herbacous notes suggestive of anise and olive oil laced tapenade, tasting of withered black fruit (plum towards blackcurrant) in svelte, dusty texturing.

Says Sherman: “When we first began bottling wine from this vineyard it made me immediately think of (the Spanish wine regions) Ribera del Duero or Rioja, to a lesser extent. It consistently has the meatiness, depth, and dusty rose petal-like qualities of those wines. This is another wine that, in a blind line-up, no way anyone nails this as Lodi Tempranillo, let alone one from California.”

But please – don’t take our word for it. These handcrafted wines must be tried to be believed. Those who already have would probably agree with us, that this collection of wines successfully expresses vineyards of distinct individuality, and the sensibility of winemakers who know well enough to leave high quality grapes alone.

Seasoned wine lovers may not necessarily think of Fields Family wines as typically “Lodi,” or even “California.” There's a lot of "all-about-me" in the Golden State, in drastic contrast to old European wine countries where it's more about the vineyard, region or "place." But the fact of the matter is, these wines come from Lodi, and are made in the best Lodi tradition of two-guys-with-day-jobs and, thank goodness, enough time on their hands to discover their inner winemaker-ness, and growing feel for vineyards.

Fields Family estate vineyard

Lodi Lake Park entrance to 2015 ZinFest

ZinFest Wine Festival – by far, Lodi’s biggest yearly event – is just a motion away: Saturday, May 14, 2016 (12-5 PM), taking place on the lush, dreamy peninsula between Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River, where towering oaks, willows and riparian brush and birdlife set the table for a natural love-in feel to this vinous experience.

This may be called ZinFest; but as thousands of wine lovers discover each year, the Lodi Viticultural Area is all about far more than Zinfandel. Lodi has evolved into a magnet for the newest generation of grape connoisseurs who, frankly, have grown tired of conventional varietals and bigger-than-thou (or high “scoring”) attitudes.

Lodi produces a bounty of alternative wines – lighter, fresher, sleeker, and definitely more useable – at (best of all) power-to-the-people prices. There is a reason why Lodi is easily the largest grower of classic European wine grapes in the country: Vitis vinifera thrives in its mild Mediterranean climate.

Wine lovers at 2015 Lodi ZinFest

So don’t believe what you hear about Lodi being “hot” compared to, say, Napa Valley or most of Sonoma County. Anyone who has ever passed through all these regions during spring or even the peak of summer knows that the temperatures are pretty much the same (re How warm, or cool, is Lodi?). Lodi winegrowers can’t help it if you’re fed wrong information, but they can show you what they do where it counts – in their bottlings, and in your wine glasses.

There is also a reason why, this coming August, Lodi expects hundreds of bloggers from around the world to descend upon the Delta for the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference. A couple of weeks ago one of the WBC board members – super-popular wine blogger Thea Dwelle of lusciouslushes.com – stopped by for a 2-day scouting trip. We asked her what she found, and she was happy to share:

Lodi may have a long history of wine and viticulture, but one of the wine world’s best kept secrets is the region’s diversity of varietals and the passion for bucking the trends, in small blocks of unique grapes that go against the classic association of Lodi = Zinfandel. Starting with Rhône and Iberian varietals, and expanding on classic Italian field blends (including Cinsaut, Carignan, and Barbera), and moving to Alsatian and German varietals that produce refreshing and bright white wines, the passion and creativity of the growers and winemakers is infectious. I can't wait to come back and experience more of this diverse and growing region!

lusciouslushes.com's Thea Dwelle barrel tasting with Oak Farm's Chad Joseph earlier this month

Alsatian and German style wines? Yes, Lodi is down with that, too (one Lodi vineyard, Mokelumne Glen, is up to 48 different cultivars). We were pleased by the latest blogpost in Intoxicology Report (intoxreport.com), where multiple Wine Bloggers Awards finalist Chris Kassel wrote about the Lodi grown wines crafted by Borra Vineyards/Markus Wines winemaker Markus Niggli, which kind of summarizes Lodi: “Unique is the name of the game... these wines are intense and angular, cool and daring... just like the winemaker.” The Detroit-based Mr. Kassel found so much material during his visit to Lodi earlier this year that he has also announced that he is publishing a book, called Starstruck in Lodi Again, coming out this coming June 1, 2016.

But like all Lodi winemakers, Mr. Niggli cannot do the voodoo-that-he-do without the diverse material sprouting right here in the region’s deep, porous, sandy or gravelly, grape-friendly soils. This is what a wine lover can discover when attending Lodi’s yearly ZinFest Wine Festival: a selection of over 200 wines – from Chardonnay to Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet to Zweigelt – crafted by over 40 of Lodi’s wine producers.

Borra/Markus Wines' Markus Niggli harvesting Lodi grown German grapes called Kerner

In upcoming lodiwine.com posts we will be apprising you of further details on ZinFest. Meanwhile you can find more information on the foods, cooking and wine “schools,” live music, convenient “wine shoppe,” and good times to come by visiting zinfest.com.

Tickets are also available through Eventbrite online ($65 in advance; $25 for designated drivers), which will come with a commemorative ZinFest wine glass, which you’ll be sure to put to good use. ZinFest, FYI, is also an adult affair (attendees, including drivers, must be 21 years or older to enter the Lodi Lake Park grounds), but why don’t you start booking your May 14 play-date now!

At 2015 ZinFest: De boat, de boat! (ferrying wine lovers across Lodi Lake)

The unmarked former home of the Mondavi family near the center of Downtown Lodi

Lodi artist and businessman Tony Segale – who has also been profiled by Lodi News-Sentinel as “Lodi’s best-known sign painter” – lives in the original, longtime home of the Mondavi family, just two block west of Downtown Lodi’s main drag (School Street).

Yes, that Mondavi family: Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, who moved to Lodi from Hibbings, Minnesota in 1922 with their four children Mary, Helen, Robert and Peter.

There is no bronze plaque or sign commemorating the old Mondavi homestead. That would be the preference of its current owner, Mr. Segale, who utilizes the property as a home office for his two businesses – Segale Fine Art and Gold Leaf Company, and Double Dip Gallery ("Fine Art & Ice Cream").

Tony Segale working on his gold leaf craft in his workshop behind the Mondavis' original home in Lodi

“From what I understand of the history of this house,” says Segale, “it was originally built in 1917 by the Welch family, who were related to the owners of the grocery and hardware store located on Sacramento St. (in Lodi) during the early 1900s. I believe the Mondavis first lived on the east side when they came to Lodi, and moved into this home on the west side in 1923.

“In the front of the house was Cesare’s office. By the time I moved in, there had been one or two previous owners after the Mondavis. The only real artifacts left were a couple of old vinegar barrels, a role of black-and-white film that we identified as belonging to Robert’s sister Helen, and a couple pieces of wood from an old shipping crate.

“Robert’s daughter, Peter’s niece, stopped by a few years ago just to relive some memories. She told me she remembered the sunroom well, where all the grandkids slept when they came to visit the grandparents, and that everything looks the same. In the backyard, where they had a rose garden, is now my workshop. Otherwise, I’ve kept things intact – the original garage and windows, the same radiator, still working. I’ve even left the wallpaper going up from the entryway to the second floor landing, which I’m told Mrs. Mondavi ordered in the 1930s. It’s an interesting design, with pretty birds and leaves. It’s historical, still attractive... no reason to take it down.”

Archived photo of Mondavi family in Lodi: Cesare and Rosa with children Mary,  Helen, Robert and Peter

The eldest Mondavi son, Robert (1913-2008), is famous for starting Robert Mondavi Winery in 1966 – the first post-Prohibition winery built in Napa Valley, and one that would do more to initiate American consumers' transition from generic “jug” wines to premium varietal wines than perhaps any other winery in the U.S. Here in the Lodi appellation, Robert Mondavi’s legacy lives on in the Acampo-based Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Winery (like Robert Mondavi Winery, now owned by Constellation Brands).

Peter Mondavi Sr. (born 1914) just recently passed away, this past February 20, in his home in St. Helena (Napa Valley), at the age of 101. Like his older brother Robert, he is still fondly remembered by Lodi residents and farmers. Annalisa Sharp Babich, who farms wine grapes on the west side of town, tell us: “Peter Mondavi (which she pronounces as Mon-DAY-vee – the correct way, according to other folks in Lodi) was always like family to us... we’ve been selling all our grapes to Charles Krug for decades, and we still do!”

The oft-told tale of the Mondavi brothers, both graduates of Lodi High and Stanford University, is that in 1943 they convinced their parents to purchase the somewhat derelict (at the time) Napa Valley winery called Charles Krug Winery (originally founded in 1861). The two brothers successfully ran it together until 1965, when managerial and personality clashes deepened into a serious rift, finally ending in fisticuffs. Subsequently, Robert went on to found his landmark eponymous winery (in 1966), and Peter continued to run Charles Krug Winery with his two sons, Mark and Peter Jr.

Peter Mondavi Sr. in 2005 (Photo by Eric Risberg, Associated Press files)

But even while all these events were happening in Napa Valley, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi continued to live a quiet life in Downtown Lodi. Cesare passed away in 1959, leaving Rosa as President of Charles Krug Winery until her death in 1976, after which Peter officially assumed the reins.

In a previous blogpost on Colorful lug labels tell the history of Lodi’s grape packing industry, we told the story of how Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, emigrants from Central Italy’s Marche region, originally came to Lodi to take advantage of the sudden demand for fresh-packed wine grapes, as a result of Prohibition. To be precise, that one provision in the Volstead Act (enacted in 1919) allowing the head of every household to produce up to 200 gallons of “fermented beverages” each year for personal (presumably) consumption.

Overnight, countless Americans from the Atlantic to the Pacific became their own private winemakers. Lodi growers scrambled to plant more wine grapes to keep up with the demand. The local grape packing industry, once dominated primarily by Tokay table grapes, saw dramatic expansion; and Lodi families such as the Mondavis did well.

Painting of Robert Mondavi in Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Winery

During our visit to the Mondavis' original Lodi home, we found Mr. Segale behind the house in his workshop. Segale is one of the country's most highly regarded sign artists specializing in gold leaf lettering; involving the meticulous application of layers upon layers (often in the hundreds) of 18 or 24-carat gold on either flat surfaces or three-dimensional signs. When we visited him, Segale was working on larege cut-out letters destined for one of the numerous Cheesecake Factory restaurants, one of his major clients.

Like the Mondavi influence on the way Americans look at fine wine, in Lodi you cannot escape the Segale touch. Everywhere you go you find his signature gold leaf craftsmanship: on the golden bear at the top of the landmark Lodi Arch; the logo lettering with giant crossed corkscrews on all the Michael David Winery signs; throughout Wine & Roses Hotel & Spa; and on the glass doors and windows of Lodi Beer Company, Sheri’s Sunshine Nutrition Center or Segale’s own dual-faceted shop, Double Dip Gallery on W. Pine Street (where he serves 16 flavors of Gunther’s Ice Cream with displays of homegrown art).

Segale is also a painter of note – creating original works with both watercolors and “wine” paints. During our visit we saw, on a table next to his gold leaf projects, paintings done with purplish ruby colors derived, according to Segale, from bottles of Michael David Petite Petit. In a similar vein to ice cream and art, still another way to combine things you love!

Tony Segale's mural of "Japanese Memories" on Buddhist Church of Lodi Annex Building

As if that’s not enough, Segale’s artistry is also visible all over Lodi in a number of elaborate murals: such as his tribute to C.O. Ivory on Sacramento Street (Lodi’s historic first dry goods store) in Downtown Lodi east of the U.S. Post Office; the multi-paneled “Japanese Memories” on the north and west facing walls of the Buddhist Church of Lodi Annex Building on Elm Street (between Stockton and Main); the familiar, gigantic Oak Ridge Winery mural on E. Victor Road; and the towering, classical “grape goddesses” on both sides of the main entrance to the Lodi Grape & Wine Pavilion on the Lodi Grape Festival grounds.

