‘Tis the season to celebrate the holidays.
For all of your festive get-togethers, there is a wine grown and crafted in Lodi that is sure to hit the spot and impress your guests.
I asked several Lodi wineries to suggest one wine from their portfolio to pair with the holidays. You might notice the wide range of styles and wine grape varieties this list suggests, which speaks to Lodi’s diversity.
I hope you enjoy these recommendations from some of Lodi’s best family-owned, artisan producers complete with descriptions, and how and where you can buy them.
Cheers!!
Sparkling
LVVR Sparkling Cellars Rosè ($26)
LVVR is a method champenoise sparkling wine producer that sources winegrapes entirely from the Lodi appellation. Owner/winemaker Eric Donaldson controls every aspect of the operation. LVVR wines are aged lightly on the bottle lees (spent yeast) prior to riddling and disgorging. Method champenoise provides an elegant and long-lasting sparkling wine due to fermentation in the bottle. There is a higher level of craftsmanship in producing method champenoise compared to other methods of sparkling wine production. The blush color comes from a touch of alicante bouschet in the base wine dominated by chardonnay. Fresh, lively and food friendly.
Notes:
· En tirage 6 months.
· Varietals: 74% chardonnay, 24% verdelho, 2% alicante bouschet
· Vintage: NV
· Fermentation: Traditional Method
· Tirage: 3-6 months
· Alcohol: 12.8%
· pH: 3.25
· TA: 8.75
· RS: 1.0%
· Food pairing for the holidays: Duck or almost any game meat; pizza, especially Margherita or sausage and mushroom pizza; crab cakes; cured meats (ham); smoked fish; spicy food, such as curry and Korean food.
Available at LVVR Sparkling Cellars (17036 N. Locust Tree Rd., Lodi), online at https://www.emdwinemaking.com/shop/ and Young’s Payless Market in Lockeford (18980 N. Highway 88, Lockeford).
Rosè
2022 Klinker Brick Bricks and Roses ($17)
A delectable, Provence style, dry rosé. Made as a true rosè, not as a saignee or byproduct of a red wine. This blend of 34% grenache, 32% mourvedre,17% syrah, and 17% carignane. The syrah is from owners/growers Lori and Steve Felten’s estate Farrah Vineyard, planted in 1989 and named in honor of their daughter, Farrah; and the Carignane is from the Rauser Vineyard, planted in 1906, one of the oldest vineyards planted to the variety in Lodi.
This wine is an uber-value, bursting with notes of strawberry and guava with a hint of grapefruit. Concentrated, crisp and refreshing on the palate.
Notes:
· Production: 4,000 cases
· Alcohol: 11.9%
· PH: 2.87
· TA: 6.4 g/L
· Food pairing for the holidays: Leafy green salad with strawberries and goat cheese, roasted chicken, carpaccio of beef or salmon, crab, or grilled rack of lamb.
Available at Klinker Brick Winery, select retailers and fine wine shops.
Whites
2022 Acquiesce Jolie Blanc ($34)
Owner and founding winemaker Susan Tipton’s white wine winery of southern Rhone varieties has been a huge hit in Lodi. New to her lineup is this delectable blend of 60% grenache blanc and 40% viognier. The nose suggests candied tangerine, dragon fruit, PEZ, papaya, and honeysuckle. The palate is round with citrus, peach, melon, and apricot followed by a long, briny finish.
The grenache blanc comes from the estate vineyard located in the Mokelumne River micro-AVA. The climate is similar to that of the southern Rhone with cool nighttime breezes that retain the acidity and fruit flavors. The viognier is from the Sea Vineyard on Lodi’s west side in the Delta reaches. This wine earned double gold (96 points) at the 2023 Sunset International Competition.
Notes:
· Certified LODI RULES.
· Harvest date: August 24, 2022.
· Bottling date: March 8, 2023.
· Aging: 6 months sur lie in stainless steel.
· Alcohol: 13%
· Acid: 5 g/L
· PH: 3.39
· Residual sugar: 1 g/L.
· Food pairing for the holidays: Baked ham, lamb chops with rosemary and thyme, duck confit, and grilled bacon wrapped shrimp.
Available at Acquiesce Winery in Acampo (22353 N. Tretheway Rd.) or online at www.whitewinewinery.com.
2021 Ironstone Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($10)
The Kautz Family has farmed in the Lodi region since 1948, and their Ironstone Winery in Murphys was completed in 1990 after many successful years growing wine grapes. Their sauvignon blanc is grown in the Mokelumne River micro-AVA in the southwest portion of Lodi, an area that benefits from the cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean via the Delta water system and the Mokelumne River. Zesty citrus, orange peel and lavender aromas are followed by passion fruit, fresh apple and white peach on the mid-palate. The finish has a touch of tartness and is crisp, full, and pleasing.
