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Wine Dinner Series at Arizona’s Wigwam Resort

Last month I had the pleasure of sampling some of Arizona’s best cuisine, in one of Arizona’s most enchanting settings: The Wigwam Resort.wigwam resort arizona

The Wigwam first opened in 1929 as a guest ranch with enough room for 24 guests.  Today the resort features 331 rooms, and 3 championship golf courses.  Some of the rooms are “casitas”  Little stand alone houses/rooms, that have their own private entrances and patios.  They’re really great if you’re looking for a romantic weekend getaway.wigwam resort arizona-2

But I digress..  The reason I headed out west was to see what the chefs could come up with to pair with the amazing, award winning wines of Grgich Hills Estate.  While I came for the food and wine, I always forget and then am pleasantly reminded that I meet some really interesting characters at these events.  People coming together to experience the craft and finer things in life come from all backgrounds.  You don’t have to be Monte Burns to enjoy wine.  I was seated at a table with a successful accountant who looked the spitting image of Dennis Hopper.  The conversation was lively among the guests, and it got livelier as the evening went on!wigwam resort arizona-4

First we were treated to a history of how Grgich Hills came to be, a fascinating story.  After that, the food and wine pairings began.  Refer to the pic below for the menu

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I found the Spanish Octopus really interesting.  wigwam resort arizona-5

Also the Yellow Fin Tuna with forbidden rice.wigwam resort arizona-6

But what really stole the show was the Berkshire pork and the Prime New York.

 

The $89 per person this 5 course meal with very generous wine pours from one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious wineries, was actually quite a deal.  Try going to Vegas and finding a deal like that!

Now the thing I highly recommend if you really want to enjoy the wines is to book a room at the Wigwam.  It’s a bit of long drive later at night, and plus its a nice place to stay.  As a wine blogger I’ve seen too many people over indulge and then nothing good comes from that, so I recommend staying the night, waking up and going home nice and safe 🙂wigwam resort arizona-3

Review | Justin 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast

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Justin 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast

I’m a big fan of Justin’s Isosceles as well as their other cabernets, and so as I was strolling through the wine section at Costco over the weekend, this bottle caught my attention.  The label really helps showcase the beautiful golden yellow color of the wine.  But the next thing I noticed is the price:  $10.99  This was just what I was looking for.  Heading over to some friends for a barbeque, we’re having chicken and vegetable kebabs.

So while the final preparations were being made to the food I was treated to some homemade salsa.  The host was a bit upset that she didn’t have lemon to put in the salsa, the final ingredient.  That’s where this wine really knocked it out of the park for me.  With loads of lemon and grapefruit, it paired beautifully with the juicy, and lemon-less salsa.  As the wine warmed up a chamomile like aroma revealed itself, and later on the palate some nice green apple notes.

My only regret with this wine is that I didn’t come across it at the beginning of summer!

Review | Cameron Hughes Lot 515
Cameron Hughes Lot 515 wine bottle

Cameron Hughes Lot 515

Cameron Hughes Lot 515 | 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine hails from Monte Rosso vineyard in Sonoma Valley A.V.A. which is located in Sonoma County A.V.A.  Searching around on the internet you won’t find much on Monte Rosso vineyard like a company website and social media accounts.  But you will find that a lot of other producers source their fruit from this vineyard.  According to Hughes “Monte Rosso has perhaps been the greatest source for Cabernet in Sonoma County.”  That’s a pretty bold statement.  Let’s take a look at some of the other producers sourcing fruit from the vineyard: Louis Martini – Monte Rosso Cabernet. 92 points Robert Parker $85 (2010). Arrowood – Monte Rosso Cabernet. 93 points Wine Advocate and $80 (2009)

That’s impressive.  And then there’s Cameron Hughes.  This wine retails for $32 on his website, with a total production of just 500 cases.  Lot 515 is a blend of 95% Cabernet, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot and weighs in at a whopping 15.4% alcohol.

The wine is dense and dark and so packed with fruit that over the course of the 3 nights I sampled this wine, the only time I noticed heat was on the last few sips, and even that wasn’t all that unpleasant.  There are some nice mineral notes interlaced in with the predominately blackberry and licorice palate.

