Take one 2016 Lodi wine calendar, add a different bottle of Lodi wine for each month and what do you get? An fun wine project resulting in a year-long enjoyment of Lodi wines. The inspiration for this project was a 2016 Lodi wine calendar and two bottles of Lodi wine that we received as gifts from LoCA — the Lodi Winegrape Commission.
Only a single, short row of Zinfandel remains on the Mokelumne Glen Vineyard property that follows a bend in the Mokelumne River.
Lodi “Outside the Box” Thanksgiving is the title of a recent online tasting hosted by LoCA, the Lodi Winegrape Commission. We were invited to participate in the tasting and in addition to sending us four wines as tasting samples, LoCA also sent along recipes to accompany each wine. The recipes were created by Chef Tony Lawrence, who is a sommelier and certified wine and food pairing specialist (among many other talents.)
We celebrated Earth Day this year by participating in a online tasting of wine and cheese— naturally. The Earth Day tasting included four wines produced in accordance with Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing and provided a great opportunity to learn about Lodi Rules .
Today is International Tempranillo Day. An entire day dedicated to the enjoyment of Tempranillo wine. If you’ve never enjoyed the variety, it’s a good time to do so. If you’re already a fan of the variety, it’s the perfect time to enjoy your favorite Tempranillo or maybe find a new favorite. Here are five delicious choices from Lodi for your #TempranilloDay celebration.
The Bechthold Vineyard is 25 acres of Cinsault planted on the west side of Lodi — in the Mokelumne River sub-appellation of the Lodi AVA. This own-rooted vineyard was planted in 1886 by Joseph Spenker. Fortunately the soil on the west side of Lodi is particularly sandy (sandy loam to be exact), and too well drained to allow phylloxera a toehold. That good fortune, along with the family’s desire to preserve this part of their farming history has allowed this gem of a vineyard to remain productive at 128 years of age.
Lodi Native is a collaborative project among six Lodi winemakers making Zinfandel from six heritage vineyards using a standardized, minimal-intervention style of winemaking. It is intended to showcase some of Lodi’s special Zinfandel vineyards, not the winemaking style. A unique concept which produces six unique and delicious wines.
Usually when someone mentions Rosé wines from Lodi I don’t get too excited. In the past I have found them either too sweet or to high in alcohol and lacking in flavor. I am happy to say that has changed.
We recently had the opportunity to participate in an online tasting of wines sourced from vineyards that have been certified as sustainably grown through the Lodi RulesTM certification program. The tasting was organized to celebrate Earth Day by the Lodi Winegrape Commission and Charles Communications Associates on behalf of growers and vintners in the Lodi Appellation. The wines were provided to us, we tasted them and shared our impressions via Twitter during the tasting.
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.