It is not, after all, not so much of a coincidence that one of Robert Mondavi’s most famous quotes from the '60s is that “wine is a perfect combination of art and science.” Ever since, the entire American wine industry has been living that; and Mr. Segale has been fulfilling the spirit of it in his own way – immersing his talents in a region long known for its wine, grapes, and culture of hardscrabble work and artistry.

A photo-tour of some of Mr. Segale's artwork throughout the Lodi area:

Panel in Mr. Segale's "Japanese Memories": ladies playing shamisen during a Lodi Oban Festival

Golden bear atop landmark Lodi Arch

"C.O. Ivory" mural on Downtown Lodi's Sacramento Street

Tony Segale with original paintings done with "ink" of Michael David Petite Petit

Tony Segale's Double Dip Gallery, with gold leaf window signs

Segale's work: giant corkscrews and gold leaf lettering throughout Michael David Winery

Segale's gold leaf artistry on glass entrance to Downtown Lodi's Lodi Beer Company

"Grape goddesses" murals flanking entrance to Lodi Grape & Wine Pavilion

Close-up of Segale's white wine "Grape Goddess on Lodi Grape & Wine Pavilion

Century-old vines and familiar Oak Ridge Winery sign on Lodi's Victor Road

Entrée to ZinFest Wine Festival in Lodi's bucolic Lodi Lake Park

Next month's Lodi ZinFest Wine Festival (Saturday, May 14, 12-5 PM) will be chock-full of opportunities for Lodi wine lovers experience things they love most (like barbecued foods and wines) or to expand their wine knowledge with the guidance of two of the state's most respected sommelier/educators, under the cozy tent of our ZinFest Wine School.

Under the biggest tent of all will be our ZinFest Cooking School. Let us share the details of the cooking demonstrations we have planned for our Cooking School in a future blogpost. Meanwhile, here is what ZinFesters can look forward to under our "Barbecue" as well as our Wine School tents...

Chef Lance Smith's Up In Smoke Barbecue Experience

Lance Smith, who comes to us all the way from Harrisburg, PA as Executive Chef of The Millworks Restaurant, blames it all on his roots (but will he show up in boots?) as he shares culinary secrets accumulated from previous experience in some of the finest restaurants in Texas; which include SMOKE in Dallas, Tillman’s Roadhouse in Fort Worth, and Dallas’ legendary Stephen Pyles Restaurant.

Guest "Up In Smoke" Chef, Lance Smith from The Millworks Restaurant (photo by Jewel Wicker, jwicker@pennlive.com)

Needless to say, us LoCA folks are of fervent belief that this type of cooking goes fantastic with Lodi’s plump, juicy, freshly fruit forward yet sturdy wines; and we’ll be serving some of these wines to go with the dishes demonstrated by Chef Lance under his tent.

So come on, baby, light those fires:

12 PM – Brown Sugar and Zinfandel Glazed Pork Ribs with Crispy German Potato Salad (Matching wine: 2013 LangeTwins Family Lodi Zinfandel(

1:30 PM – Beer Can Chicken Tacos with Ash Salsa and Green Tomato Pico de Gallo (Matching wine: 2012 Borra Lodi Fusion Red - Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet)

3 PM - Texas Red Clay Spiced Lamb Kabobs with Cucumber Mint Yogurt, Rhubarb & Berry Relish (Matching wine: 2013 Fields Family Lodi Tempranillo)

Lodi Wine School guest speaker, Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis

Lodi Wine School

For, like, the nth year in the row, LoCA's own Randy Caparoso (also the Editor at Large of The SOMM Journal), will be hosting two outstanding guest educators of sterling sommelier credentials, and a total of three engaging seminars presented in a fascinating yet fun, stimulating way. Your lesson plans, should you choose to accept them:

1 PM – Attention Shoppers, Insider Tips from a Master Sommelier

The one and only, ever-popular and entertaning Catherine Fallis MS (a.k.a. Grape Goddess®; Planet Grape® LLC; resident Summertime In a Glass Master Sommelier) returns to Lodi Wine School to lead this elucidating seminar as only, well, a goddess of grapes can. First, on the fine art of “blind tasting.” And second, on whether or not it is possible to tell the difference between $10 and $35 wines, or even a $70 wine. We can’t tell you the names of the 6 wines you will be tasting with Ms. Fallis because, well, this will be a blind tasting (bottles poured from paper bags). But what you may learn about your true druthers, when tasting without seeing the labels, may very well surprise or even shock you!

Lodi ZinFest guest speaker, San Franciso Wine School's Fred Swan CSW

2 PM – A Tour of European Wine Countries Via Lodi

Fred Swan CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine; San Francisco Wine School; NorCalWine.com) is one of the state's most urbane and erudite wine scholars. What better guide, to  whisk you off on a tour all around the wine world — without leaving your seat? That is to say, he will lead a tasting of fantastically delicious Lodi grown wines made from grapes originating in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. Travel is so broadening! The wines:

Germany – 2014 Markus Lodi Nimmo (Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Riesling Bacchus)

France & Spain – 2015 Acquiesce Grenache Blanc

France – 2014 Onesta Lodi Cinsaut Rosé

Spain – 2012 Bokisch Lodi Graciano

Italy – 2012 Uvaggio Lodi Barbera

Portugal – 2011 Toasted Toad Lodi Souzão

Oak barrel on fire at Lodi ZinFest

3 PM - Single-Vineyard Lodi Zinfandels - What's the Fuss?

Calling all Zin geeks! LoCA's resident wine author Randy Caparoso will lead you on this revealing taste-tour through Lodi’s east and west sides; zooming in on the sensory differences impacted by subtle differences in terroir found in the very finest, heritage growths, planted on the both sides of town. Here's your chance to learn about Lodi grown Zinfandel from the geekiest of wine geeks! The wines:

2013 m2 Soucie Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel

2012 McCay Lot 13 Lodi Zinfandel

2012 McCay TruLux Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel

2013 Lodi Native Stampede Vineyard Clements Hills-Lodi Zinfandel

2013 Lodi Native Marian’s Vineyard Mokelumne River-Lodi Zinfandel

2014 Oak Farm Indigenous Cemetery Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel

Harney Lane owner/grower Kyle Lerner brings on the bone dry Lodi rosé

When recently tasting through the latest bottlings of dry style rosés grown in Lodi, we could not help but notice a few common threads, despite the variety of grapes from which the better ones are crafted:

1. Lodi’s dry rosés are getting lighter, which is a good thing. As warm spring weather transitions into summer heat, it is far more preferable to enjoy a dry pink wine with a refreshingly airy, breezy sense of lightness, rather than a heavy, ponderous feel.

2. Lodi rosés are consistently achieving a zestier fruit tartness, adding to their light, refreshing feeling. Both lower alcohol and higher natural acidity are indicative of craftier, more sophisticated winegrowing – Lodi vintners are picking their black skinned grapes destined for pink wines a little earlier, when the fruit has less sugar and more acid, leading to lighter, crisper pink wines.

3. The lower sugars are also cutting back on the sweetly aromatic tutti-fruitiness that used to be so common in California rosés. Instead, we are getting rosés with more subtle fruit qualities – whispers of fresh strawberry, suggestions of cherry, skins of grapefruit, drops of blood orange, wedges of watermelon, nuances of pomegranate or even roguish slices of rhubarb – as opposed to annoyingly cloying, slutty, wham-bam fruitiness.

4. Even nicer, we are seeing more dry rosés laced with non-fruit notes – aromas and flavors reminiscent of sagebrush, leafy rose petal, thyme, lavender, or mixes of kitchen herbs. Such subtleties – adding to a sense of complexity, not to mention sensory intrigue – are also byproducts of the willingness to pick grapes a little earlier, at a point when resulting wines are not yet buried by sensations of overripe fruit.

Refreshing glass of Bokisch Lodi Rosado

To wit: A 2015 Acquiesce Lodi Rosé ($24), which Acquiesce owner/grower Sue Tipton recently poured alongside a dish of grilled quail and pungent trumpet mushroom risotto in porcini mushroom broth, prepared by Chef John Hitchcock of Wine & Roses Hotel’s Towne House Restaurant. The match was a winner precisely because Tipton’s rosé was not only subtly fruited – suggestions of strawberry and blood orange – but also because its aromas and flavors are laced with a wild brushy notes reminiscent of multi-faceted herbes de Provence (particularly savory, marjoram, thyme, oregano and lavender). It was almost like the wine was adding its own delicious “seasoning” to the dish!

In similar fashion, earlier this month we enjoyed a 2015 Borra Vineyards Members Reserve Lodi Rosé ($17), crafted from 63% Syrah and 37% Carignan. The setting was an al fresco lunch at Lodi’s Pietro’s Trattoria; complete with prosciutto and melon, mozzarella di bufala with basil leafed tomato, salumi and olive bruschetta, house made ravioli, and pillowy soft gnocchi with pesto – tailor made for any versatile dry pink wine. Especially the Borra family’s rosé, which comes across as crisp, soft, yet mildly lean with smidgens of tannin from their old vine Syrah and Carignan grapes; while also emanating dried kitchen herb and sagebrush aromas along with floral notes of violet.

Speaking of old vines, how about a Lodi grown rosé made from vines planted in 1886 (130 freaking years ago!)? Yes, these things exist here; and as you might expect, the 2014 Onesta Bechthold Vineyard Lodi Cinsaut Rosé ($22) is so beautiful, grown men like Michael David Winery president/co-owner David Phillips have been known to gush when taking sips of this pale, translucent pink wine, which prickles the palate with its sprightly, dancing sensations of first-strawberry-of-spring fruit, tinged with sweetly spiced, purple flower tipped sprigs of Provençal lavender. Onesta winemaker/owner Jillian Johnson’s favorite edibles for her ancient vine rosé? According to her Web site: duck pâté, red Thai curries, spreads of charcuterie, or Spanish tapas like grilled octopus or boquerones (fresh anchovies).

Bottles of Onesta, ready to be poured on-site in Lodi's ancient Bechthold Vineyard'

Are you getting hungry yet? There may be few wines of the world as food-versatile as these lighter, zestier, mild fruit and scented herb filigreed styles of rosé now coming out of Lodi (look for the dry pink wines of Bokisch Vineyards, Estate Crush, Fields Family, Harney Lane, Klinker Brick, LangeTwins Family, McCay Cellars, or St. Amant for other outstanding bottlings).

But is there such a thing as an “ultimate rosé dish?” More than a few lifetime rosé lovers would consider bouillabaisse to be the all-time best dish for firmly dry yet airy pink wines with herby complexities. Why not? Bouillabaisse is the classic dish of France’s Provence region, and there is more rosé grown and produced in Provence than anywhere else in the world.

Especially authentic Provençal style bouillabaise served with rouille, a mildly hot, garlicky pepper sauce. There is something about the combination with the pungently briny, organically earthy, spice laced taste of this classic Southern French “fisherman’s soup” that brings out the best qualities of a good, dry, sturdy rosé embedded in its own organic, earthy, acid driven, natural black skinned fruit notes.

After all these years, we still love the classic bouillabaisse recipe found in M.F.K. Fisher’s The Cooking of Provincial France (Time-Life Books, ©1968) the best. Like any fish stew, you have lots of leeway in your choice of fish and shellfish to use in a bouillabaisse. The important part is the achievement of the savory, saffron scented broth that always seems to sing like a siren for a tingly, well chilled dry rosé.