The nice thing about this wine is that although it may get better with age, it is really very much a drink now kind of wine.  You won’t be committing wine infanticide by drinking this wine withing the next few years.  Especially if you’ve been used to Cabernets from Napa.  I’m a huge fan of Napa cabs, but Lot 515 is definitely a wine I can appreciate.

Weekly Wine Journal rating 93 points

*wine purchased with my own hard earned $$.

 

 

Review | Cameron Hughes Lot 555

Cameron Hughes Lot 555

Cameron Hughes Lot 555 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

According to Cameron Hughes ( aka “Cam”) this wine was actually the biggest release of 2014 for the wine negociant.  By biggest he does not mean most cases produced.  Only 1,000 cases of Lot 555 were made, what he means is big, as in a BIG wine sourced from one of the top producers in Napa.  The wine was sourced from ” a fantastic estate in Rutherford deeply rooted in classical traditions and family winemaking heritage. Its vineyards are certainly amongst Napa’s finest, and definitely in the discussion for the top 10.” According to Chwine.com.  Interesting, the label says Napa Valley, which tells me that either there was something in the Non Disclosure Agreement with the producer and or the base wine was back blended with other A.V.A.’s to the point that it could longer be considered a pure “Rutherford District”.

The first thing I noticed after opening the bottle is the cork.  I’m not sure if all of Cameron’s wines have switched to the plastic/rubber cork, but I was certainly surprised to see it.  Maybe I’m a full blown wine snob, but for some reason the synthetic cork really rubbed me the wrong way.  This wine retails for $29 and comes from one of the top 10 vineyards in Napa, I thought there was a bit of a disconnect with the “cheap” enclosure.  Maybe I just need to get over it, like I did the screw cap bottles, eventually.

The next thing I noticed is the wine is good.  It’s great.  Classic Napa Valley floor nose and palate.  Rich bold, powerful, notes of plum and blackcurrant intermixed with tart raspberry.  Fine “dusty” tannins and espresso round out the finish.   Right now the wine is very young.  The wine is astringent and mouth puckering at this point even after 24 hours of decanting.  This is definitely a buy and hold wine for the short term to medium term.  I bought 6 bottles of this wine and I’ll revisit Lot 555 in about a year from now at the end of 2015 to see how it’s coming along.  If it plays out like most of Cams other “big” wines, I’ll be wishing I had bought more.  Unfortunately, storage has become a problem for me and without a significant investment in temperature controlled storage, I’m going to have to hold off on adding more to my collection for the time being.

ChWine.com/555

Weekly Wine Journal | Best of 2014 List

Weekly Wine Journal best of 2014

2014 was another great year for The Weekly Wine Journal.  Traveled to Napa for the Taste of Howell Mountain again this year.  Also attended the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association Festival on the Farm at South Mountain.  Dined at a lot of nice restaurants with great wine lists and also met a lot of wonderful people in the wine industry.  It was very difficult to choose the best of the best, but after much consideration, here it is, the list

Best Red Wine

TIE:   CHATEAU NENIN 2005, POMEROL  / ALTAMURA 2007 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPA VALLEY

This year for the first time there is a tie.  Both of these wines were exceptional.  Beyond exceptional, truly great.  And for completely different reasons.  If you can find either of these wines prepare to have your mind blown.

Best White Wine

PAUL DOLAN 2013 SAUVIGNON BLANC POTTER VALLEY, MENDOCINO COUNTY

This is an interesting one.  Paul Dolan underwent some big changes recently, but the quality still remained.  This wine shows that California can produce Sauvignon Blanc that people who don’t like Californian Sauvignon Blancs might like!

Best Wine Restaurant

EDDIE V’S PRIME SEAFOOD & STEAK, SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA

This restaurant has an extensive wine list, with a good range of wines from affordable to “Hey let’s buy a few $3000 bottles of wine!”  Known for their seafood, it turns out their NY Strip and Rib Eye are easily the best I have ever tasted.  And that’s saying something considering how much steak I eat.

