One could argue that Lodi is among the most interesting wine regions in the state if not the world.
The Lodi American Viticultural Ara is home to about 135 wine grape varieties that thrive in the region’s soils and Mediterranean climate thanks to the dedication and hard work of some 750 growers.
This year’s “most interesting” list includes wines made from rare or obscure varieties with their origins in France, Croatia, Greece, Austria, Spain and Italy. The wines were chosen based on the winegrape varieties, the stories behind the vineyards and producers, and the qualities of the wines. This list doesn’t begin to scratch the surface. Just FYI: The 2025 list does not have any duplicates from the 2024 list.
Hope you enjoy the list and discover for yourself the diversity in Lodi.
2023 St. Amant Barbera Leventini Vineyard ($26)
This lively Italian variety has been a quiet stalwart in California viticulture. Both rich and light-bodied, this uncelebrated grape has a long history in Lodi’s sandy soils where it makes vibrant, flavorful wines. It’s delicious, unpretentious, and perfect with food with aromas and flavors of fresh cranberries, dried cherries and wet earth.
Planted in 1972 by Lodi grower Ted Leventini, the wine has since been a mainstay of the St. Amant line of wine for nearly 30 years. The 2023 St. Amant Barbera was named Best Red Wine of Show, California State Fair.
2019 Anaya Vineyards Nebbiolo ($49)
Gerardo Espinosa has done what others have tried and failed to do and that is craft a remarkable wine made from Lodi-grown Nebbiolo, the famous Italian variety that comprises the coveted wines of Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont noted for their complexity: rose petals, cherries, raspberries, dried herbs, subtle tar-like notes, high tannin and high acidity. Espinosa’s effort possesses Nebbiolo’s classic traits and is a value, considering Barolo and Barbaresco generally cost much more.
2023 Bokisch Vineyards Lo Xalet Sparkling ($60)
The first and only Spanish cava grown in Lodi. Owners Liz and Markus Bokisch planted the three traditional Spanish wine grape varieties used to make cava – Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel-lo – in the Miravet Vineyard in the Clements Hills micro-AVA not far from their eponymous winery that specializes in Spanish varieties in keeping with Markus’s family heritage.
The vineyard is Certified Organic and Sustainable (CCOF) and LODI RULES certified. The wine is native yeast fermented in stainless steel, then bottle fermented (Methode Champenoise) and aged on its lees for nine months.
Crisp and vibrant with fine, persistent bubbles, aromas of citrus, pear, and crushed stone. The palate is dry and bright, with refreshing acidity and a long mineral finish.
2024 Heleje Wine Co. Counoise ($42)
Shauna and Jake Des Voignes traded their aprons for tractors when they went from being career chefs in the Bay Area to wine growers/winemakers in Lodi. Their new label offers delicious wines from obscure varieties, including Counoise, a red grape grown primarily in the Rhone Valley region of France.
It’s juicy, bright, and light on the palate with soft, silky tannins. Think sun-ripened strawberries straight from the farmers market, fresh-picked plums, and just a whisper of licorice and cracked pepper for a little kick.
Assyrtiko (Courtesy photo)
2023 Perlegos Family Wine Co. Sparkling Assyrtiko ($35)
Brothers John and Jeff Perlegos have stayed true to their Greek heritage in Lodi by fostering Assyrtiko, a variety considered to produce Greece’s finest white wines.
Believed to be the first sparkling Assyrtiko in the United States, the grapes hail from the Perlegos’s Thera Block vineyard in the Clements Hills micro-AVA. The brothers also craft a still Assyrtiko and are committed to the variety that they believe has a bright future in Lodi.
Citrus and stone fruit flavors are lifted by fine bubbles and refreshing acidity in this well-made and refreshing sparkling wine.
2024 LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards Grüner Veltliner ($27)
Austria’s native white grape variety sits on 4.5 acres in the family’s North River Vineyard in Lodi’s Mokelumne River micro-AVA. Aaron Lange manages the vineyard. The wine – part of the LangeTwins’ single-vineyard series – boasts modest alcohol (12.5% ABV), medium body, crisp acidity and vibrancy from stainless steel aging with flavors and aromas of green apple, pear, nectarine, some citrus, melon and a faint white pepper note consistent with the variety.
2023 Oak Farm Vineyards Falanghina ($28)
The Panella family crafts multiple wines and blends in their ample portfolio, including wines made from grapes that hail from their ancestral homeland – Italy. Falanghina, a white variety that originated in the Campana region of southern Italy, is gaining popularity due to its unique flavors and versatility with food, especially seafood, like shrimp and clams, and lighter dishes.
Oak Farm’s Falanghina opens with fresh floral aromas, Fuji apple, lemon peel, and ripe melon. It has medium body, medium-plus alcohol (14% ABV) and vibrant fruit character.