Fisher’s original recipe, based upon her many storied years spent in the South of France:

Bouillabaisse recipe in M.F.K. Fisher's The Cooking of Provincial France

Bouillabaisse

Mediterranean Fisherman’s Soup with Hot Pepper Sauce (serves 8 to 10)

COURT BOUILLON

• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1 cup thinly sliced leeks
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 8 cups water or 2 cups dry white wine and 6 cups water
• 2 lbs. fish heads, bones and trimmings
• 3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
• ½ cup fresh fennel or ½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 three-inch strip fresh orange peel
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon crushed saffron threads
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

ROUILLE

• 2 small green peppers, seeded and cut in small squares
• 1 dry chili pepper or a few drops of Tabasco added to the finished sauce
• 1 cup water 2 canned pimientos, drained and dried
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs

FISH AND SEAFOOD

• 2 two-lb. live lobsters, cut up and cracked (see recipe for lobster à la américaine)
• 1½ pounds each of three kinds of firm, white fish cut into 2-inch serving pieces (halibut, red snapper, bass, haddock, pollack, hake, cod, yellow pike, lake trout, whitefish, rockfish)
• 1 eel, cut in 2-inch pieces (optional)
• 2 lbs. live mussels (optional)
• 2 lbs. fresh or frozen sea scallops, cut in halves or quarters (optional)

CROÛTES

• 12 to 16 one-inch-thick slices of French bread
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, cut

In heavy 4- to 6-quart saucepan, cook the onions and leeks in the oil over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until they are tender but not brown (additional onions may be substituted for the leeks). Add the water or wine and water, the fish trimmings, tomatoes, herbs and seasonings, and cook uncovered over moderate heat for 30 minutes.

Borra Vineyards Member's Reserve Lodi Rose

THE ROUILLE: Meanwhile, prepare the rouille. In a 6- to 8-cup saucepan, simmer the green peppers and chili pepper in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain them thoroughly and dry them with paper towels. Then, with a larger mortar and pestle, or a mixing bowl and wooden spoon, pound the peppers, pimiento and garlic to a smooth paste. Slowly beat in the olive oil and add enough bread crumbs to make the sauce thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Taste and season with Tabasco if you have omitted the chili pepper.

A quicker but less authentic way to make rouille is to combine the simmered peppers, the pimiento, garlic and olive oil in an electric blender. Blend at low speed until they are smooth, adding more oil if the blender clogs. With a rubber spatula, transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in enough bread crumbs to make it thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Taste and season with Tabasco if you have omitted the chili pepper. Set aside.

CROÛTES: Preheat oven to 325°. Spread French bread slices in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. With pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of each slice with olive oil. Then turn the slices over and bake another 15 minutes, or until bread is completely dry and lightly browned. Rub each slice with the cut garlic clove and set aside.

ASSEMBLING THE SOUP: When the court bouillon is done, strain it through a large fine sieve into a soup pot or kettle, pressing down hard on the fish trimmings and vegetables with the back of a spoon to extract their juices before discarding them. Bring the strained stock to a boil over high heat and add the lobster. Boil briskly for 5 minutes, then add the fish (including the optional eel) and cook another 5 minutes. Finally, add the optional mussels and scallops and boil 5 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning.

To serve, remove the fish and seafood from the soup with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a heated platter. Ladle the soup into a large tureen. Thin the rouille with 2 or 3 tablespoons of soup and pour it into a sauceboat. At the table, place a croûte in each individual soup bowl, ladle in the soup over it, and arrange fish and seafood on top. Pass the rouille separately, spooned into dishes according to taste.

Classic rosé grapes: Grenache in Lodi's Hunter's Oak Vineyard

Younger Millennial wine lovers at Lodi's Oak Farm Vineyards

If you are a wine lover between 30 and 38, there is now a target on your back.

But congratulations, because you are now officially the largest and most important age group to wine producers, who are scrambling to adjust their marketing as well as products to suit your preferences as we speak.

At least according to the latest study (results from a 2015 online survey conducted in all 50 states) on “Wine Generations”: a 9-page report published in the current issue of Vineyard & Winery Management (Jan.-Feb. 2016) by Dr. Liz Thach MW and Dr. Kathryn Chang, Professors of Management and Wine Business at Sonoma State University.

30 to 38-year old wine lovers, of course, are part of the Millennial generation. Thach and Chang distinguish this group, which they call “Older Millennial,” from what they call “Younger Millennial,” aged 21-29. In an October 2015 Beverage Media Group interview, Dr. Thach is quoted to say: “The oldest Millennial is now 38 and is able to spend more money on wine. Those who are in their twenties, still in college or struggling with the post-recession economy, are more likely to be attracted to innovative packaging like wine in cans, pouches or boxes. Older Millennials are getting deeper into wine, can afford to spend more, and it’s this group that more traditional wineries are reaching out to, through social media and also wine clubs and events.”

Why Older Millennials? According to the Sonoma State University survey, both Boomers (aged 51-69) and Older Millennials are now shown to drink more wine. That frequency broken down by generations:

Table from 2016 "Wine Generations" report, Dr. Liz Thach MW & Dr. Kathryn Chang

This is not to ignore the “Swing Generation" (aged 70-82); but as the old adage goes, the older you get, the more you can spend on wine – until health reasons prevent you from doing so. And besides, while aging, this pre-Boomer generation has always been a thriftier lot.

While there are currently about 77 million Boomer Americans, compared to 70 million Americans in the Younger and Older Millennial generation, the Older Millennials are now considered the most significant wine consumers because of the higher daily frequency of their consumption. Plus the fact that Boomers are, after all, getting older, and will soon begin to restrict their wine consumption even further.

In her own Wine Stars blog, Dr. Thach advises the wine industry on how to appeal to Older Millennials by stating: “This generation appears to be highly engaged in wine and is willing to pay more for it. What may be challenging is that fact that they know so much and are very technology savvy. Wine marketers need to learn how to connect with this cohort across promotion channels, but especially online. Both innovative and intellectual methods are necessary to keep this group engaged with a brand.”

In their survey, Thach and Chang also polled wine consumers on their preferences. They found that red wine – particularly varietal bottlings of Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – was preferred by all four major generational groups, with little significant difference among them. Both Millennial groups prefer white wines just as much or more than they do red wines; whereas Gen Xers and Boomers prefer red wines slightly more than they do whites.

Graph from 2016 "Wine Generations" report, Dr. Liz Thanch MW & Dr. Kathryn Chang

However, according to the Vineyard & Winery Management article, “Younger and Older Millennials scored significantly higher on preferring sweet and fruity wines, compared to Gen Xers and Boomers.” Boomers scored the highest on preferring dry wines, which “supports other research showing that as wine consumers age they gradually begin to prefer drier wines.”

Another unique aspect of the Older Millennial group is that they are not exactly humble. More than other age groups, they rated their own wine knowledge as being significantly higher than that of other generations – at a “Connoisseur” level. Whereas more than half of the other groups rated their wine knowledge as “Intermediate” – meaning, they “know the basics about wine.”

Older Millennials are also more adventurous. When asked about whether they agree with statements like “I think it is fun to try out new wines I’m not familiar with” and “I like to try the most unusual wines, even if I’m not sure I will like them,” both Millennial groups indicated that they are the most likely to try new wines. Gen Xers scored lower than Millennials, but higher than Boomers, when it comes to interest in new wines.

When polled on their willingness to spend more on wines – $20-$25 and over $25 for bottles – both Older and Younger Millennials exhibited significantly greater willingness to splurge than both Boomers and Gen Xers. According to Thach and Chang, “This supports recent Wine Market Council findings showing that though Boomers purchase more wine, Millennials are willing to pay more per bottle.”

Most older Millennials view their wine knowledge as "Connoisseur"  level

When it comes to social media (especially Facebook), it may not be surprising to find that Older Millennials discuss wine – as well as garner information about wine, pricing, and recommendations from friends – the most frequently in such platforms, and, and that Boomers use social media the least among the age groups.

Observations of wine marketers can also be useful in gauging the overall preferences of groups such as Millennials; even if based more upon either anecdotal experience or sales pertaining to their own particular brands. In the recent Beverage Media Group report, for instance, Stephanie Gallo (E. & J. Gallo’s Vice President of Marketing) comments: “Millennials are fueling the growth of the wine category and their behaviors are dramatically different than their predecessors. They don’t adhere to traditional wine rules. They are adventurous when it comes to what they will try and purchase for themselves, their friends and their family. They appreciate innovation – particularly if it simplifies or eliminates routine challenges.”

J.J. Williams, a third generation family owner of Washington’s Kiona Vineyards & Winery, adds these thoughts: “Millennials want to know where things come from. Being able to connect with the winemaker in the tasting room, things like that, make a big difference in the type of relationship a winery can build with Millennial consumers, and it is something they are more likely to take advantage of than that older consumer.”

Also, quoting from the Beverage Media Group, “Millennials don’t care about wine scores, no matter who awards them." According to Williams, who has been monitoring response to their own posted scores, “We find it’s almost never someone who looks like they are under 30... they place more value on what their peers say, rather than old-school critics and pundits.”

Among Younger Millennials, women are consuming plus-two-thirds more wine than men

What does all this mean for Lodi’s own growers and wineries? Our advisory:

• Gen Xers and Boomers between the ages of 39 and 69 are still important, but at this time it is even wiser to make plans to grow grapes and produce wines appealing particularly to 21-38-year-old Millennials; especially as Boomers start to cut down on their wine consumption.

• What we keep hearing over and over again is the word “new.” Millennials’ willingness to experience new wines, or wines from different, innovative or adventurous grapes, are no longer incidental occurrences – it is becoming a preference. Stick to the “same ol’s” at your own peril.

• The fact that both Millennial groups are technology and internet savvy, plus the fact that they do not pay as much attention to mainstream wine media, just means there is a great opportunity to communicate with them directly. They want to learn more, and you won’t be able to compete unless you are able to establish and maintain that immediate contact.

Millennials are now a dominant percentage of the sommelier trade

• Millennials’ willingness to spend more on a bottle of wine than previous generations only reinforces the need to focus more on quality in order to meet their needs.

• It has never been a good idea to underestimate the intelligence, capacity or spending power of consumers, and Millennials more so than other generations. They learn fast, think for themselves, and in fact, 30-somethings already believe they know more about wine than anybody. So if you insult them or sell them short, you only short yourself.

• There is an “iGeneration” coming up behind Younger Millennials – kids now between the ages of 6 to 20. This generation, of course, is maturing in the age of iPhones and Minecraft; thus wired in different, perhaps more intricate ways. Since the Lodi wine industry has always involved long term, multi-generational planning – more so than in other wine regions – it is certainly not too early to think ahead about the iGens!

Millennial wine lovers enjoying Lodi's Wine & Chocolate Weekend

Culinary wine enthusiasts enjoying wine during previous ZinFest Cooking School

OMG, the 2016 Lodi ZinFest Wine Festival is this weekend, on Saturday, May 14!

What is good wine without food? As the late, great wine sage Andre Simon put it, “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are as body and soul, living partners.” Amen, bro'!

There is a reason why our yearly Lodi ZinFest Cooking School is one of our most popular events: It is the naturally lush yet balanced, fruit forward qualities of Lodi grown wines that make them such an easy match for an endless variety of dishes.

This year’s ZinFest’s guest chefs are more stellar than ever. Each of our chefs will not only demonstrate dishes, but will also be talking about why their dishes are such great matches for the wines you will be able to taste with them.

Celebrity Chef Michael Midgley

The line-up:

1:00 – 1:40 PM - Michael Midgley, Midgley’s Public House

Dish: Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

Wine: 2012 d’Art Wines Lodi Barbera

Chef Michael Midgley is Stockton’s own celebrity chef, known as much for his big, entertaining personality as much as for his cooking chops, which he has been honing since the age of 14. Midgley’s Public House is a culmination of this experience, which includes an Executive Chef stint at Manteca’s Ernie’s Food and Spirits, and appearances on Food Network’s “Cut Throat Kitchen” (where he was a top winner), Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters,” and Esquire Network’s “Knife Fight.”

Chef Tony Lawrence

2:00 – 2:40 PM - Chef Tony Lawrence, Global Wine Chef and winechefforyou.com

Dish: Summer Braised Sweet & Spicy Bean Corn Bacon Salad on Black Bean Flour Tortilla

Wine: 2013 Jessie’s Grove Lodi Petite Sirah

The 2016 ZinFest will be Philadelphia’s Chef Tony Lawrence’s nth appearance (he's such a favorite, we’ve lost track of how many times, he has appeared!); and we are always thrilled because he is one of the few culinary wizards who is also a trained sommelier and serious connoisseur of wine, a certified wine & food pairing specialist, and a frequent speaker, writer, and professional food & wine judge. His 35 years of experience includes degrees from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and the Napa Wine Academy, and as the former chef of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

"Cover chef" Heather Lea

3:00 – 3:40 PM - Heather Lea, Elle’s Custom Catering

Dish: Lemon, Herbed, Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Asparagus in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Wine: 2015 Jeremy Wine Company Lodi Albariño

Since 2004 Chef Heather Lea’s Stockton based Elle’s Custom Catering (named after her daughter Elle) has been San Joaquin Valley’s premier event-maker. Her specialty is “keeping it fresh,” and she is known for her seasonal menus showcasing the Valley’s rich agricultural heritage.