Best Wine Tasting

TASTE OF HOWELL MOUNTAIN, ST HELENA, CALIFORNIA

Year after year The Taste of Howell Mountain wins best wine tasting.  There is just simply not a better collection of high end wines for such an affordable price, AND a friendly laid back atmosphere

Best Winery Experience

RED CAP VINEYARDS, ANGWIN, CALIFORNIA

Red Cap Vineyards does not have a tasting room and is not open to the public.  I was invited there as a friend and guest and really had a blast hanging out with husband & wife owners Tom & Desire Altemus.  Also present was social media/marketing manager Michael.  I spent the afternoon sipping wine chatting listening to stories, telling stories and getting ridiculous with some Grappa made by Rebekah Wineburg.

 

 

 

3 Amazing Dessert wines for the Holidays

We all know that wines can be enjoyed with or without food.  And we know that wines can be paired with food.  But can wines be considered food?  In the case of dessert wines, I think the case can be made.  Instead of eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream and apple pie, try some or all of the following wines as an after dinner dessert, or as an aperitif(before dinner)- and as a wine!

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Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes.

Chateau Guiraud is classified as a Premier Cru or “First Growth” in the Bordeaux classification of 1855.  Normally you can expect to spend part of your children’s inheritance for a chance to taste a Premier Cru, but not so with Chateau Guiraud.  I picked up the 1996 vintage at Costco on mark down for about $15!  But that is a ridiculous price.  The 2009 vintage retails for $60 but even that is a steal.  The ’09 was ranked #5 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2012 and received 96 points.  A 96 point Premier Cru for $60 a bottle?!

 

muscat de beaumes

Paul Jaboulet Aine “Le Chant des Griolles”

This wine can be enjoyed before dinner.  At about $20 – $40 for a 375ml bottle this wine is also a ridiculous deal.  Other than the wine I am about to review next, this is my favorite dessert/aperitif wine.   Something I’ve really gotten into lately is enjoying these dessert wines at the beginning of the evening and at the end.  “Book-ending” your evening with these wines is a very interesting experience.  By saving half of the bottle for the end of the night, you really get to see how the wine evolves, not only from being open, but because of the interaction with your changing palate.  After you’ve eaten a variety of foods and consumed a variety of beverages, returning to the wine you started with will be a very interesting experience.  You may still recognize the wine, but you’ll definitely notice significant changes.

 

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Chateau d’Yquem

Last, but not least, Chateau d’Yquem,  a.k.a. “The Nectar of the Gods”   This is the most amazing thing I have ever consumed, let alone wine.  And “thing” is a terrible way to describe it, but I’m a blogger not a poet laureate.  The critics including Wine Spectator and Robert Parker consistently rate this wine in the 95+ point range.  In fact Robert Parker gave the 2009 vintage a 100 point rating.  But wait there’s more… Wine Spectator rated the 2001 vintage 100 points, the 2011 vintage 99 points and the 2009 vintage 98 points.  Everyone who’s serious about wine knows that points are not the be all and end all, but these ratings are hard to ignore.  But don’t rush out and buy the wine just yet….get ready for some serious sticker shock.  You can expect to pay well over $500 for a half bottle (375ml) for some of the better vintages.  Or you could pick up the 2002 vintage which was only rated a measly 94 points for a meager $150+ per half bottle!

 

 

 

A Visit to Cain Vineyard and Winery

Cain-vineyard

 Cain Vineyard and Winery

Last June I spent five days in Napa Valley and decided to venture off the beaten path to see what I could find.  I looked at Google Earth as I was planning my trip and came across Cain Vineyard and Winery.  It looked pretty far off the beaten path, so I contacted them for a tour and tasting*

Cain is located in the Spring Mountain district towards the north end of Napa Valley and east of St Helena.  Cain is located about as close to the summit as you can get, although there is no summit and no particular mountain named “Spring Mountain”.  Spring mountain refers to a geographical area in the mountains and hills to the east of St. Helena.

I was greeted by Operations Manager J.J. McCarthy and whisked out the front door on a wonderful walk through the oak trees.  The mottled sunlight played on the path and sparkled through the gaps in the canopy of the trees.  We came out on the other side of the trail to an absolutely spectacular view.  I was looking South East over hundreds of acres of vineyards in blocks on the steep slopes.  Some of which appeared to be close to a mile away.  Far in the distance I could see the valley floor.  If you look at the top of this post, that’s the view I was looking at.  The vineyard ranges in elevation from about 1,400 feet to a little over 2,100 feet above sea level.