2024 Klinker Brick Echoes Native Zinfandel ($40)
This iteration of Lodi’s signature variety is anything but jammy or over-the-top. Echoes Native Zinfandel is an elegant, nuanced expression that shows what this variety can offer when picked at minimal ripeness, leading to restrained alcohol (12.5%), lighter body, and beautiful rose-petal and lavender aromatics.
Grower and owner Steve Felten selected 14 rows from the Marisa Vineyard (planted in 1928) in the Mokelumne River micro-AVA. Steve reduced the yield in this section to promote the development of eucalyptus and herbal notes. Native yeast fermentation, aged in neutral oak, this wine bucks the longstanding notion that zinfandel exclusively yields robust, full-bodied wines.
2023 Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Christina’s Red Outlier ($55)
Owners Susan and Rodney Tipton proudly consider themselves outliers to some degree, as they bucked conventional Lodi wisdom and based Acquiesce solely on Rhone-inspired white wines. Success was immediate.
Over the years, Acquiesce has added single-varietal Rhone-inspired white wines, white blends, rosés and sparkling wines to its mix. The first two Outliers were 100% Grenache Noir. But with the 2023 Outlier, winemaker Christina Lopez made a Côtes du Rhone-style wine with red and white wine grapes in the blend: in this case, 62% Grenache Noir, 16% Syrah, 16% Mourvedre, 3% Bourboulenc and 3% Clairette Blanche.
The Grenache gets oomph from the Syrah and Mourvedre, and the Bourboulenc and Clairette Blanche lift the acidity and the aromas and flavors of red berries and subtle spices wrapped in soft tannins.
2021 Marchelle Old Vine Family Cuvee ($40)
Co-founder and winemaker Greg La Follette has an affinity for old vines, which explains why he spends a good deal of time in Lodi, home to some of the oldest vineyards in the world planted to Carignane, Zinfandel and Cinsault.
The 2021 Marchelle Old Vine Cuvee is 66% Carignane, 33% Zinfandel, and 1% Cinsault from the Mokelumne River micro-AVA. The Carignane is from Jessie’s Grove’s “1900 Block,” the Zinfandel is from the Royal Tee vineyard planted in 1889, and the Cinsault is from the storied Bechthold Vineyard planted in 1886, perhaps the oldest Cinsault vineyard in the world. The nose is complex and the palate is well-rounded with dark fruit, earth and hints of spice.
2022 Markus Wine Co. Zeitlos ($41)
Owner and winemaker Markus Niggli sources grapes from some of Lodi’s top growers and crafts blends that reflect Lodi’s terroir (sense of place). Generally, Markus’s wines are fruit-driven and balanced with acidity, so they are fresh, vibrant and food friendly.
Zeitlos, which translates to timeless, ageless or classic, is a blend of 57% Syrah, 11% Petite Sirah and 2% Viognier from Berghold Vineyards, and 18% Carignane, 6% Alicante Bouschet and 6% Petit Sirah from Steve Borra’s Church Block planted in 1938.
Perhaps the most age-worthy wine in the portfolio, Zeitlos delivers integrated tannins, medium-plus body and flavors of licorice, sour cherries, and raspberries.
2023 Intercoastal Vineyards Roussanne / Viognier ($27)
There’s never a dull moment at Intercoastal, where Rachele and Mitch Spaletta routinely expand their portfolio by releasing exciting, rare wines in fearless fashion. They’re lineup includes such rare gems as Pinotage Bianco, White Montepulciano, White Cinsault and Rosè of Pinotage, just to name several.
Case in point, the 2023 Intercoastal Vineyards Roussanne / Viognier, released this year for the first time, is a blend of two Rhône white grape varietals. Viognier brings its signature stone fruit flavors, offering notes of apricot and white peach, while Roussanne complements with refreshing hints of Meyer lemon, beeswax, and tangerines.
Harney Lane Vineyards Grace, Lot 25 Reserve ($48)
Grace is a good word to describe this estate-grown, single-vineyard (Henry Ranch), reserve Primitivo, a grape variety from Puglia that’s genetically identical to California’s Zinfandel and Croatia’s Tribidrag.
The fruit from the estate Henry Ranch in the hands of owner/grower Kyle Lerner offers a wine that is deep, dark, complex and full-bodied. Rich, fruity and spicy with notes of blackberry, cherry and baking spices.
Grace stands alone in Harney Lane’s portfolio, created as a special, multi-vintage blend of sustainably farmed Primitivo from three sequential years. Grace is a wine club exclusive wine, though Harney Lane also makes several single-vineyard Zinfandels that are delicious.
So, there you have it – a baker’s dozen of interesting wines from Lodi.