ECLECTIC EPICURE
Mention California wines to most people, and they immediately think of Napa and Sonoma.
And for good reason.
These two regions of the Golden State produce nearly 65 percent of California wines imported to Mexico.
But while Napa and Sonoma may be the most recognized and exported wines of California, they only account for about 13 percent of the state’s total wine production, according to the California Wine Institute.
In fact, California has 107 American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) recognized by the U.S. government, with more than 2,800 registered wineries and 4,600 winegrape growers.
And although the state’s North Coast American Vinicultural Area — which encompasses Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and portions of Marin and Solano counties — is populated by the most California wineries (somewhere around 800 in all), the lesser-known Lodi region, in California’s Central Valley and Sierra Foothills AVA, is the largest winegrape producing area in the state, churning out roughly 24 percent of California’s annual harvest.
“Lodi has long been producing winegrapes for other wineries throughout the state,” explained Camron King, executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, during a recent tasting seminar at the annual California Wine Tasting Festival at the Centro Asturiano in the Polanco neighborhood.
“And while about 90 percent of Lodi’s grapes are sold to larger producers throughout the state, in the last couple decades, Lodi farmers have stared vintning their own wines.”
King pointed out that while there were only eight wineries in Lodi in 1996, today that are more than 85.
Lodi’s story is slightly different from that of Napa and Sonoma.
The Johnny-come-lately of California wine regions originally started off as an agricultural county, with small family farms producing watermelons, artichokes and wheat.
But Lodi farmers soon found that they could make more money producing grapes for grape concentrate and bulk grapes for some of the state’s large producers like Gallo, Constellation and Franzia.
The handful of winemakers in the region at that time primarily focused on producing fortified and sweet dessert wines.
But when artisan, small-production wines and organic farming practices came into vogue in the late 1990s, Lodi farmers realized that they had long been generating family-run harvests and implementing green technology.
Consequently, they decided to stop being suppliers to other vintners and start bottling their own wines.
“Lodi was the first region to produce a sustainable winegrowing certification program, launched in 2005 and known as the Lodi Rules, which ranks among the most rigorous and comprehensive programs in the country,” King said, adding that the Rules have since become a prototypical model for other sustainable winegrowing regions.
“Today, there are about 12,000 hectares of vineyards inscribed in the Lodi Rules program and 30 estates with the Lodi Rules green certificate on their labels.”
Lodi’s warm days, cool nights, rich gravelly soil and diverse microclimates mean that the region is also able to produce a wide variety of varietals, although it is best-known for its Zinfandels.
“Lodi is the self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World,” King said, “but we also produce a lot of Iberian grapes and other eclectic varietals from Germany, South Africa and Australia.”
During the seminar, eight wines were presented, including a 2015 Kinder Brick Winery Albariño with a tart green apple tang and an undertone of pineapple, and a 2015 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc with an ultra-light straw color and a honeydew melon-y taste infused with hints of citrus and grass.
The other wines presented were all reds, starting with a well-structured 2013 Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo with a bright ruby hue and cherry flavor and a much bolder but equally fruity 2013 M2 Tempranillo that incorporated notes of eucalyptus and oak.
The fifth wine was a 2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc with a beautiful garnet color and a spicy smoked flavor.
Wine Six was a 2013 Oak Ridge Winery OZV Zinfandel from 80-year-old vines that married soft tannins with jammy berry and kitchen spice flavors and closed with an insinuation of vanilla and wood.
The star of the evening was Wine Seven, a 2011 Lange Twins Centennial Zinfandel that included dark berry and black fruit flavors topped with sweet anise and chocolate.
The presentation closed with a 2013 Michael David Winery Petite Petit, a blend of 85 percent Petite Sirah and 15 percent Petit Verdot (the only wine of the evening that was not produced from a single varietal).
The Petite Petit was playfully aromatic with plenty of red fruit and mocha flavors.
More information
California is the largest wine producer in the United States, accounting for more than 90 percent of that country’s annual output.
In fact, if California were a separate country, it would be the world’s fourth-largest wine producer, behind France, Italy and Spain.
Winegrapes are grown in 48 of California’s 58 counties, covering 535,000 acres.
Winegrapes rank among the state’s top 10 agricultural products.
There are 3,600 wineries in California and 4,600 growers.
The first winegrapes planted in California were by the Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra in 1769.
California currently produces nearly 2 billion liters of wine each year, of which 25 percent is sold abroad.
Notwithstanding, the U.S. share of the Mexican market is woefully low, about 4 percent, according to California Wine Institute.
California’s top export markets for wine are the European Union, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and China.
About 60 percent of Californian wines are red and 40 percent are whites.
The state currently produces 117 varieties of grape.
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are still the leading varietals, with Merlot and Zinfandel as close runners-ups.
However, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Viognier are clearly gaining popularity in California.