Notes:
· Blend: 90% sauvignon blanc, 10% chenin blanc.
· Aging: 100% stainless steel.
· Alcohol: 12.5%
· pH: 3.58.
· TA: 6.1 g/L
· RS: 3.62 g/L
· Food pairing for the holidays: Serve as an aperitif or with chicken, pork, turkey, shellfish, halibut, red snapper, sea bass, tilapia, or a goat cheese and crème fraiche platter.
Available at select grocery and retail stores, such as Safeway, Raley’s and BevMo. For more information, go to ironstonevineyards.com/.
2021 Harney Lane Home Ranch Chardonnay ($32)
The Mettler/Lerner family behind Harney Lane Winery have been proud stewards of the land since 1906 and started sharing the fruit of their labor in bottled form in 2006. Sourced from the Home Ranch vineyard in the Mokelumne River micro-AVA, this wine is layered with complexity: aromas of ripe pear, pineapple, and exotic tropical fruit lead to notes of honeycomb, toasted wood and warm pie crust. Rich, round, with a silky creaminess; the finish satisfies with hints of butterscotch and lemon meringue. This crowd-pleasing wine earned a gold medal at the 2023 American Fine Wine Competition.
Notes:
· Certified LODI RULES.
· Appelation: Lodi, Mokelumne River.
· Harvested: August 23, 2021.
· Cellared: 9 months (30% new French oak, 70% neutral French oak).
· Released: May 2023.
· Production: 1,650 cases.
· Alcohol: 14.5%
· TA: 5.8 g/L
· pH: 3.75.
· RS: .7 g/L
· Food paring for the holidays: For a brilliant recipe that goes perfectly with Harney Lane’s Home Ranch Chardonnay, click here: https://www.meikepeters.com/spaghetti-asparagus-burrata-ramp-pesto/.
Available at Harney Lane Vineyards (9010 E. Harney Ln., Lodi) and online at https://shop.harneylane.com/Wine/All-Wines.
2021 Durst Amada Mia White ($28)
Owner Cassandra Durst has one of the more beautiful hospitality properties in the region, and her 2021 Amada Mia White is just as beautiful. This blend is dominated by the off-dry symphony grape with a touch of chardonnay, creating a uniquely refreshing wine. With notes of orange blossom, lemon, apricot, and pear, this wine is a natural complement for any simple, fresh foods or even those meals when things get hot and spicy.
Notes:
· Varieties: 95% symphony, 5% chardonnay.
· Pressed into stainless steel, temperature maintained at 54-56 degrees.
· Alcohol: 13.1%
· Harvested: August 15-18.
· Total Acidity: 6.5 g/L
· pH: 3.32.
· Residual Sugar: 4.1 g/L
Available in the Durst Winery tasting room at 10173 Acampo Road, Acampo, and online at durstwinery.com/shopwine.
Reds
2021 Markus Wine Co. Ancient Blocks Carignane, Nicolini Ranch ($41)
If you become a regular follower of my column, you likely will learn that I am a huge fan of Markus Niggli’s wines. This Carignane, sourced from a block more than 50 years old on Lodi grower Al Nicolin’s ranch, is expressive and elegant. The tannins contribute concentration and the natural acidity of the variety balances loads of mouthwatering, refreshingly tart blackberries and dark cherries. Think pinot noir or Cru Beaujolais when pairing this wine with food.
Notes:
· Harvested: September 17, 2021, by hand at dawn.
· Fermentation: 74°F 7 days steel, native yeast, native malolactic fermentation.
· Winemaking: 6 days cold soak, 4 days extended maceration, free-run juice only.
· Cellar: 18 months, all neutral oak.
· Alcohol by Vol.: 14.5%
· Residual sugar: 0.3 g/L dry.
· pH: 3.66.
· TA: 5.8 g/L.
· Malic Acid: 0.05 g/L.
· Filtration: sterile filtered.
· Cases: 400.
· Bottled: April 8, 2023.
· Food pairing for the holidays: Coq au vin or duck or something savory and herb-laden would be the right direction. Armed with this logic, you can see how this wine would be a worthy accompaniment to traditional Christmas feasts (keep this wine in mind for Thanksgiving next year).
Available at MarkusWine.com or check the Lodi Wine Visitor Center for this wine and others from Markus Wine Co.
2021 Mikami Vineyards GSM Red Wine Blend ($42)
This is the first GSM (grenache, syrah, mourvedre) from Jason Mikami, a third-generation Lodi winegrower who has taken his grandfather and father’s tradition to the next level by crafting exceptional wines. Mikami started his portfolio with one of the best expressions of zinfandel made in Lodi and branched into new territory with this classic Rhone blend that is deep-red with a garnet hue. The aroma profile is a complex blend of ripe blackberry, cracked black pepper and subtle roasted nuts that evolves in the glass. On the palate, the wine is vibrant with medium body. The flavors of red and black fruits are anchored by a silky tannin structure that leads to a long finish.