4:00 – 4:40 PM Chef Tony Lawrence, Global Wine Chef and winechefforyou.com

Dish: Moroccan Spiced Raspberry Chicken Vegetable & Rice Medley

Wine: 2013 Klinker Brick Old Ghost Old Vine Zinfandel ZinFesters, do plan accordingly, and bon appetit!

Don't blame it on the sunshine
Don't blame it on the moonlight
Don't blame it on good times
Blame it on the boogie

- The Jacksons

It may be all about the luscious, juicy Zinfandel, crisply balanced Albariño, powerful Petite Sirah, suave and earthy Tempranillo, and dozens of other styles of wine among the 200-plus bottlings that will be poured for your sampling pleasure at this Saturday’s Lodi ZinFest Wine Festival (May 14, 2016, 12 to 5 PM), taking place on the pristinely lush peninsula of Lodi Lake Park (or ticket information and online purchase, go directly to zinfest.com). 

But as longtime ZinFesters well know, it’s also about friends, family, good times and the great life engendered in a classic, all-American, proudly agricultural town like Lodi. And what’s the great life in a beautiful park and town without great music? At 2016’s ZinFest there will be lots of everything, setting the mood and sprucing up the palate:

Piano man Joe Spraker

Piano Bar by the Lake 

12:30 to 5 PM – Joe Spraker’s ZinFest Piano Bar

Because we love it, and everyone else loves it, too, we’re setting up our cozy piano bar beneath the towering Lodi Lake trees, complete with cushiony outdoor sofas and tables, to let Joe Spraker engage you with his jazzy contemporary piano and vocals. We invite you to stop by with your wine glass in hand for a song request or two, and enjoy your Saturday in the park to the notes of piano keys floating in the breezy Delta air.

Snap Jackson & the Knock on Wood Players

Strolling Minstrels 

12 to 5 PM - Snap Jackson & the Knock on Wood Players

Finger snapping all-American bluegrass, countrified soul, toe tapping old time religion and irresistible smiles – that’s what this colorful foursome of acoustic warriors will bring wherever they pop up in Lodi Lake Park with their mobile musical merriment. 

ZinFest Main Stage 

The Paper Dolls

12:30 to 1:30 PM – The Paper Dolls

On this year’s big stage, we’re aiming to tickle you pink by starting things out with this beautiful pair of cherub faced, ukelele slinging, silken voiced women known as Uni (Heather Marie Ellison) and Em Doll (Emily Schmidt). Their inspirations – ranging from the Andrews Sisters (Rum & Coca Cola) to Paul Simon (Me & Julio), Beatles (Martha My Dear), Feist (Mushaboom), Winehouse (Valerie), Nat King Cole (Paper Moon), Estefan (1,2,3,4), Cee-Lo (Forget You) and more, plus a spate of enticing originals – have been described as “genre-bending” and “an other-worldly delight of sight and sound.” If you’re wondering, Ms. Uni once a key component of that popular San Francisco neo-swing band called The Savoy Swingers, before meeting her “long lost musical soulmate” from Canada, Ms. Em, in 1995, upon which the winsome The Paper Dolls was formed – and they've been workin’ for the Yankee dol-laaah ever since.

Mitch Woods revving up the rock-a-boogie

2 to 4:30 PM - Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s

Of course, we understand – you’ve got great wine, happy peeps, a gorgeous blue lake, and a lonely “floor” of fluffy green grass in front of a big stage. Gotta dance! Mitch Woods and his Rockets 88’s bill themselves as torchbearers of a great American branch of the blues that could be described as “jump n’ boogie” – think the late '40s and early '50s, when more rhythmetic musicians were pushing the boundaries of big band, and New Orleans inspired R&B was about to give birth to rock ‘n’ roll (Louis Prima, Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris, Joe and Jimmy Liggins, Amos Milburn, Roy Milton...). Like aromatic wine, the melodic beat of Americana is timeless, and we know you’ll enjoy this band’s own brand of “rock-a-boogie!”

Lodi ZinFesters enjoying their wine, music and classic Saturday in the park

Another perfect Lodi day and memorable ZinFest for these colorful wine lovers

Are Lodi wine lovers different? We think so. At least judging from over 4,000 of them who entered through the gates to Lodi Lake Park to enjoy the 2016 Lodi ZinFest Wine Festival this past Saturday, May 14.

What we saw were peeps looking to enjoy wine without a speck of attitude, pretension or self-consciousness, among many more of like mind. Sure, many were there to learn; or more like, to enhance their experience by discovering new and delicious things. Some came dressed in crafty style, although everyone came just to have fun, and to enjoy the perfect, breezy, sun splashed 72°-average-temperature Lodi spring day. You know, the things that make Lodi and its wines so Lodi... 

Adding up to another terrific ZinFest; as anyone can glean through these vivid photos-memories:

Entrance to 2016 ZinFest in Lodi Lake Park

Oh, happy day: the first 2016 ZinFesters entering Lodi Lake Park

2016 ZinFest getting underway alongside Lodi Lake

Young ZinFest volunteers opening the shades

These lady ZinFesters are dressed for style and wine tasting comfort

While thousands of wine lovers are filing in behind them, the Oak Farm Vineyards team is raring to go

Smartly dressed Lodi wine lover in straw fedora and Hawaiian Style tee

Lodi wine lovers are cool (note the custom designed pendant and earrings)

Always time for fresh, luscious Lodi grown cherries

Signs and way to more ZinFest pleasures

Spring fashion and Lodi wine passions

That-a-way to find the ZinFest sommelier seminars

Always a few ways to get around at Lodi ZinFest

The Robert Lauchland Vineyards team in their "Lodi spirit" wine label shirts

This family came in their own "30 Years of Zinnin'" tees commemorating a birthday boy (in orange)

No worries, just being Lodi Zin-happy

ZinFest Cooking School in session

Chef Tony Lawrence (left) and Klinker Brick owner/grower Steve Felten (center) on the Cooking School stage

San Francisco's most unusual Paper Dolls taking the stage at Lodi ZinFest

Cowboy up, Lodi ZinFest style

For encores, letting the young man do that Zin thing he do

Quiet time by the Lodi Lake under a pillowy blue sky

At ZinFest Wine School, Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis regaling a curious crowd

So many wines, so little time, but plenty of time to chill

Boyz-2-Lodi-wine-lovers

A taste of Acquiesce's refreshingly pure, unoaked, sleek and crisp whites

Life is good when you're sampling Oak Farms' elegantly textured wines

Deep, vivid Mettler Family Vineyards red

When there's good times, absolutely everyone else must know

Instagram shot with Lodi Lake New Freedom Bell (Liberty Bell replica)

Lovin' us some Lodi ZinFest

What else is there to do at the ZinFest kissing booth?

More quiet time by Lodi Lake

Joe Spraker entertaining at his piano bar by the lake

Gettin' serious about Lodi wine can be as fun as it gets

The good life during Lodi ZinFest

What it's all about: seriously dry (from 130-year-old ancient vine Cinsaut), world class Lodi rosé by Onesta Wines

San Francisco Wine School's Fred Swan talks about Lodi's many alternative varietals

Swirling to examine a nose at ZinFest Wine School

At ZinFest Wine School, nothing like new sensory experiences

Snap Jackson & the Knock on Wood Players firing up the ZinFest energy

Speaking of fire: Lodi homegrown Lockeford sausages (world's best, sez us!)

The fresh face of today's Lodi wine lovers

A McCay Cellars Lodi wine lover, all the way

Taking the electric wheels around Lodi Lake Park

Gotta luv it at Lodi ZinFest

At ZinFest, a you-had-to-be-there moment

Civilized fun at Lodi's ZinFest

Now we're really starting to have fun...

Hanging out by the main stage at Lodi ZinFest

Kinda says it all about Lodi wine lovers

Winding down towards the end of the day at ZinFest

One more Kodak moment, and it's farewell to another great ZinFest!

In the early 1900s Lodi was going places (even if the speed limit for horseless carriages driven by these two Lodi natives was just 8 MPH!) 

110 years ago – on November 27, 1906, to be precise – an election was held in Lodi (population 2,000 at that time) to incorporate as a City. Finally, as local historian Toni Christman puts it in Our Time to Shine (2012), “citizens were well on their way to respectability.”

As with most rural American towns, "respectability" for Lodi did not happen overnight. Just two years earlier, in 1904, a motion to incorporate had been decisively voted down, primarily due to the opposition of saloon owners and other businesses. The tide turned, according to Lucy Reller and Ralph Lea in the Lodi Historian (Lodi Historical Society) newsletter, because “the opposition of the saloon keepers had a reverse effect and increased the desire of church people and the average citizen to incorporate.”

Up until then, writes Christman, “the town of Lodi grew like an unruly child, gathering strangers from all walks of life migrating from (nearby) Lockeford, Stockton, Sacramento in addition to other existing nearby settlements. Lodi was sometimes referred to as a ‘rum-guzzling’ town with young boys on the road to hell.”

So let’s paint a picture of this once-forsaken town, starting in 1846 when the first settlers of European descent arrived in the area we know as Lodi. The earliest arrivals settled on the name “Mokelumne,” for the Mokelumne River winding through the area on the way to the Delta from Sierra Nevada. Mokul is a corruption of the native Plains Miwok tribe’s word for river; umne referring to “people of.” By 1846 the Miwok population had all but disappeared; particularly following a calamitous plague ravaging San Joaquin Valley in 1832.

Early 1900s postcard depicting the Lodi Arch and an unpaved Pine St.

In 1869 a group of the area’s original landowning settlers persuaded Central Pacific Railroad to make Mokelumne one of the stops between Stockton and Sacramento. The town's first business buildings, at the corner of present-day Sacramento and Pine Streets – where the landmark Lodi Arch would later be erected in 1907 – were built alongside the railway station; a site chosen because it sits on slightly higher ground, less prone to the Mokelumne River's frequent (at the time) flooding.

But aside from the obvious difficulty of pronouncing Mokelumne, locals knew another name eventually needed to be chosen because the town was often confused with nearby communities with similar names – particularly Mokelumne Hill and Mokelumne City – which continuously hampered mail delivery and delayed shipments of goods and supplies.

But why the name “Lodi?” According to Christman, one opinion “holds that it honored a famous trotting horse bred in Woodland, California, raced in Sacramento. Another theory says settlers from Lodi, Illinois promoted the choice. A third possibility recalls the Italian site of Napoleon’s first victory against the Austrians. Lodi in Italian means beautiful. Whatever reason you choose, in 1874 it became Lodi.”

However, in the 1870s and 1880s, the newly christened Lodi was still a classic Western American town. Writes Christman: “In 1881, Lodi was considered wild, uncontrolled and causing great distress to peaceful residents. Partiers patronized too many saloons spending too much money gambling on cards, or horse, dog and turkey races. Then for lack of anything else, they threw their hard-earned dollars away on turtle races!

Part of mile-long procession of grape carts coming through Lodi Arch during 1907 Tokay Festival

“Inhabitants carried sports to extremes as a diversion from everyday life. On Sundays, and Holidays, especially July 4th, the business world would close its doors and shopping came to a standstill. Sacramento Street would come alive with bystanders, bettors, and spectators lined up taking pleasure in observing the horses and dog races. Well-attended baseball games against nearby towns provided additional Sunday wagering opportunities in both money and prizes. These wagering events were sometimes followed by a dance at the Sacramento Street Park.

“Dog racing was not always performed on a track using Greyhounds. In the early 1900s, participants picked a large field then proceeded to turn their dogs loose on wild rabbits. The first dog to catch a rabbit won the race...