The land that Cain Vineyards is on can trace its roots back to the 1870’s.  It was once a ranch that grew to over 3,000 acres.  Unfortunately after over 100 years of farming and grazing the operation was no longer viable and the family was forced to abandon operations.  They donated the majority of the land to create the McCormick Sanctuary which is part of the California Park System.

In 1980, the Cains (Jerry and Joyce) purchased 550 acres of the remaining land and began planting vines.  Their vision was to create wines using the traditional Bordeaux varieties.  5 years later, they released their first vintage.  Eventually the Cains retired in 1991 and sole ownership was passed on to their business partners, Jim and Nancy Meadlock.

During the tour J.J. was able to provide some interesting information.  The men who tend to the vineyard are each given their own blocks, which they are responsible for rather than have the group responsible for the entire vineyard.  This way each block is looked after by a single person, who can focus specifically on the unique aspects of the soil, the slope, the drainage, and any challenges and opportunities.  In the mid 1990’s almost the entire vineyard had to be torn up and replaced due to the risk of phylloxera.  The process took 4 years to complete, however there is still one small block that still remains of original root stock.

After the tour we headed back to the winery and took a quick walk through the production facilities and then headed into the tasting room.  There I tasted through Cain’s current offerings as well as some library selections and had a great conversation with J.J.  We talked about all kinds of things, not just wine.  But mostly wine.  If you’re considering heading up to Cain for a tasting or tour try to get J.J. as your host.  He’s warm and friendly, has a great sense of humor and he really knows everything there is to know about the history of the vineyard and the wines.  But mainly he’s just a down to earth humble guy.

The Wines

cain wine bottles

Cain Cuvée, Non Vintage 10, Napa Valley

I lost no time in asking J.J. about non vintage wines.  Usually the hallmark of cheap wine, he assured me that this was not cheap and what the concept is.   The concept is Cain has been working with the same vineyards and same vines, exact same rows for over 20 years for this wine.  “Each year the vines are a year older…”  according to the Cain website.  The NV10 version is a blend of 51% 2010 and 49% 2009 vintages with a mix of 48% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot.  The fruit was sourced from Gallegos in Rutherford, Stanton in Oakville, Nord-Trio C in Yountville, York Creek from the Spring Mountain District and Truchard in Los Carneros. The alcohol weighs in at 14.1% and the retail price is $34 a bottle.  11,230 cases were produced, but all of that appears to have already been allocated on the Cain website, you’ll have to track it down through wine retailers.

Cain Five, 2009, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley

Cain Five has a smaller production run with 4,331 cases produced for the ’09 vintage.  The first interesting thing I learned about this wine is that even though it’s the 2009 vintage, it was only released in 2014.  After aging in oak for an undisclosed period of time, the wine was aged a further 2 years in the bottle before being released.  This would be an incredibly difficult thing for a young winery to accomplish, having wine in the bottle ready to sell but not ready to drink and having the discipline to not sell it right away.  The ’09 vintage is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.  All the fruit comes from Cain’s Spring Mountain Estate.  This wine is still young and has at least another 10-15 years left in it.  If you’re drinking it any time soon I suggest decanting for an hour, but more importantly drink it slowly over a longer period to see how it changes after opening up.  It’ll be quite rewarding

Cain Five, 2004,  Napa Valley

The most obvious difference between the ’04 and ’09 is noticeable even before you taste the wine.  The labeling.  For some reason the ’04 does not have the Spring Mountain District sub AVA on it’s label.  The fruit is sourced from Cain’s Spring Mountain Estate, it just wasn’t labeled so at the time.  This wine also saw a release date long after the actual harvest.  The wine saw 22 months in oak and a further 2 years in the bottle before being released in 2008.  4,623 cases were produced but this wine is now considered a “Library release”  meaning it is only available on site at the winery itself.  The blend on this wine is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot.  It was very interesting to be able to compare this with the ’09 vintage and see how aging works on the wine.  The wine had calmed down considerably.  Very refined, classic Napa mountain fruit.  A quick 10 minute decant is all that’s needed, and if you’re visiting the winery you can rest assured they’ll do that for you.

