Fred Swan has devoted his career to helping people gain more appreciation and enjoyment of wine.
Swan has honed his prowess over a 20-year career that has touched nearly every facet of the wine industry. He has traveled to many of the world’s vaunted wine regions and has developed a deep well of knowledge.
Swan, who makes his home in the East Bay, has brought his talents to Lodi and Stockton. In addition to being a sommelier, professional wine writer, wine judge, and facilitator of Wine Writers’ Educational Tours conferences, Swan is the Associate Professor of Wine Studies at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton.
Wine professionals and consumers from novices to oenophiles stand to have a good time and benefit from experiencing Swan’s relatable expertise by taking a class or attending a presentation or a tasting when he is at the front of the room.
“I want people to understand wine and not be intimidated,” Swan said. “I want to get them past that in a fun, enjoyable way.”
Recently, a day after he returned from a tour of Champagne, France, Swan gave a presentation, “The World of Grenache,” at the Lodi Wine Visitor Center. Swan educated the group about the red wine grape variety, its origin, history and its versatility.
Grenache can be made into white wine (grenache blanc), rosé, sparkling, red, and robust blends, such as the beautiful wines from Priorat DOCG in Spain and Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC in the Rhone Valley.
Grenache grows principally in warm-to-hot regions, including the Lodi American Viticultural Area, where the wine grape thrives in Lodi’s warm Mediterranean climate, sandy loam soils, and cooling delta breezes.
Grenache is thin-skinned. Therefore, the color of the wine is lighter, and the tannins generally are medium minus to medium. The alcohol can be elevated because the grape develops sugar well. Grenache offers many personalities, depending on the site, style and winery, but generally it is approachable with super delicious red-fruit aromas, flavors, and savory notes.
In my opinion, grenache is one of the Lodi region’s most delicious wine grape varieties. To me, grenache is similar in some respects to pinot noir due to the wine’s lighter hue, medium body, medium tannin, medium-minus acidity, yummy red-fruit, and spicy characteristics. Lodi grenache is worth seeking. Outstanding expressions are produced by McCay Cellars, Oak Farm Vineyards, Heritage Oak, Rippey Family Vineyards, Mettler Family Vineyards (grenache, syrah, mourvèdre blend – GSM), and Mikami Vineyards (GSM), to name several.
Grenache blanc is related to grenache noir and is grown in Lodi and made into delightful white wines by Acquiesce, Klinker Brick, Bokisch Vineyards, and Fields Family. Light grenache rosés are made in Lodi by Woo Girl Cellars, Acquiesce, Heritage Oak, Mikami (GSM) and Bokisch, to name several.
Abba Vineyard, Arbor Vineyards, Berghold Vineyards, Bokisch Vineyard Management, Manna Ranch, Ripken Vineyards, and M.B. Manassero and Sons are some of the local growers doing magic with grenache.
Grenache noir and grenache blanc wine grapes grown in Lodi go into wines made outside of Lodi, as well.
During the presentation, Swan provided grenache rosé and grenache noir from outside of Lodi. I enjoyed the opportunity to taste grenache from France (Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC, Banyuls AOC), Spain (Priorat DOCG, Jumilla DO,) Italy (Cannonau di Sardegna DOC), and Sonoma County. By being open-minded and willing to try new things, one can expand one’s horizons. That’s what learning is all about.
But really, the most enjoyable aspect of the evening was being led by Swan on an educational journey. I’ve also had the pleasure to take part in an examination of Sicilian wines that he presented at the Lodi Wine Visitor Center.
There will be more opportunities in the future to attend one of Swan’s curated tastings at the Lodi Wine Visitor Center (check Lodiwine.com for more information), but currently, Fred is entrenched in teaching a number of in-person and online courses this fall at Delta College (Wines of California, Intro to the Wines of Europe, Intro to Wines of the New World, Evaluation of Wine (in Lodi), Beverage Program Management, Wine Sales, Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales, Tasting Room Operation, and Winery Special Events. Registration for most courses in the fall semester has closed but some late-starting courses are open. Check Delta College’s web site to see what’s available.
Contact Fred Swan at fred.swan@deltacollege.edu.
For more information about Delta College, go to https://www.deltacollege.edu/.