“Authorities attempted to curb illegal gambling practices in Lodi. The Club Saloon in 1902 had the nickel-in-the-slot machine, only to meet its fatal fate. The three slot machines (one-armed bandits) in Lodi Hotel in 1903 were given a fond goodbye with their faces turned facing the wall. In the refined Chinatown community, income needed to pay debts was instead being lost on lottery tickets.”

Then there were animals – not wild ones, just an overwhelming domestic population. Writes Reller and Lea, it wasn’t until 1895 that the County Board finally appointed a “Poundmaster” to “pick up dogs, pigs, horses and cattle, etc. from the streets of Lodi during the day, but at night most people opened their gates to allow animals to eat grass and Lodi looked like a country fair.”

The "Lodi Fun Arch" built behind the permanent Lodi Mission Arch for the 1907 Tokay Festival

Although Lodi’s population was never to grow at the rate of more urban communities like Sacramento to the north and Stockton to the south, it quickly became renowned as an agricultural community. In 1876, according to Christman, the “the world’s largest crop, 3.4 million bushels of the grain (wheat), was raised around the outskirts of Lodi.” When wheat and barley prices failed, local farmers turned to watermelons, and by the early 1890s Lodi had a new title as the “watermelon capitol of the world.”

It would be grapes, of course, that would eventually emerge as the region’s most enduring crop. Christman tells us, “Swiss immigrant Mr. Magley was said to have planted the first vineyard in 1848 on Turner Road. The projected wealth from this new crop beckoned relatives and acquaintances in the Dakotas, who hastened to this land of plenty.” By 1905, Lodi was known worldwide as the “heartland of the delectable Flame Tokay grape,” and by 1907 Lodi was shipping out over $10 million (over $240 million by today's currency) in grapes for the table or for wine production.

Most of Lodi’s new arrivals between the 1890s and 1920s were of German descent. Aside from mud-holed streets and the promising agricultural opportunities, what they found in their new home was less than acceptable from a social standpoint.

Writes Christman, “Race tracks plus about 14 saloons far outnumbered its four Churches. Abstemious Germans were appalled by a main street lined with bars sporting brass railings, spittoons, scantily dressed fast ladies of the night, loud piano music and mugs of beer for five cents. Worse, those establishments were open all evening; including, heaven forbid, Sunday! Because there were too few churches for the population, religious services were often held in saloons.”

During the first decade of the 1900s, the arrival of a more “respectable” Lodi populace led to the establishment of no less than a dozen new churches of various denominations; and “this rough ‘n ready settlement,” according to Christman, was steadily transforming into “a God-fearing town." There were catches, however, to this newfound piety. Adds Christman, "By WWII, when Lodi’s population was approximately 8,000, nearly half were of German descent. The joke among these folks was: knock on any Lodi door and a relative will answer. In later years, the joke became: if you want to date someone, find out first if you are related!”

1900: The family home of Dr. Wilton Mason, who owned Lodi's first horseless carriage, 

Hence, in December 1906, when Lodi’s newly appointed Board of Trustees began to meet to establish order, new laws and revenue sources, the following were among the first ordinances passed:

• Saloon licenses are $100 for three months, plus $12 for billiard tables.
• A quarterly fee of $50 for patent medicine sales using music to attract attendance (i.e. medicine shows).
• Other license fees; including $10 for real estate offices, $15 for hotels, $3 for “storekeepers” or “traders.”
• No “trading” on Sundays.
• Saloons open only from 6 AM to 12 PM, and closed on Sundays.
• Saloon windows must be high enough to prevent youngsters from peering in.
• Minors possessing liquor must have a note from a parent.
• No gambling within City limits.
• Disposal of “filth, rubbish, offal and slops,” plus a law prohibiting “swill carts” from leaking.
• No “animals at large on City streets.”
• Misdemeanor charges for “vulgar and abusive language in public,” “whistling in public halls,” and “singing in saloons.”
• A speed limit (for suddenly fashionable horseless carriages) of 8 miles per hour.
• Unlawful to leave horses unhitched.

Even more importantly, Lodi’s incorporation as a City would almost immediately lead to the establishment or improvements of essential services such as utilities (especially for gas, electricity and water), sewage disposal, fire hydrants, and street paving.

Finally, in a burst civic pride, Lodi rank and file mobilized to announce its presence to the rest of the world by organizing the Tokay Carnival – a 3-day celebration of the region’s supreme grape and the region’s economic “arrival,” symbolized by the Mission style Lodi Arch that still stands today, at Pine Street and Sacramento Street (see our previous blogpost, In 1907 Lodi celebrated grapes like no American city never-ever has).

German themed Lodi Grape Festival under Lodi Arch during late 1930s

Where is the City of Lodi (population now just over 63,000) at today? We asked Lodi's current Mayor, Mark Chandler, who told us:

The City is now governed by an elected City Council made up of 5 members. We elect a Mayor and Vice Mayor among ourselves, and direct staff (principally the City Manager) to carry out our decisions. The City Manager has an executive team comprised of the City Attorney, City Clerk, Planning Director, Public Works Director, Electric Utility Director, Police and Fire Chiefs, Parks and Rec Director, etc. The City employs about 380 employees; plus there are volunteer advisory boards and commissions who provide recommendations to the Council regarding their issues.

One of our most pressing issues today is economic development - increasing jobs and employment by bringing new companies to Lodi and growing the ones already here. We want to expand hospitality infrastructure to leverage the success of the wine and tourism industries. Public safety (especially reducing crime, gang and/or drug related) is a major concern, and as well as Public Parks (rehabilitating Lodi Lake and other parks where deferred maintenance is diminishing the visitor experience). And of course, finance - such as dealing with the looming public employee retirement service obligations - is a major priority. 

If you ask most locals, Lodi has come a long ways, but the future looks just as bright and wide-open as it did 110 years ago. As the Lodi Sentinel proclaimed, reporting on plans for the September 19-21, 1907 Tokay Carnival:

Lodi will show to the world what she produces by displaying the real product before their eyes and (we'll) decorate the town with vines and grapes, making this city resemble a living vineyard as near as possible... Let us show them... Santa Barbara and Pasadena became famous on account of their flowers; oranges made Los Angeles, and fruit made San Jose famous – let grapes make Lodi famous.

Which, to some extent, is exactly what has come to past... what with recent recognitions such as Wine Enthusiast's "Wine Region of the Year," Lodi has been "showing" itself to the world with aplomb-plus!

Lodi's triumphant Mission Arch, still standing after 110 years

Macchia owner/winemaker Tim Holdener pouring barrel sample

Graciano is a black skinned grape from Spain, prized for centuries for the deep pigmentation, rich aroma and dense quality it gives to red wines, especially when blended with grapes like Tempranillo.

But unlike Tempranillo – which, according to Ana Fabiano in her book The Wine Region of Rioja (©2012, Sterling Epicure), accounts for about 40% of all the grapes grown in Spain – Graciano is relatively rare, even in its native Rioja region. Writes Fabiano, “Although it represents only 2 percent of grape cultivation today, a mere 3 square miles, the winemakers of Rioja are seduced by Graciano... They smile and wiggle when they talk about it as a model variety.”

However, the Spanish have never been enthusiastic about cultivating the grape, which Fabiano describes as “finicky” and unable to “handle stress well,” on top of issues such as “small grapes (translation: low yields, making little economic sense) with a tough black skin.”

Graciano in Lodi's Bokisch Ranches

Needless to say, acreage of Graciano in California is even more miniscule – less than a dozen acres – which is why most wine lovers (not just Americans, but everywhere in the world) have never heard of it.

As in Spain, the variety is planted in California primarily to add color and sexiness to Tempranillo based reds; but a funny thing happened when Lodi’s Bokisch Vineyards first started coming out with their Spanish inspired wines in the early 2000s: they discovered that customers preferred their varietal bottlings of Graciano over their Tempranillo, despite the latter’s loftier reputation as one of the world’s “great” wine grapes (right up there alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sangiovese).

Not coincidentally, there has also been a recent resurgence of interest in Graciano in Spain, for the exact same reasons. According to Fabiano: “Wines that are 100 percent Graciano are rare, and they can be spectacular, with an intense color. The aromas can be strong and are unique, reminiscent of star fruit, green pepper, and spice.”

If this sounds interesting to you, the Lodi Viticultural Area has been the place to be since growers like Bokisch Ranches and Ripken Vineyards began supplying Graciano grapes to artisanal producers such as Egan Cellars, Jeremy Wine Co., Sheldon Wines, Fenestra Winery, Riaza Wines and others.

But the deepest, boldest, sexiest Graciano of them all? At this writing, that might be the 2014 Macchia Gracious Lodi Graciano ($25), which positively exudes concentrated aromas of sun dried cherry and plum with smidgens of earthy spices like saffron, cumin and paprika chile; luxuriating brazenly across the palate with layers of hugely thick, velvety, savory sensations, prickling the palate with lively acidity while smoothing over everything like a chocolate mint waiting on a plump, purple cushioned pillow at the end of a glorious, sun soaked day.

Despite the opulent texturing and Gracious moniker, we should mention that Macchia’s Graciano is no pushover – weighing in at 16.2% alcohol. Think of a willowy, tattooed, spike-haired 110-pound girl who packs the wallop of a sumo wrestler. Don’t mess with a messer!

Says Macchia Wines owner/winemaker Tim Holdener: “The 2014 is our third vintage, and grapes come from two of Bokisch’s vineyards. For our own customers, it started off as a curiosity – typically we would hear, ‘What’s a Graciano?’ Then when they tasted it, they’d immediately recognize the fact that this wine goes way beyond Zinfandel, which we specialize in. Graciano has another layer of flavor, like the difference between wild rice and white rice, or the gamey taste of wild pheasant compared to a farm turkey. Now we have customers who always expect us to have it!”

Graciano, in other words, is a long overlooked grape, producing wines that far exceed expectations. So typically Lodi!

"Party patio" at Macchia Wines winery

Lisa and John Gash under one of the spreading old trees in their east side Lodi estate

The advantages of a micro-sized – that is, an artisanal or “boutique” – winery can also be disadvantages. It’s good to be small because you can lavish far more attention on 2 to 6 barrels of a wine than you can on 2000 to 6000 barrels; which is the difference between a winery like PRIE Vineyards in Lodi and, for example, an E. & J. Gallo in Modesto or Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville.

By the same token, if by chance one or two of your 6 barrels veer off into some kind of microbiological minefield – ending up with funny or even awful smells and tastes – then you’re pretty much screwed. You either have to bottle the wine “as is,” or pour it down the drain. Either way, that's a big bite (ouch) out of your production. No wonder, as you travel up and down the West Coast or anywhere in the U.S. visiting tinier, “hands on” wineries, it is not uncommon (in fact, almost to be expected) to find the most peculiar, funky or off-tasting wines in the tasting rooms of the smallest producers.

PRIE's tasting room and winery on N. Alpine Rd.

Since opening their immaculately designed winery/tasting room along N. Alpine Rd. on Lodi’s east side a year ago this time, it’s been more than so-far-so-good for PRIE Vineyards. The wines of this micro-sized producer – open to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays to allow proprietor/winemakers John and Lisa Gash to hold down their respective “real” jobs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Golden 1 Credit Union (Mr. Gash also lectures graduate Computer Engineering courses at San Jose State University) – most definitely reflect the care and precision of the owners. No funky-monkey wines here!

Take the 2015 PRIE Lodi Vermentino ($21), sourced from Kevin Delu’s Bella Vigna Vineyard in Lodi’s Alta Mesa AVA: a wow white with the pristinely dry, steely and light-medium bodied qualities you expect from this Mediterranean grape (commonly utilized in white wines grown in Provence, Corsica and Sardinia); but with those appealingly extravagant “Lodi” touches – tropical flower, white peach and citrus juice perfumes, combining with lemon zest, a scrubby minerality and intriguingly lavender-ish herbes de Provence-like notes gently lingering on the palate. Only 70 cases produced – that’s what micro-sized winemaking should be all about!