Notes:
· 142 cases produced.
· Varieties: 38% grenache, 38% syrah, 24% mourvedre.
· No barrels were used in the aging process to allow the wine to express its fruit character without any oak influence.
· Food pairing for the holidays: ribeye steak, prime rib, grilled or barbecued red meat, mushrooms, Mexican dishes like molè, and roasted chicken. GSM also goes well with chocolate and brownies.
Available at the Lodi Visitor Center or by signing up for the Mikami newsletter group at mikamivineyards.com.
2019 St. Jorge Winery Vierra Estate Lodi Alicante Bouschet ($26)
The color in red wine comes from the clear juice remaining in contact with the black skins for an extended period during fermentation. Alicante bouschet is one of the few varieties that has red skins and red pulp. St. Jorge’s owner and winemaker, Vern Vierra, planted the variety on his property in 2008.
Alicante bouschet offers ripe berry flavors with a hint of green pepper and spice.
“The 2019 was aged one-third in new French oak with a light toast and medium toast head, one-third in new American oak, and one-third in neutral barrels — usually for about 30 months on average,” Vierra told LodiWine.com writer Randy Caparoso. “We don’t like to overdo the oak, but an intense wine like this needs time in wood to round itself out.”
Vierra, who specializes in port wine and varieties native to his ancestral homeland, the Azores, said alicante bouschet would be his choice if his holiday menu included a thick ribeye of beef. Alicante bouschet is a seldom-seen variety that surely would start conversations around the holiday dinner table.
Vierra’s 2019 alicante bouschet earned double gold (96 points) and Best of Class of Appelation at the 2022 California State Fair Wine Competition.
Available at St. Jorge Winery (22769 Bender Road in Acampo).
2020 LangeTwinsThirty Eight Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($38)
The Thirty Eight Vineyard, located less than a mile from LangeTwins Winery in the Jahant micro-AVA in Acampo, was one of the first cabernet sauvignon vineyards planted by twins Randy and Brad Lange in 1982 in partnership with Robert Mondavi Woodbridge.
The 2020 vintage was marked by adversity. A late budbreak, record breaking heat waves, regional wildfires, and fall thunderstorms defined the vintage. However, a smaller yield of remarkable quality wine grapes was produced, creating an exemplary wine with balanced structure and vibrant flavors and alluring aromas of plum sauce, star anise and mission fig. The palate is accented with savory dried herbs and understated oak tones that create a creamy texture with fine grained tannins that slowly build through to the finish.
Notes:
· Tasting note: Rich, spiced dark fruit flavor accompanied by fine grained tannins.
· Barrel aging: Neutral French oak; 21 months.
· Alcohol: 14.5%
· Soil composition: Thick surface loam and loam. Derivation granite rock.
· Trellising: California sprawl.
· Clone: 07 & 08
· Acres: 48.52
· Harvest date: September 12, 2020.
· Brix at harvest: 24.8
· Bottle date: April 20, 2023.
· Cases produced: 1,285 (6 pack)
· TA: 6.2 g/L.
· pH: 3.69.
· RS: 0.6 g/L.
· Certified sustainable by LODI RULES and CSWA (California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance).
· Food pairing for the holidays: Rosemary and garlic oven-roasted rack of lamb, served with gremolata and taleggio polenta.
Available at LangeTwins (1525 E. Jahant Rd., Acampo), and on line at langetwins.com. Orders of 6 bottles or more ship for one cent.
2017 Michael Klouda Hatterle Zinfandel ($32)
Born and raised in Ohio, Michael Klouda established himself in the culinary world and fell in love with wine. He came to California to be a winemaker and worked in the vineyards for Lodi stalwart Michael David Winery. Klouda appreciates the warm welcome he received from the Lodi wine community and tries to capture that giving spirit in every bottle he crafts from excellent sources, including the Hatterle vineyard, planted in 1930 on its own roots that never have been grafted — a true survivor in the west side of Lodi.
Notes:
· Certified LODI RULES
· Alcohol: 14.5%
· Barrel: 15% new oak.
· Food pairing for the holidays: Smoked prime rib.
Available at the Lodi Wine Visitor Center (2545 W. Turner Rd., Lodi), Woodbridge Uncorked (18911 N. Lower Sacramento Rd., Woodbridge), or drinkmkwines.com.
