If you are at all familiar with what is happening in the Lodi wine world, you have probably heard of Mokelumne Glen Vineyards. If you are a fan of German and Austrian wine varieties, then you most certainly know that Mokelumne Glen Vineyards is home to plantings of Kerner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Bacchus, Dornfelder and Blaufränkisch, to name just a few. In addition, there is the “German Collection”, a block of over 30 German and Austrian varieties.
When Markus Niggli talks about his wines, you need to be prepared to pay close attention. He will recite harvest dates, º Brix, pH and TA levels so quickly it will make your head spin. His enthusiasm for and love of winemaking are evident. He loves making wine and taking about wine.
Borra Vineyards does not bottle Barbera as a varietal wine every year, but clearly the variety is special to Steve Borra. It was the first wine Borra bottled when he established his winery in 1975. Back then Borra was the first boutique winery established in Lodi.
It began 15 years ago with a white wine Markus Niggli tasted when visiting his native Switzerland. It was a Kerner blend that had been aged in oak and it was unlike anything he had ever tasted. Markus made a mental note at the time that if Kerner was ever available to him he wanted to make a similar style wine.
If you’re like many people you think of Lodi as red wine country and Zinfandel country in particular. And while it is true the majority of wine grape production in Lodi is red, there is quite a variety of white grape production as well. Some exciting white wine is being produced in Lodi and this tasting includes just a sampling of those wines.
Mokelumne Glen Vineyards in Lodi is home to over 40 German and Austrian grape varieties. Even though commercial wine production ceased at MGV in 2009, wine is continuing to be produced by a group of winemakers on both a commercial and home winemaking level. They are an interesting and diverse group, drawn to this unique collection of grape varieties in the most unexpected location.
As the folks at Borra Vineyards put it, “Yeah. We make nice Zin. But there’s more to Lodi than Zinfandel.” It’s a good thing to remember, actually, to always keep an open mind with regard to wine and wine regions and what they have to offer.
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.
