World-Class Wine That’s Wallet Friendly: 4 Facts You Need to Know About Wine in Lodi
Wineries in Lodi: The Central Valley’s Diamonds-in-the-Rough
There’s a concerning reality behind the ocean of basic wines that come from grapes grown in Lodi. It’s the destruction of historical, high-quality old vines, and the danger of losing Lodi’s high-quality winemaking.
Why should you care?
Been to Napa or Sonoma for wine tasting in recent years? In recent decades the prices for even a standard wine tasting of three to five wines has skyrocketed.
To taste many of the best wines in either region is accessible only to select few with the largest pocketbooks. You’ll likely only ever meet the winemakers or owners at that level as well.
But Lodi is a region that’s worth your time and safe for your wallet. It’s an area that feels and tastes like an early Napa before Napa’s often sky-high prices. You can get great wine for a reasonable price, meet the winemakers and visionaries closest to the process, and experience both in beautiful tasting rooms and settings.
Lodi’s old vines especially can produce wine of rare quality — and at a price that the average person can afford. However, they are endangered by commercial farming practices. They could quickly become extinct.
They are being replaced by companies for young vines with more familiar grapes. This is better for making a lot of cheap, basic wine that can sell fast.
Old vines are also a relic of California history. Many of the vineyards in Lodi came from those who did not “strike it big” in the Gold Rush, and so turned with classic American grit to another hard-earned profession.
So in a tangible way, Lodi’s old vines represent the spirit of America, while actually giving us great wine too.
Farmed well, Lodi’s old vines are more environmentally sustainable and economically manageable. In an era of increasingly greater responsibility for the care of our planet, this makes it a no-brainer to invest in the region.
It is also crucial for smaller-scale, artisanal wineries that rely on long-term sustainability to make a responsible living.
And lastly, the replanting of vineyards (not just old-vine ones) with familiar varietals is decreasing the diversity of Lodi grapes, and the many unique wines available to try.[1]
For most, even for those fond of wine (like myself), this may not seem like much of a problem. You probably have gotten that $8.99 bottle on a Wednesday night for a spur-of-the-moment romantic dinner. Sometimes the bottle is not even that bad.
But when the cost of having many average wines to choose from is the loss of great — and affordable — Lodi wine, this is not a preference but an injustice.
We’ve all seen people’s businesses and ideas squashed through no fault of their own. Shining examples among many mediocre ones in their industry, never given a chance to make a name for themselves.
Right now, Lodi is at this turning point. The region is special for 1) its old vines, with their great fruit, history, and resistance to plague, 2) the diversity of Lodi varietals, 3) the region’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability, and 4) its striving for quality wine.
And visiting just might save it. Here’s why you should.
What Makes the Wine In Lodi so Unique?
Wine You Dream of at a Fraction of the Price
Lodi has the most old vines in one place of any wine region. The wines made from them, such as Old Vine Zinfandel, Cinsaut, and Carignan, transport you worlds away.[2] Their remarkably rich yet smooth taste, with ripe, dark fruit, and earthy, herbal profiles are second-to-none.
You’d think you’re tasting an expensive, unctuous $70 bottle from Napa’s upper crust. But no; it’s an Old Vine Zinfandel from the Mokelumne River area, at $20–30 and so close to Sacramento, Stockton, and other areas far from the more well-known wine countries, it’s amazing more people aren’t flocking to wineries in Lodi.
And these Old Vine wines are just the crowning gems. There are many high quality red and white table wines and other single-plot wines emerging from the area.
A great example is Klinker Brick’s 2019 Grenache Blanc, which ranked in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines list.[3] In fact, they’re the first Lodi winery to ever rank in the acclaimed list.
This shows that winemakers are fighting for quality over quantity, which is at the heart of the region’s hidden potential.
At the same time, winemakers and growers are committed to environmentally sustainable farming. Old vines are a historical and long-standing example of this.
Old Vines Are More Environmentally Responsible and Sustainable For Wineries in Lodi
Of course, older doesn’t mean better. Old vines, farmed poorly, can produce too little or poor fruit, die from disease, and be more of a problem than an asset.
Farmed well, however, they produce wines you won’t forget, and are better for the environment at the same time.
Vineyards of old vines are around for a reason: they literally have deep roots, tapping into the water supply deep in the earth, sometimes up to 50 feet or more. This makes these vines more drought-resistant and able to be dry-farmed, meaning they do not need constant irrigation.
This is especially important in California, where conservation of water is crucial. It also means less overhead cost for farmers and vineyard managers, as they don’t have to install and maintain an irrigation system.
Also, most old vines are head trained, meaning they do not need a wire trellis support system to stay upright. They are like little bushes/goblets/trees (which are all alternate names for “head trained”). This also reduces the cost of maintaining these vineyards.
While a bit more labor-intensive to harvest, head training is traditional in Europe. It ensures all grapes reach an even ripeness at the same time.
Besides the generalized quality and environmental benefit of preserving old vines, Lodi began America’s first certified, environmentally sustainable grape farming program, Lodi Rules.[4]
The Lodi region is formally committed to quality, and to farming responsibly — a cause worth supporting in these environmentally concerning times.