Tasting room at PRIE Vineyards

With their 2012 PRIE Soucie Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel ($21), the Gashes have measurably improved upon their previous vintage released last spring; particularly by moving from American oak to tighter grained French oak, which has added a more subtle vanillin veneer to a nose punctuated by the red cherry, black tea and mildly composty/earthy qualities typical of Zinfandels grown on Lodi’s west side, plus a little more of a zesty, uplifted pop to the medium-full bodied sensations in the mouth (compared to the pungent, earthy, somewhat more rustic 2011 PRIE Soucie Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel, which is still available at the winery for $27). Only 150 cases (6 barrels-worth) of the 2012 were produced.

Lodi producers like Michael David Winery have done a lot to familiarize local wine lovers with the black skinned Petit Verdot grape, originally from France’s Bordeaux region. The 2013 PRIE Lodi Petit Verdot ($27), sourced from Barbara Huxsteadt’s postage stamp sized Hux Vineyards just west of Hwy. 99, is a refreshing alternative in its markedly more restrained use of oak (mildly sweet vanillin touches in the nose which do not carry into the flavor); choosing instead to highlight the modestly floral, violet-like perfume, welterweight, and fine, zesty, somewhat edgy texturing that distinguish this varietal from other red Bordeaux types (such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot).

But the three aforementioned wines are just the build-up – the appetizer courses, if you will – to PRIE’s real pièce de resistance, made from the 8.5 acres of estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon that originally drew the Gashes to this N. Alpine Rd. property: the 2013 PRIE Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon ($33).

Mr. Gash tells us, “We moved to Lodi from Livermore Valley in 2012 specifically for Cabernet Sauvignon. But not just any Cabernet Sauvignon. We searched for one that also expresses the soul and region of Lodi, which we think of as a friendlier, lighter presentation than what you would find in other wine regions. With our first vintage (only 200 cases produced), we think we have captured some of that essence.”

PRIE'S John Gash in his barrel room

Gash, in fact, understates their success: the PRIE estate grown and produced Cabernet Sauvignon is very much an upbeat, elegantly balanced iteration of the grape. No, it is not big, beefy and tannic (nor oppressively oaky) like typical varietal offerings from Napa Valley, nor as sweetly fruited as newer fangled ones from, say, Paso Robles. Nor would you want it to be. What it is is bright, laid-back and confident in its medium bodied, aw-shucks grape skin. There are varietal qualities aplenty – mildly weedy/herby, cedary, cigar box-ish aromas with fairly floral, blackcurrant/berry fragrances, extending all the way through a smooth, notably pliant, exceptionally Lodi finish.

If you haven’t yet discovered PRIE, you would only be doing yourself a favor by dropping in to support this sensibly evolving newcomer to Lodi’s burgeoning, and exciting, winemaking scene.

PRIE estate vineyard

Oak Farm Vineyards' winery and tasting room on Lodi's west side

At first sniff and sip, the 2015 Oak Farm Vineyards Lodi Chardonnay ($25) tastes like many other well made Chardonnays with its airy sense of freshness and the creamy smoothness of its modestly full, seamless, silken textured body.

But then the subtleties begin to add up to something a little “different.” A mild, Meyer lemon tartness seems to add a crinkly crisp quality; like a freshly pressed, but not starchy stiff, shirt or blouse. There are floral fruit notes and light mineral sensations on the palate that speak to the wine’s Lodi origins in sandy loam soils and squarely Mediterranean climate. Plus a little confectionary nuance reminiscent of the “oh goody” caramelized scent of a bananas Foster deftly prepared tableside by an old time waiter in a classic New Orleans restaurant.

But above all, it is the feel of levity on the palate – none of that weighty, obtrusive, wood grained dryness, bitterness or astringency so typical of American Chardonnays, which are generally “enhanced,” as if by testosterone supplements, by intense doses of the oak barrels in which Chardonnays are commonly fermented and aged. Oh, the oak is there in the 2015 Oak Farm Chardonnay; but it whispers faintly in the backdrop, while the crinkly fresh, tropical flower petal nuanced varietal fruit qualities do most of the titillation on the palate.

This, in other words, represents a somewhat new and welcome step for not just Lodi grown Chardonnay, but West Coast Chardonnays in general, which are all too often either too dry and astringent with oak or overly lean and sharp when made in styles packaged as “unoaked.” The Oak Farm bottling explores a blissful middle ground; while playing up the fresh, floral fruit qualities of Lodi grown fruit so often lost in typical winery manipulations in the effort to maintain “brand” styles or to conform to industry expectations of “varietal character.”

The back label says only 498 cases of the 2015 Oak Farm Chardonnay were produced; and so it won’t be challenging anything by Rombauer or Kendall-Jackson for market supremacy anytime soon. Still, the sensory distinctions seemed significant enough for us to go directly to the Oak Farm Vineyards winemaker, Chad Joseph, to get the skinny on what was done that makes this Chardonnay so unique.

And like any good, fully engaged winemaker, Mr. Joseph was only too happy to furnish a little shop-talk; perhaps a little geeky, but fascinating for wine lovers, and connoisseurs of Chardonnay in particular...

Oak Farm winemaker Chad Joseph (photo by Elaine Brown)

LoCA: What makes the new vintage of Oak Farm Chardonnay significantly different from previous ones from both winemaking and sensory perspectives?

C.J.: We have been trying to fine tune our approach to Chardonnay at Oak Farm Vineyards, and learn what style we like to make and drink. From a winemaker’s perspective, the 2014 was done in more of the traditional “California” style, with 100% inoculated (yeast) barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, sur lie aging with bimonthly bâttonage (i.e. stirring of lees, or dead yeast cells, remaining in contact with wine while aging in barrels), and more new French and European oak (35% new, aged in barrels for 9 months total before bottling, on lees).  The sensory characteristics of the 2014 vintage could be described as ripe pear, apple pie, creamy texture, butterscotch, honey roasted nuts, with hints of mushroom and baked bread.

For the 2015 vintage, we used two vineyards, and we incorporated more of the French “Chablis” style of winemaking. We did 50% native yeast fermentation, first in tank, then finished fermenting in barrels. We did not include new oak and did not stir the lees on this lot. The other 50% was fermented using a selected yeast strain in barrels, which did include a little new French oak (25%, employing barrels with light toast and medium grain), and was aged sur lie with monthly bâttonage.  I would describe the 2015 as more restrained, with tropical fruit, pineapple, a little more minerality, and subtle vanilla-cream. We think that both vintages show promising results, showcasing the potential Lodi has for unique premium Chardonnay styles.

Clements HIlls-Lodi grown Chardonnay

LoCA: What are the vineyard sources and the possible influences of that?

C.J.: The 2014 was 100% sourced from Maley Brothers' Ridenaur Vineyard, which is essentially a west (of Hwy. 99) side vineyard located in the Mokelumne River sub-appellation of Lodi.  

The 2015 is sourced from two vineyards (about 50% each) – the same Maley Brothers Vineyard and then from the Elk Vineyard farmed by Jonathan Wetmore in Lodi’s Clements Hills AVA. The cool thing was that in 2015 Todd Maley dry farmed his vineyard, which yielded smaller berries, earlier ripening, and higher acid content. We fermented this lot using feral yeast and bacteria, and we did not stir the lees. We also did not use any new oak on this lot, and we even included a couple of stainless steel barrels. I would liken this to the “Chablis” style, which brings out more minerality and fruit finesse, and de-emphasizes winemaking technique or a winemaker’s influence. The Elk Vineyard was harvested almost a month later, and it was riper in Brix (sugar reading) and flavor. We utilized the same winemaking technique as the 2014 vintage, which yielded a very round, creamy, and yeasty complexity. It included new oak, which helps carry the finish while adding some spice and sweet oak notes.

Oak Farm's Chad Joseph and Dan Panella

LoCA: Can you specify thoughts on barrel selection and its impact on end product?

C.J.: Working with Dan (Dan Panella, Oak Farm Vineyards GM/Owner) on the Chardonnay project has been very enlightening. He really likes to limit the overall impact oak has on our Chardonnay. We have found that using a limited amount of medium grain French oak with a lighter toast works best to accentuate the fruit without dominating the overall character of the wine. I think we are pointed in the direction of using oak as a highlight, rather than the dominant feature of our wine. This approach gives a subtle spiciness, vanilla and honeyed influence to our Chardonnay.

LoCA: Does the new release reflect a possible new direction for Lodi grown Chardonnay? 

C.J.: I think it reflects the potential Lodi Chardonnay has. Lodi has exceptional fruit, and we are just learning this potential through better farming techniques, winemaking strategies, and overall philosophy. Traditionally, I think many people leaned towards an over ripe style for Lodi, but I think a more restrained Chardonnay is where we are headed at Oak Farm Vineyards.

LoCA: Do you feel that at Oak Farm you are better able to administer innovations?

C.J.: Yes, but I think that other wineries in Lodi are on the same track. I am very pleased with the Chardonnay being produced at Harney Lane Winery, Lucas, and Michael David, to name a few. That being said, I will admit that Oak Farm Vineyards has made the investment to buy the best winemaking equipment, oak barrels, and is in the process of experimenting with different vineyard sources in Lodi. So, Oak Farm Vineyards is in a position to innovate and learn even more when it comes to developing premium Lodi Chardonnay.

LoCA: Do you think Lodi can ever become known as much for Chardonnay as for other varietals, such as Zinfandel or Mediterranean types?

C.J.: There is definitely the advantage of having so many great vineyards and acreage to work with in Lodi. I think we are just starting the process of developing the winemaking techniques to best exemplify the potential of Lodi Chardonnay. In Lodi there’s a lot Chardonnay being grown that is being used to bolster some really good brands that are being labeled other than Lodi. I think as Lodi gets more recognition, and wineries use Lodi on the label, we will see this region being known as a premium Chardonnay producer.

LoCA: What is the role or influence of ownership (particularly Dan Panella) in this ongoing progress?

C.J.: I think Dan’s influence on this progress is huge. He wants to learn. And, he is willing to experiment. Developing a vineyard, a brand, or a wine style takes time and innovation. He understands that it will take many years of trial and error. I also think he enjoys the process of trying new things and pushing the limits. I don’t think he minds that our Chardonnay program may be different year to year as we learn the potential in Lodi Chardonnay. He embraces the effort and knows that our wine club and patrons will enjoy the process and the fruits of our labor. I think we both are pleasantly surprised with the potential and results of our efforts so far. It’s helping fuel the passion of why we both got into this business in the first place, to learn and grow wine in Lodi.

Eternity fountain at Oak Farm Vineyards

Photo courtesy of Meg Houston Maker, makerstable.com

One of the brands used by Holman Cellars, a micro-winery based in Napa Valley, is called Uncharted – an apt description of the Lodi grown white wine presented by owner/winemaker Jason Holman at a winemakers’ lunch and tasting in Mokelumne Glen Vineyards this past Saturday (June 4, 2016).

The wine in question: the 2015 Uncharted (by Holman Cellars) Mokelumne Glen Vineyard Lodi Bacchus ($25); a crisp, bone dry, buoyant and fluid medium bodied white wine with beautiful perfumes and sensuous, lingering flavors suggesting the pungent oils of sweet thyme and lavender rubbed between the fingers, the stringy flesh of apricot pulled off a pit, and ribbons of skin peeled from a baking apple.

Bacchus is the grape going into this 100% varietal white; and yes, Bacchus was also the “Roman God of Wine and Intoxication,” as the winery put it in when announcing the release of the previous vintage (a 2014) of their wine, “equated to the Greek Dionysus... Bacchanalia, orgies in honor of Dionysus, were introduced in Rome around 200 BC.”

With a refreshing sense of levity, the Holman folks – essentially a couple, Jason and Helen Holman, both recovering lawyers-turned-vintners/wine importers – invited friends to their first Bacchus launch party by saying, “We will be hosting one of these said bacchanalia (clothes required)... think of it as a wine orgy.” An orgy in a bottle, we presume, not at the party.

