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2022 roundup of Lodi Zinfandel styles
2022 Zinfandel harvest in Rous Vineyard, consisting of 113-year-old vines located on the east side of Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation. First thing to remember when buying Lodi-grown Zinfandel is...
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Independent Iconic Wines crafts Lodi Cinsaut and ancient vine Zinfandel...
On a 2022 harvest morning, gnarly, own-rooted 120-year-old Schmiedt family-grown Zinfandel going into Icon's "Old Gods" bottling. One of the big stories in Lodi wine country just over the past four,...
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The Church Ancient Blocks is pure luxury, paying tribute to two Lodi wine...
Markus Wine Co. owner/winemaker Markus Niggli harvest old vine Lodi Carignan. It is always good news when Markus Wine Co. owner/winemaker Markus Niggli comes out with another one of his vaunted...
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Monte Rio Cellars declares red blend from Lodi's regeneratively farmed Teresi...
Monte Rio Cellars owner/grower Patrick Cappiello (left) with associate winemaker Jesus Aleman during 2022 harvest. What does a career sommelier-turned-winemaker see in Lodi? Evidently, lots. In 2017,...
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A long overlooked Italian grape—Nebbiolo—has found its place in Lodi hillsides
Anaya Vineyards Clements Hills-Lodi Nebbiolo in the light of harvest morning. Among the many wine grapes commercially grown in Lodi—over 125 of them, at last count—there is one that has remained an...
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The Perlegos Family debuts wines fulfilling Lodi's natural Mediterranean...
Jeff and John Perlegos in Stampede Vineyard located in Lodi's Clements Hills appellation. Next week, October 25, 2022, is the day: The day when Jeff and John Perlego release their first ever wines...
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Napa-based winemaking couple behind Found Wine Co. explain why they source...
Found Wine Co. owner/winemakers Andy Butler and Mabel Ojeda after collecting 2022 Mission grape samples in Lodi's Somers Vineyard. "There's something happening here" has been a line copped from the...
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2022 Lodi Tour of Tempranillo, the varietal's history and what makes Lodi's...
Spanish selection of Tempranillo grown in Bokisch's Las Cerezas Vineyard in Lodi's Mokelumne River AVA. Prepare thyself for Lodi's annual Tour of Tempranillo; 2022's iteration taking place the weekend...
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A practical definition of terroir
Süss Vineyard, a small architecture, 90-plus-year-old, gobelet trained, own-rooted vine grown in the low-vigor sandy soil of Lodi's Clements Hills AVA, producing a distinctively fragrant, notably high...
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A definition of minerality in wines
Haarmeyer Wine Cellars owner/winemaker Craig Haarmeyer showing his love for Chenin blanc, a grape picked with high enough acidity in Lodi's Borden Ranch appellation to produce a dry white that is...
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A definition of wine aromas
Vivid images typically triggered by the scent of peppercorns, even in wine: pepper grinders in a restaurant, peppercorn salmon from the grill, wines made from the Grenache grape, or a culinary...
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Marking National Zinfandel Day with a history of the grape in Lodi
Zinfandel harvested from a 1940s block along the Mokelumne River in Lodi's Clements Hills appellation. Today, November 17, is National Zinfandel Day. Every day, of course, is a good day for Zinfandel...
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Why Lodi's Cinsaut may be the single finest wine for Thanksgiving tables
Are you ready for a 100 millionth article on wines for Thanksgiving? We like to think ours is special because, well, we recommend Lodi-grown wines. Which tends to mean two different things: 1....
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Wine aromas, part 2—On olfaction, the discipline of identifying wine aromas
Visiting wine influencer/journalist Sam Capaldi (@samanthasommelier) tasting Lodi-grown Carignan just plucked from the vine and from the glass. Continued from A definition of wine aromas When I was a...
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Why Lodi is a verdant paradise for grapes, not a parched Central Valley desert
Overhead photo of Lodi wine festival in Lodi Lake Park, located along the Mokelumne River, the namesake of the appellation originally farmed by the region's pioneers, starting in the late 1840s. One...
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The 12 interesting Lodi-grown wines of 2022
Palmero Family Vineyard Chenin blanc harvest in the Borden Ranch appellation, producing one of Lodi's most interesting wines. How do you choose the past year's 12 best Lodi-grown wines? You can't....
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A look back at 2022's rise of small artisanal brands' usage of Lodi-grown grapes
November look at Lodi's Borden Ranch appellation, from which both giant and tiny wineries now source wine grapes. As we look back at the past year, one of the most surprising unforeseen developments...
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A look back at 2022's increasing consumer preferences for natural, organic or...
Wine lovers in Lodi's Clements Hills appellation. Consumers rule. Or put it this way: They make the rules, which can be loosely defined because, well, they're the consumers. Details don't matter when...
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Our favorite Lodi wine country photos of 2022
Craggy ancient, elongated vines, determined to survive: This past week, Royal Tee Vineyard—Lodi's oldest Zinfandel block (planted in 1889)—in the morning as the December fog begins to lift. Choosing...
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Celebrate the New Year with authentic, champagne style sparklers grown in Lodi
July Chardonnay harvest for sparkling wines on the west side of Lodi's Mokelumne River appellation. There is nothing like a bottle of champagne style sparkler to mark the arrival of every New Year. I...
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