Deep Roots: the History and Survival of Lodi’s Old Vines
Old vines are also historically important. They’re what’s called “own-rooted.”
The majority of European-born vines around the world have been grafted onto American roots that can survive the Phylloxera parasite.
Phylloxera is a tiny louse responsible for the widespread destruction of European-rooted vines worldwide in the late 1800s, and again in CA in the late 1900s.
The majority of the old vines in Lodi — especially around the city of Lodi by the Mokelumne River — are European types that were not regrafted. Phylloxera can’t live in Lodi’s sandy soil, or at the depth the old vines are rooted.
So, Lodi’s old vines are valuable because they resist Phylloxera, and are historically an amazing testament to the unique region. Seeing them in the vineyards like stooped, wise old men or like gnarled, knobby hands holding up the California sky since the 1880s is a powerful experience.
Visit the Best Wineries in Lodi — Safe and Physically Distanced
Besides more famous wineries (such as Klinker Brick, Michael David Winery, and Jessie’s Grove Winery, among several) there are over 85 wineries in the Lodi wine region.
Who wouldn’t want a day out cruising from vineyard to sunny vineyard, drinking red wine so rich it could’ve come from a wise old winemaker’s personal cellar in Spain?
Or chilled white wine so appley, peary, flowery, and refreshing in the breezy summer air it seems like you should be on a beach in Southern France?
Rose and sparkling wines so crisp they float like rose petals and sparkle like diamonds in your mouth?
And have to pay only a small fraction of the cost for any of these experiences from worlds away?
Besides having good wine in its own right, you’ll find beautiful and unique tasting rooms worth visiting just for themselves. Some seem right out of Tuscany (such as Viaggio Estate & Winery) or Victorian America (like Berghold vineyards).
They’re perfect for a day (or more) out with your partner or friends. They are all spaced in clusters, close to each other, convenient for winery-hopping adventurers.
A recent favorite is m2 Wines. They have many award-winning wines, including a 2016 Old Vine Zinfandel, so rich and velvety it seems to saunter up to you in a long black dress, smiling through dark blackberry locks and dark plum lips.
Another medalist is their 2016 “Duality” Red Blend, as smooth on the tongue as an olympic swimmer gliding through the water.
All the m2 wines I tried, and I tried the majority of what they offer, white and red, were very clean. This means they have no problems with vinegar or acid.
These problems can come across as bitterness and strange tastes and aftertastes in wine. Though all different, they were all clean, smooth, and full of ripe, fresh fruit aromas and flavors.
The tasting room is a large and inviting area with doorways that could fit an elephant through, tall windows full of light, and plenty of space both inside and out.
The use of concrete and metal, along with the giant-sized scale of the place, make you feel like an explorer stumbling into an airy modernist palace. Right next door is their barrel room with tours available at times, by request.
It’s perfect for safe distancing both inside by the spacious bar or outside at the picnic tables on the lawn, which look out onto the fields of their estate Sauvignon Blanc waving like so many green leafy hands in the wind. All areas are sterilized, and physically distanced.
This is just one of the many wineries in Lodi, a good example of the treasure trove that the area can be.
The Treasure Hunt You’ve Been Missing Out on
Lodi is a wine region with a humble appearance but a golden heart. With its old vines and the many different types of grapes grown there for over 100 years, it is a living testament to American grit and entrepreneurship, the kind that built the greatness of our country.
AND besides being a place for the history books, the wines they make are so balanced, rich, and fruity, and so affordable, it’s hard to believe the region isn’t booming yet like Napa or Sonoma.
Soon, I believe it will be.
Whispers among the vines and dusty roads of Lodi from winemakers say that Lodi looks — is producing good wine at such an affordable price — just like Napa right before its boom of popularity and fame in the late 1900s.
Now is the best time to experience it, which could also save it from being used by large corporations and others for acres and acres of common grapes and wine.
Besides the affordability, it’s still down-to-earth. You can still really engage in the experience of the winemaking process and enter the behind-the-scenes of the world of wine, such as meeting the head winemakers, cellar workers, and owners.
If that wasn’t enough, it is the first of California’s wine regions to take concrete steps toward environmental sustainability, stemming from a long past of resilient old vines and a commitment to excellent wine.
So, if you aren’t ready to begin your Lodi treasure hunt in person yet, that’s OK. Many places are offering virtual wine tastings for those who want to join in on the fun from home.
But if you are ready to save money while experiencing some of the best undiscovered wine California has to offer (and you really can’t beat the in-person experience of sipping by the vines), check out the full list of Lodi wineries here, and a helpful wine guide / map here.
References:
[1] “The 100 (plus!) Grapes of Lodi” https://www.lodiwine.com/blog/The-100--plus---grapes-of-Lodi
[2] “How Old Vines Put California’s Lodi on the World Wine Map” (Infographic) https://vinepair.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/lodi_infographic_v2-920x2048.jpg
[3] “Klinker Brick first Lodi winery to make Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines list” https://www.recordnet.com/story/lifestyle/food/2020/12/23/vine-world-catching-lodis-wine-grapes/4004228001/
[4] Lodi Rules https://www.lodirules.org/About
