Lodi Celebrates Albariño

Yes, that’s right, Lodi celebrates more than Zinfandel. Albariño is a rising star in Lodi and over the past couple of years we have tasted quite a few delicious examples from Lodi. We can add the three Lodi Albariños in this post, which we received as tasting samples, to that list.

This weekend nine Lodi wineries are hosting a celebration of Albariño in what they are calling Lodi Tour of Albariño 2018. No reservations are needed, simply begin at any one of the participating wineries and let the Albariño fun begin.

Because Albariño is a grape variety closely associated with Spain’s Rías Baixas wine region we prepared appetizers, I guess I should call them tapas, to pair with our Lodi Albariños. In the process we demonstrated how well Lodi Albariño pairs with a variety of dishes.

This Albariño is the lightest and most citrusy of the group. It’s the perfect summer sipper made with 100% Albariño in stainless steel.

We also found it paired beautifully with papas bravas. My version of Spain’s fried potatoes are oven roasted and delicious. Garlicky aioli adds a bit of richness which the Estate Crush Albariño handled nicely. Delicious pairing.

I love the delicately floral aromas of this Albariño along with its bright fruit flavors. Once again, this is 100% Albariño made in stainless steel.

Our pairing, Grilled Peach Appetizer, with the Jeremy Wine Co. Albariño came from our friends at Wine•Travel•Eats. Oh my, this appetizer is killer. I have since made it for a group of friends who devoured them. It was a perfect pairing with the delicately floral and melon flavors of this Albariño.

Without a doubt this is the most complex Albariño in this group. The flavors evolve and change in the glass. I love the bit of weight and roundness as well. It is a lovely, contemplative wine to sip and is dynamite with food.

Liz and Markus Bokisch were the first to plant Albariño in the Lodi appellation. The year was 1999, and after working with the variety beginning in 1993 Markus was convinced the variety would thrive in Lodi. Clearly he was right.

The Bokisch’s Terra Alta Vineyard, which is the source of the grapes for this Albariño, is located in Lodi’s Clements Hills appellation. The vineyard acreage covers rolling hills and is defined by the volcanic gravelly clay loam soils. The vineyard is Certified Organic by CCOF and is Certified Sustainable according to LODI RULES — two more reasons to love this Albariño.

We chose a seafood pairing with the Bokisch Terra Alta Vineyard Albariño. We love scallops and we love pesto and now we know we love them together! This pairing was absolutely perfect with the lovely, flavorful Bokisch Albariño.

The weather is going to be warm this weekend, so tasing refreshing, Lodi Albariño might be a good strategy to keep cool. And the Lodi Tour of Albariño is also the perfect opportunity to learn a thing or two about Lodi Albariño.

Cheers!