Holman Cellars' Jason Holman in Mokelumne Glen Vineyards

By all logic, or everything held sacred in the more conventional world of wines, Bacchus is not a grape that should be growing in Lodi. The Lodi Viticultural Area is known for its subtropical Mediterranean climate; whereas Bacchus is a white wine grape crossing – of (Silvaner x Riesling) x Müller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madeleine Royale) –  originally developed by a viticulturist named Peter Morio in 1933 for vineyards in Germany, growing in largely continental climates.

Vineyards in Germany are planted in undoubtedly the coldest climate wine regions in the world; although there are large sections of Germany, such as the Pfalz and Rheinhessen, that have moderate degrees of warmth during summer months. Lodi seems like an unlikely place for German grapes because many people think of it as part of the “hot” Central Valley. In reality, Lodi’s location at the upper end of the Valley, directly influenced by cool Bay Area air moving in through the Delta's Carquinez Strait, actually makes Lodi’s climate pretty much on the par with coastal regions such as mid-Napa Valley, the upper-east sides of Sonoma County, and most of Paso Robles and Santa Ynez Valley.

It is precisely because of those moderating Delta breezes that two retired Lodi schoolteachers, Bob and Mary Lou Koth, originally planted Mokelumne Glen Vineyards on gentle slopes couched into a lush, tree shaded curve of the Mokelumne River in the late 1990s – not to classic Mediterranean grapes such as Syrah, Sangiovese. Tempranillo or Assyrtiko, but rather to grapes of German or Austrian origins. No less than 40 different cultivars right off the bat. Their “collection” has recently grown to 48 varieties!

This undertaking has been, and still is, very much a viticultural exploration of uncharted territory.

Speckled grapes in Mokelumne Glen Vineyards

Last Saturday, when presenting his Uncharted Bacchus (which the Germans pronounce as BAH-kwoos), Mr. Holman said, “I first became curious about the grape during trips to Germany, where I tasted a number of wines made from Bacchus. Across the board, these whites seem to have high acid and attractive stone fruit qualities. In vineyards, I noticed that the grape has tiny black speckles, similar to what you find in Riesling grapes. When we found out there was Bacchus growing in Mokelumne Glen Vineyard in Lodi, of course we were interested.”

The original reason why Bacchus was developed and planted in Germany was for commercial purposes: since the grape tends to have slightly lower acidity than Riesling, Germany's finest variety, it was found that it could grow optimally in places where Riesling had trouble ripening consistently. In Lodi, however, the Koths have found that Bacchus is one of their slower ripening white varieties; but this has never been a problem, since in Lodi Augusts and Septembers are still warmer than in most of Germany.

It is not surprising, in fact, that the Bacchus grape takes on nuanced Mediterranean qualities (the thyme and lavender subtleties) when grown in Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA. Don't believe some things you may hear: terroir (i.e. "sense of place") can strongly influence varietal character of varieties of Vitis vinifera. It's also no coincidence that the Holman approach to winemaking entails minimal intervention; including native yeast fermentation, and prioritizing a natural balance of acidity when making picking decisions.

Markus Niggli, who crafts wines from Mokelumne Glen grapes in similar naturalistic fashion for Borra Vineyards under his Markus Wine Co. label, has been utilizing Bacchus grapes for the past five vintages; but unlike Mr. Holman, Niggli prefers to blend his Bacchus in bottlings of what he calls Nativo (Kerner and Riesling with a smaller percentage of Bacchus) and Nimmo (blends of Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and a tiny portion of Bacchus).

Which leaves Holman Cellars’ pure, 100% Uncharted Bacchus as one of the most unique white wines in the U.S. Outside of Germany, England and Canada’s British Columbia seem to be the only other regions in the world where the grape is taken with any degree of seriousness. After one sip of the Holmans' fine and intriguingly filagreed Bacchus, you have to wonder why. We do.

The only drawback? The Holmans produced a grand total of just 47 cases of their Uncharted Bacchus. Theirs is truly a unique, micro-sized, passionately motivated project, going where few others dare to go. Right up Lodi's alley!

Gentle riverside hills of Lodi's Mokelumne Glen Vineyards, planted to no less than 48 German and Austrian cultivars

Barbera in Lodi's Leventini Vineyard, planted in 1972

Long known as one of the world’s greatest “food wines” because of its higher than average acidity – think of what vinegar does for oil, how lime makes a ceviche, or how a simple squeeze of lemon over seafood or even a slice of beef immensely improves a dish – the black skinned Barbera grape has also recently emerged as one of California’s favorite varietal reds, period.

Witness the 2,000 or so Barbera lovers who descended upon the sleepy town of Plymouth in California's Amador County this past Saturday (June 11, 2016) for the 6th annual Barbera Festival. That’s a lot of diehard wine lovers, coming from all over just to enjoy a single wine type.

Barbera, we read in the booklet passed out to Barbera Festival attendees, is a native Italian grape first introduced to California during the early 1880s, by way of the Santa Clara area by John Doyle of the historic Cupertino Wine Company.

Oak Farm Vineyards owner Dan Panella pouring at 2016 Barbera Festival

Doyle’s first bottling of red wine utilizing Barbera was an 1884. By the 1890s, Barbera was being used extensively by the Asti, Sonoma County-based Italian Swiss Colony Winery in its basic table reds (usually blended with Zinfandel and other varieties). Louis M. Martini Winery is credited for producing the first post-Prohibition varietal bottling of Barbera from their Sonoma Valley grown plantings in 1954.

Did you know that up until 20 years ago, Barbera was the most widely planted red wine grape in all of Italy (today it is the second most, after Sangiovese)? Hence, it is not surprising that the Barbera grape had always been a favorite among growers and winemakers of Italian descent throughout Sonoma County (notably, a longtime favorite of the Sebastiani and Seghesio families), San Joaquin Valley (in Lodi, cultivated by the Peiranos, Borras, Leventinis, and others), and the rest of the Central Valley (Kern County’s Giumarra and Papagni in Madera County, for instance, are large scaled farmer/producers who have always prized the Barbera grape). Sonoma County, San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley still account for most of the 7,000 or so acres of Barbera planted in the state. 

During the jug wine heyday between the 1940s and 1970s, Lodi grown Barbera was a key component (along with Zinfandel and Carignan) in classic old blends like E. & J. Gallo’s Hearty Burgundy and Guild Wine Co.’s Vino da Tavola Red. One of the giant Guild Wine Co.’s founders, Lawrence K. Marshall, was known to have cultivated Barbera, along with some 39 other grapes, in the Lodi region since the 1930s. California wine historian Charles Sullivan has described L.K. Marshall as: “A power in the twentieth century development of winegrowing in the Lodi Area... André Tchelistcheff considered him, along with Louis M. Martini and Herman Wente, one of the three ‘apostles of the modern California wine industry.’”

Since the 1970s, pioneer grower/producers like Monteviña’s Gary Gott and Cooper Vineyards’ Dick Cooper helped to popularize the Barbera grape in Amador County, which enjoys a moderately warm Mediterranean climate similar to Lodi’s, but grown in shallower hillside soils, on higher elevation slopes. Hence, the dominance of Amador based producers (34 total) at the 2016 Barbera Festival.

At Barbera Festival: perfect food match for Barbera, one of the world's greatest "food wines"

Besides elevated acidity, the beauty of California grown Barbera is its sturdy yet smooth tannin, and deep, meaty berry fruit qualities that respond well to restrained oak aging. Italian grown Barberas can be sharp as a knife and as tough and dirty as a shoe; whereas in Amador County, Barberas come across as rounded yet well structured – a sense of sturdiness without being hard or austere. In Lodi’s largely sandy soils, Barberas tend to be even rounder, slightly fleshier, and a tad more fragrant in fruit qualities; while retaining every bit of the grape’s characteristic, discernibly tart edge.

Alcohol levels in both Amador and Lodi grown Barberas hover around the 14.5% range (par for the vast majority of premium California grown varietal wines, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay); making for a moderately full bodied feel.

Lodi Barbera, in other words, takes a back seat to no others. A couple of vintages of Lodi Barbera by Macchia Wines, for instance, have even garnered gold medals at the International Barbera Competition in Monferatto, Italy.

Barbera in Lodi's Round Valley Ranches

Macchia, as it were, sat out this year’s Barbera Festival in Amador County; but the bottlings of two of Lodi’s finest were present and accounted for; showing off the outstanding quality possible in Lodi grown Barbera:

2014 St. Amant, Lodi Barbera ($18) – From the Leventini Vineyard – planted 43 years ago by Ted Leventini, originally for Gallo’s Hearty Burgundy production, in a swath of sandy loam in Lodi’s Jahant AVA, east of Hwy. 99 – this bottling represents St. Amant's 17th vintage of this wine, which remains a quintessential Lodi style Barbera: plump and meaty with black cherry/cranberryish fruit; full and fleshy, with the grape’s natural acidity keeping the wine from coming across as heavy or ponderous; rounded out by pliant tannin and subtle smidgens of sweet American oak (aged in largely “neutral” barrels, just 20% new).

2014 Oak Farm, Lodi Barbera ($25) – This rising star producer also proffers a stylistic reconfiguration of this old school varietal: aged completely in French oak barrels (25% new), which gives this wine a sleeker texture and more upbeat fruit qualities – bright red berry perfumes tinged by lightly sweet oak notes, and slightly more emphasis on the varietal zip of natural, crinkly acidity. A 50/50 blending of two vineyards – Ron Silva’s Silvaspoons Vineyards in Lodi’s Alta Mesa AVA, and Jonathan Wetmore’s Round Valley Ranches on the east side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA.

2015 St. Amant, Lodi Barbera Rosé ($15) – Winemakers have also long known that, because of its natural acidity, Barbera makes a beautifully dry pink wine, either as a pure varietal or when blended with other grapes. This limited bottling (just 70 cases produced) was also sourced from Ted Leventini’s 1972 planting; representing a saignée (a “bleeding” off of pink tinged juice from a red wine vat) fermented in neutral wood barrels, and blended with a fragrant touch of Verdelho (5%) – rendering a bright, coral pink wine teeming with cranberryish fruit, zesty and lively on the palate.

At 2016 Barbera Festival: St. Amant assistant winemaker Joel Ohmart (right) with former Lodi grower/residents Linda and Aaron Kidder

The Lucas family's iconic 83-year old ZinStar Vineyard

There is a new “boss” in town at The Lucas Winery on Lodi’s west side: Mitra Lucas, who has just recently taken over winery management; although she prefers to refer to herself simply as “Owner & Daughter.”

“She may fire me yet,” said David Lucas this past weekend, with the familiar puckish glint in his eyes. Mr. Lucas founded his eponymous winery and vineyard estate in 1978, making it the second oldest boutique scale operation in the Lodi Viticultural Area.

Last Saturday (June 11, 2016), the big occasion at the Lucas ranch was the release party for their estate grown and produced 2013 Lucas ZinStar® Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel ($50). Every new vintage from the 83-year old ZinStar Vineyard is a momentous occasion, for sentimental as much as for critical reasons: for many longtime Lodi wine lovers, ZinStar was their first taste of handcrafted, artisanal style, single-vineyard bottled Lodi wine – coming into yearly production long before the most recent wave of premium wines in the region. ZinStar (along with St. Amant's Marian's Vineyard Zinfandel) is the closest thing to a Lodi icon.

Mitra and David Lucas

Says Ms. Lucas, “I grew up with ZinStar – it is literally in our backyard – and my parents made their first vintage the year I was born, in 1978. I share many memories with this special little vineyard (just 3.5 acres) and have literally grown up walking through its vines. The 2013 is our 37th vintage of this wine, and we produced just 238 cases of it.”

ZinStar is perhaps most significant, however, because of its enduring quality in the glass. It has always been a finesse style Zinfandel; grown and crafted to mature gracefully for as long as over 20 years – not to come in with a bang and go out with a whimper within the first four, five years, like the vast majority of California Zinfandels.

