If you’re like many people, you think of Lodi as red wine country and Zinfandel country in particular. The self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World does produce 32% of California’s premium Zinfandel with some of Lodi’s old vine Zinfandel plantings date back to 1888. But Lodi is home to any number of white grape varieties as well. It is a leading producer in California of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. In addition, you will find Viognier, Verdelho, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Garnacha Blanca. So, really Lodi is all about diversity in wine grape growing.
We recently participated in an online tasting with LoCA (the Lodi Winegrape Commission) that features 5 white wines from Lodi producers. The discussion was moderated by Camron King, Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission and winemaker Susan Tipton. Susan is the winemaker at Acquiesce Winery & Vineyard and with the single exception of a Rosé, Susan’s entire wine production is white wine. LoCA sent us the wine and we all joined in the conversation via Twitter and Brandlive®.
2013 Borra Vineyards Artist Series Nuvola Gewürztraminer — very light yellow in the glass with delicate floral and spice aromas. Melon and apple flavors combine with pleasing minerality and crisp acidity. ABV 13.6%. $19.
This crisp white wine is fermented to dryness. That’s winemaker Markus Niggli’s style. It is delicious, refreshing and food-friendly.
The story of this wine and Borra Vineyards combines many cultures. Steve Borra’s family came to Lodi from the Piedmont region of Italy three generations ago. Steve Borra founded Borra Vineyards (it was one of the first bonded wineries in Lodi) after beginning as a home winemaker. Borra Vineyards’ winemaker Markus Niggli is Swiss-born and brings a European style of winemaking to Borra.
Markus’ natural affinity for European varieties made his collaboration with the Koth family of Mokelumne Glen Vineyards in Lodi a natural. In addition to Gewürztraminer, Markus also sources Riesling, Kerner and Bacchus from the Koths. If you read our prior post about the Koths and Mokelumne Glen Vineyards, then you know about the diversity of grapes being grown on their property.
2013 Bokisch Vineyards Garnacha Blanca Vista Luna Vineyard — almost colorless in the glass with delicate floral and tropical fruit aromas. Rich flavors of pears, tropical fruit and white flowers. A touch of sweetness combines with nice texture and crisp acidity for a long flavorful finish. ABV 13.2% $18.
Markus and Liz Bokisch brought their love of Spanish varieties with them to Lodi. In addition to Garnacha Blanca they also produce other Iberian whites: Albariño, Verdejo and Verdelho. Red varieties include Tempranillo, Graciano, Monastrell and Garnacha.
The Bokischs are committed to the land and community as well. Bokisch Vineyards is part of Certified Green Lodi Rules, farming 2500 acres of grapes sustainably. Lodi Rules is the only third party certified sustainable grape growning program in the country. Wine made in accordance with Lodi Rules will carry the Green Certification label on the bottle.
2013 Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Viognier — this very aromatic wine is light yellow in the glass with honeyed melon, floral and apple aromas. Flavors are dominated by ripe Meyer lemon flavors with hints of orange blossom and citrus pith. Bright acidity provides a crisp finish and this wine has a bit of weight in the mouth. Just delicious. ABV 14.1% $23.
Acquiesce Winery is relatively new to the Lodi area. 14 years ago Susan moved to Acampo, began tending the vineyards surrounding her home and learned to make wine. Her passions are white wine and Rhone varieties in particular. It was a delicious bottle of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape that started her on the journey to planting Rhone varieties on her Acampo property.
Sue obtained the cuttings for her white varieties from Château de Beaucastel through Tablas Creek Winery. Her style of winemaking is to produce a wine that tastes like the grape itself. She does not use oak aging and thanks to the unique soil and climate in Lodi her wines have a nice roundness in the mouth without going through malolactic fermentation.
2013 Heritage Oak Winery Sauvignon Blanc — very light yellow in the glass with aromas of dried hay and tropical fruit. Flavors follow the aromas with added melon and lime. The finish is fairly long. ABV 13.48% $18.
This is the most popular wine in the Heritage Oak Winery tasting room and winemaker Tom Hoffman, like Sue, uses no oak on his white wines. Tom’s family has farmed in the Lodi area for five generations.
The winery is located along the Mokelumne River on property that has been in Tom’s family since 1892. It’s a beautiful location with a scenic trail through the vineyards and along the river. Not to be missed when you visit Lodi.
2012 Uvaggio Moscato Secco — light yellow in the glass with interesting herbal notes of marjoram along with orange blossoms. Similar floral flavors of orange blossoms combine with citrus pith. Nice acidity. ABV 12.9% $14
Although the flavors in this wine are very floral, it is not sweet (secco means dry in Italian). This dry Moscato would be nice before a meal or just to sip on a warm afternoon.
The Uvaggio winery is located in Napa but the moscato for this wine is grown in Lodi. Moscato Giallo (Yellow Muscat) is the cultivar and there are only 40 acres planted in all of California. Just a fraction of that total acreage is planted in Lodi.
So while it is true that Lodi is the Zinfandel Capital of the World, any number of white grape varieties are grown in the region as well. This tasting included just a sampling of the variety produced in Lodi. Any of the wines in this group would be a good choice on a warm afternoon or to pair with a summertime meal. All are delicious and have relatively low alcohol levels which is essential in the warm weather. It is just one more reminder of the great quality of wine coming from Lodi.
There are 65 tasting room in the Lodi area now. Think about visiting the Lodi area to do some wine tasting. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks to LoCA (the Lodi Winegrape Commission) for providing the wines in this tasting and to Charles Communications Associates who organized the tasting. Thanks to Camron and Susan as well, you hosted and fun and interesting tasting.
Cheers!