2019 Intercoastal Vineyards Petite Sirah ($38)
This 100% petite sirah from the husband-wife team of Rachele and Mitch Spaletta is deep and dark in color, rich and velvety in texture and chock full of delicious flavors of plum and blueberry conserve. This full-bodied, well-balanced wine has a firm backbone of tannins and a lingering finish. Made from single vineyard, estate-grown, premium grapes, the fruit is hand-picked at the perfect ripeness. Truly ripe and voluptuous. Intercoastal Vineyards is a relatively new player in the Lodi wine scene that offers warm hospitality and delicious wines.
Notes:
· Not manipulated, precisely dry finish.
· Barrel aged 24 months in neutral French oak.
· Double Gold Medal California State Fair Wine Competition.
· Gold Medal Sunset International Wine Competition.
· Gold Medal Monterey Wine Challenge.
· Food pairing for the holidays: Pan-seared steak, Peking duck, hearty stew, venison, enchiladas with spicy molé, portobello mushroom risotto, double chocolate bundt cake, caramel fudge layer cake, fudge brownies.
Available at Intercoastal Vineyards (13731 N. Highway 88, Lodi), or online at IntercoastalWine.com.
2020 Oak Farm Vineyards Genevieve Red Blend ($42)
This Bordeaux blend is elegant and full-bodied, with aromas of black tea, black currant and cherry cola. Dark fruit flavors lead to a savory, dry and long finish. ThisFrench-style wine was named “Genevieve” in honor of co-owner Dorothy Panella’s French-born mother. All the varieties that comprise this blend are grown on Oak Farms’ estate in the Mokelumne River micro-AVA. Awarded 92 points at the 2023 Critic’s Challenge International Wine Competition.
Notes:
· Certified LODI RULES.
· Varieties: 30% petit verdot, 29% merlot, 19% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc, 8% malbec.
· Aged 20 months in oak barrels, approximately 54% new French oak.
· TA: 6.0 g/L
· pH: 3.66
· Alcohol: 14.7%
· Residual Sugar: 0.02%
· Bottling Date: 5/13/2022
· Cases Produced: 636
· Food pairing for the holidays: Charcuterie, especially paté and terrines. Cold roast beef. Cold game pies. Simple grilled meat like a steak frites or sausage with chips, haricot beans or lentils. Shepherd’s pie, goat and sheep cheeses, mild brie and camembert.
Available at Oak Farm Vineyards (23627 Devries Road, Lodi), select retailers and online at https://www.oakfarmvineyards.com/Store.
2017 Bokisch Vineyards Reserva Spanish Blend ($39)
Liz and Markus Bokisch have been producing award-winning Spanish varietals since the early 2000s. This wine is a combination of the couple’s Las Cerezas and Liberty Oaks vineyards. Las Cerezas is their organically farmed “mother block” with their original tempranillo and graciano cuttings taken from the Ribera del Duero region in Spain and planted in Lodi in 1999. Liberty Oaks was planted a few years later from cuttings from Las Cerezas. The Las Cerezas fruit gives the wine its deep tannic structure while Liberty Oaks gives the wine its rich fruit flavor.
Notes:
· Alcohol: 14.5%
· Brix: 24.5-25.5
· Composition: 50% tempranillo, Liberty Oaks Vineyard; 25% tempranillo, Las Cerezas Vineyard; 25% graciano, Las Cerezas Vineyard.
· Clone Selection Ribera del Duero – Massal Selection by Markus Bokisch
· Aging: 49 months in neutral French oak
· Soil types: Las Cerezas (organically farmed): silty sandy loam; Liberty Oaks (sustainably farmed): volcanic clay loam.
· Production 280 cases
· Winemaker Elyse Perry
· Food pairing for the holidays: Liz Bokisch suggests pairing with crispy paella arancini balls (recipe here: lizbokisch.com/paella-arancini-balls).
Available at Bokisch Vineyards (18921 Atkins Road, Lodi) and online at bokischvineyards.com.
Dessert/Digestif
2021 St. Amant Bootleg Port ($24)
St. Amant is a pioneer of craft Port wine production in the Lodi AVA. Winemaker Stuart Spencer blends six traditional Portuguese winegrape varieties in this delectable dark, ruby red elixir, replete with crushed berry aromas and delicious ripe fruit flavors. The finish is silky with nutty tones. Bootleg Port derives its name from the St. Amant/Spencer family’s adventurous spirit that sets its wines apart. Read more about St. Amant Winery and the St. Amant/Spencer family’s history here: https://www.stamantwine.com/About-Us/History.
Notes:
· Alcohol: 18.5%
· Aging: 18 months, neutral oak.
· Food pairing for the holidays: blue cheese, nuts.
Available at St. Amant Winery (1 Winemaster Way, Lodi), online at stamantwine.com or Podesto’s market.