The 2013 ZinStar may eventually rank among the finest of the past three decades: opening up with warm, inviting perfumes suggesting flaky, baking spice tinged blueberry/Bing cherry pie. Also, not unlike other west side Mokelumne River Zinfandels, there are faint yet distinctive organic notes in the nose, like threads of saffron and loam. On the palate, the ZinStar signature is manifested in silky yet sturdy medium bodied qualities – neither heavy nor lightweight – with nary a hint of obvious annoying oakiness (although the wine is aged 100% in French oak) that mar most Zinfandels; but rather, just bright, natural acidity and firm yet rounded tannin carrying the crusted blueberry sensations through a fine, seamless, even keeled finish.

We asked Mr. Lucas to share his own thoughts on how the 2013 ZinStar reflects the style or legacy of the vineyard set by previous vintages. Says Lucas, “I don’t think we’ve ever had a winemaking ‘style.’ Our vineyard and Mother Nature have always been the ones to set the style, giving us distinct variations in each vintage. We have worked with this vineyard for so many years that we have a pretty good idea of how to support her to make the best crop. This year (2016), for instance, she has produced a huge crop, so we had to go in and drop about half the fruit.  We know her well enough that she would get half-way through August and not be able to continue.”

Asked to describe the variation furnished by ZinStar in 2013, Mr. Lucas tells us: “The 2013 is darker in color than the 2012, and exhibits a combination of red, ripe and dark fruit flavors along with a hint of all-spice. As usual, there is a balanced natural acidity to the wine – a result of our balancing the vines with lower yields to protect the natural acids. Therefore, it is never necessary to add any acid to our wines during the winemaking process. This ensures a very balanced finish.”

Mr. Lucas is married to Heather Pyle-Lucas, who is respected throughout the local grape and wine industry for her work as a consulting winemaker for a number of other wineries (including Acquiesce, Vicarmont, St. Jorge and Estate Crush). Like Mr. Lucas, Pyle-Lucas also previously worked for Robert Mondavi Winery (17 years); at one point, as the winemaker of the prestigious Opus One Winery.

Swath of pale sandy loam running through ZinStar Vineyard

Mitra Lucas calls Pyle-Lucas the “vine whisperer,” as she has been doing most of the work overseeing the ZinStar Vineyard, which is certified organic by CCOF. Says Pyle-Lucas: “Organic farming forces a greater presence in the vineyard. It is the more pro-active approach, and also the more expensive, but it leads us to a better understanding of the vines, and how to optimize the fruit. Organic demands this attention to detail because the ‘inputs’ used to prevent infection or infestations like predator mites are gentle, and often slow to act.”

When asked about the specific terroir-related aspects of ZinStar that make it different from other Lodi Zinfandels, Mr. Lucas was quick to say: “First, we don't add mega-purple or blend with other varieties. We know by not doing these things our wines remain lighter in color, and are never really ‘jammy,’ like what you expect out of most Zinfandels.”

The Lucas Winery deserves all the credit in the world for sticking to their guns all these years, while bigger, blacker, bolder and sweeter wines may have gotten most of the attention. But what they get credit for is making wines that express a specific place – the physical circumstances occupied by the vines. One of the reasons ZinStar tends to be a lighter, more elegant, graceful style of Zinfandel, for instance, is its porous sandy soil.

Barrel room in The Lucas Winery

“The actual soils of the ZinStar,” Mr. Lucas points out, “are even sandier than other vineyards on this side of Lodi. At harvest, when the vineyard is the most stressed, from a bird's eye view you can see a paler, crescent-shaped color line stretching from (neighboring) Peterson's property to Jessie's Grove that runs right through ZinStar. We believe this is a left-over sand back from a stream that used to run in this direction towards the Delta.”

Adds Mr. Lucas, “Here is a vineyard that was planted at the end of Prohibition, in 1933, and has survived all these years growing on its own roots. We’ve always felt it is one of the best Zinfandel vineyards in California, but it is also unique among all other vineyards.

“We often have people visiting our winery who say they don't like Zinfandel because of what they’ve experienced in the past. Then they taste ZinStar, and time and time again they discover that they can intuitively appreciate, and enjoy, the balanced style we get from this vineyard. In the end, that may be the most enduring legacy of ZinStar – a vineyard with distinct qualities unlike anything else in Lodi, or anywhere else in the world.”

ZinStar Vineyard in late winter light

Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel, two weeks before 2014 harvest

What happens when a Pinot Noir specialist gets ahold of Zinfandel from a primo ancient vine planting in Lodi? Basically two things:

• A very delicate, silky, perfumed, and yes, Pinot Noir-like Zinfandel – a virtual opposite of the big, blustery, jammy style of red wine more closely identified with the “varietal.”

• A Zinfandel that is more focused on characteristics of its vineyard source rather than commercial or critical expectations of varietal character.

Hence, Pinot Noir-like red wines like the 2014 Straight Line Lodi Zinfandel ($29) invariably bring up an interesting philosophical question: is this a worthwhile departure from what we typically conceive as “Zinfandel,” or is this, in fact, a truer expression of what Zinfandel actually is, or what it could be.

As it were, the Straight Line Zinfandel is soaringly bright with Bing cherry/raspberry perfumes, hinting at flowery, violet-towards-Santa Rosa plum-like notes against a faint, organic backdrop of compost-like earthiness. It is on the palate where the wine takes even more of a Pinot Noir-like turn: silky smooth, viscous, sprightly and upbeat in its scented fruit profile; with rounded tannins tucked into springy coiled hospital-cornered layering and texturing, fitting neatly into a somewhat feminine, compact-feeling medium-full body that comes across as a lot lighter (in terms of weight, not density or concentration) than the back label’s stated 15.1% alcohol.

Then there is the Straight Line Zinfandel’s distinct sense of place, which comes from what we know intellectually about the wine’s provenance: 100% of the fruit coming from the Kirschenmann Vineyard, located off Bruella Rd. on the east side of Lodi, in a u-shaped bend of the Mokelumne River where the famed Tokay sandy loam of this American Viticultural Area is known to be the deepest and sandiest – more of a loamy sand than a sandy loam.

The wild-rooted Zinfandel vines of Kirschenmann Vineyard, owned and farmed for the past four vintages by Turley Wine Cellars winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, date back to 1915, and sit right alongside other vineyards planted around the same time, with a similar track record of producing lighter, more feminine, red berry perfumed Zinfandels, quite unlike Zinfandels from other parts of Lodi: notably Schmiedt Ranch, which is farmed for Turley Wine Cellars as well as the Schmiedt family’s Twisted Roots 1918 label; as well as McCay Cellars’ Lot 13 Vineyard (bottled as Faith by owner/grower/winemaker Mike McCay).

Straight Line's Jon Grant in Kirschenmann Vineyard (June 2016)

Straight Line is part of a secondary line of wines crafted by owner/winemaker Jon Grant, who is better known for Pinot Noirs bottled under his Couloir Wines label. Walking through Kirschenmann Vineyard earlier this week, Mr. Grant explained: “When Tegan first made the grapes available to me, in 2013, I was naturally inclined to explore a Pinot Noir side of Zinfandel – going for something with a lifted, light, delicate, ‘lovely’ character, moving away from the dark, heavy, jammy fruit style more commonly associated with Zinfandel. And so we treat the grapes like Pinot Noir in the cellar – very delicately, which seemed right because I find Zinfandel to be similar in a lot ways to Pinot Noir in that it bruises very easily, and you can lose a lot of its character when you over-work it.”

Why are Pinot Noir specialists reluctant to “over-work” wines? It goes back to the basic fact that there are lots of terrific Pinot Noirs grown all over the world; not just in its native wine region in France’s Burgundy, or in pockets of coastal California, from Mendocino’s Anderson Valley to Santa Barbara’s Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills. There are also more than a few world class Pinot Noirs now coming out of Oregon and New Zealand, not to mention some pretty darned respectable ones grown in Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, and even Italy.

Ancient Kirschenmann vine, planted in 1915

Subsequently, just to stand out in the crowd, it is the natural instinct of producers of Pinot Noir – undoubtedly more so than producers of other major varietals, such as Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon – to craft wines that express where they are grown as much as the pure qualities of the grape. In other words, why bother to produce Pinot Noir that tastes like Pinot Noirs from anywhere else in the world? Pinot Noir needs a sense of place; something often called terroir.

For the wine geeks who may be reading this blog, we asked Mr. Grant to go into a little more detail as to exactly what he does that might be a little different from what most Zinfandel producers do. “First,” said Grant, “you pick within a window of ripeness where you don’t have to do too much to a wine, like add water to lower alcohol or add acids to make up for any deficiencies in the fruit. Deciding when to harvest is one of the most important decisions in winemaking.

“By picking earlier in the window, I’m reaching for freshness, tension, and verve in the resulting wine. Flavors that are lighter and therefore more easily lifted; acid and tannin that are synergized enough leave the palate refreshed and ready. Going for this balance also allows you to do spontaneous fermentation (i.e. with native as opposed to inoculated yeasts), which can lead to a stronger sense of place. Or a stronger expression of a site’s natural fruit characteristics; which, in Kirschenmann, are phenomenal. Why would you want to mess with that?”

Classic head trained, spur pruned, own rooted Zinfandel in Kirschenman Vineyard

When asked why it is possible to handle Zinfandel like Pinot Noir, Grant tells us: “There is crossover between Pinot Noir and Zinfandel texturally and aromatically. Both varieties can produce subtle, textured, nuanced wines wherein big, hard tannins are not necessarily a part of the profile. Flavors/aromatics for Pinot Noir and Zinfandel can go in a multitude of directions depending on the site and the ripeness levels; but they overlap in the red and blue spectrum where vividness and vibrancy are principal.”
  
Ultimately, Grant manages to craft Zinfandel with distinctly smooth textures and what he calls “lifted” qualities that may not be exactly the same as what you find in Pinot Noir, but are similar in the way that they are prioritized. Going into the technical side of things, Grant elaborates by saying: “For me, wine is ultimately about texture; and texture can be massaged through both winegrowing and winemaking.” Some of the winemaking techniques cited by Grant:

• Long (seven-day) pre-ferment cold soaks
• Hot, fast, spontaneous fermentations for primary (alcoholic) and malolactic fermentations
• Hyper-gentle manual punch-downs
• Extraction via solvency vs. maceration
• Use of whole berry and whole clusters to help trap the CO2 of fermentation
• Sur lie (i.e. contact with lees, or spent yeast cells) barrel aging (one year)
• No racking, fining or filtering

Kirschenmann owner/grower Tegan Passalacqua (left) with Lodi Zinfandel harvest

When asked to clarify extraction through “solvency” and exactly why whole berries and partial whole cluster fermentation (which would include grape stems) are key to the equation, Grant explained: “Generally, I let the spontaneous fermentations reach higher temperatures, thus running the full bell curve and gaining complexities at different stages of the curve. The heat and high-action will promote extraction of resolved tannin via this solvency, keeping the berries intact and complete. The whole berries can trap CO2, some of which ultimately dissolves into the wine and helps lift flavor and texture. Gentle post-fermentation pressing with less heavy solids, some lees stirring, and extended lees aging add additional aromatic layers and textures, contributing further to sensations of ‘velvetiness.’”

Finally, to amplify fruit and vineyard expression, Grant eschews new oak barrels altogether. “I use French oak,” he tells us, “but I stopped buying new barrels several years ago. Besides, alcohol is a solvent that can pull in excess oak flavor, especially from new barrels. That’s what I learned during the short time I worked at Turley. So I’ve gone to strictly ‘neutral French’ oak; not just for Zinfandel, but also Pinot Noir, Syrah and Tempranillo. Aging in oak is still hyper-important for wine quality, but I find that oak as a flavor component is superfluous to what I’m trying to achieve in a wine.”

“Ultimately,” says Grant, "this wine achieves a duality of immediacy and longevity because of its balance. It’s the balanced qualities that make this Zinfandel so appealing now, and the balanced qualities are why it is poised to age better in the bottle. I like to think it makes a great ‘Straight Line’ wine because it shows care and respect for the vineyard, and demonstrates care and respect to the end-user, the consumer, by establishing the most direct connection possible between what is grown and what is tasted. That's a straight line.”

Straight Line's Jon Grant with ancient vine Kirschenmann Zinfandel