Cain Concept “The Benchland”, 2009 Napa Valley

According to the folks at Cain, “Concept” is “about Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the classical Benchlands of of Napa Valley”.  The fruit is sourced from Oakville:  Beckstoffer’s Missouri Hopper vineyard, Rutherford: Beckstoffer’s George III, Morisoli Borges and Hudson vineyards, Carneros: Hudson vineyard, Atlas Peak: Stagecoach vineyard and St. Helena’s Stanton vineyard.  The blend is 46% Cabernet, 26% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 13% Petit Verdot.  Although they just stated that this wine is all about the Benchland cab, there is a significant amount of blending going on here.  The simple purpose of doing this is to add complexity.  They’re going for a concept here, the concept – extremely refined and complex Napa Valley Cabernet based wine.  This wine hits on all marks.

Of all the places I’ve visited in Napa Valley over the last several years, the Cain estate was one of the most interesting.  Not only for the spectacularly beautiful scenery but for my one on one tasting withing J.J.   The thing that we tend to forget when trying to enjoy wine is that it’s made so much more enjoyable by drinking it with interesting people.  If you’re considering taking a visit to Cain I recommend requesting a tour with J.J. (I hope he still works there when you do!)

Visit Cain HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meiomi | 2013 vintages

Meiomi

Not many people can trace their profession back five generations.  Joseph Wagner, however, is one of those people.  Joseph’s father and grandparents founded a little winery called Caymus back in 1971.   Thirty years later at the ripe old age of nineteen, Joseph started work on creating his own single vineyard Pinot Noir label.  He named it Belle Glos, after his grandmother. You might recognize the distinct wine bottle with loads of red wax running down the side.  Not long after, Joseph and the family created the Meiomi brand.  Meiomi is now “the leading luxury Pinot Noir in the U.S.” according to the winery literature.

Meiomi differs from Belle Glos in several ways.  Most obvious is the sourcing of the fruit.  While Belle Glos focuses on creating single vineyard wines, Meiomi’s wines are a blend of three of California’s most well known coastal AVA’s.  Also, Meiomi recently introduced Chardonnay to the lineup, while Belle Glos continues to focus solely on Pinot. Lastly, the price points are a little different.  Belle Glos retails in the $40-$50 range while Meiomi retails in the $20-$25 range.

The American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) Meiomi sources their fruit from included Sonoma County, Monterey County and Santa Barbara County. Each area imparts it’s distinct characteristics on the wine and helps to create a consistent wine year after year.  A wine that is suited quite well for restaurant settings: consistent, drink now, great price points.

The Wines:

Meiomi 2013 Pinot Noir

37% Monterey County, 34% Sonoma County, 29% Santa Barbara County

Meiomi-3Deep garnet in color with a nose of strawberry and vanilla oak.  The palate takes on plum, cherry and subtle cinnamon notes, with a medium body and a creamy smooth finish.  This wine is a ripe, fruit forward wine and if you’ve enjoyed previous vintages of Meiomi Pinot Noir you should really like this one.  The wine was aged in 100% French oak with 60% of that being new and the alcohol comes in at 13.8%.  Retail price $21.99. Weekly Wine Journal rating 91 points.

 

 

 

Meiomi 2013 Chardonnay

49% Santa Barbara County, 30% Sonoma County, 21% Monterey County

Meiomi-2Golden straw in color with a nose of tropical fruit.  On the palate, pear, pineapple and a little minerality.  This wine underwent malolactic fermentation which gives it a nice creamy mouthfeel and softness.  Alcohol also comes in at 13.8% and retails for $21.99.  Weekly Wine Journal rating 90 points.

 

 

 

 

 

*review samples provided by Copper Cane Wines & Provisions

40 years of friendship in a bottle

Villa San-Juliette

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon | 2013 Sauvignon Blanc

Villa-San-Juliette-wine

I received a small box containing two bottles of wine one day.  I didn’t know who it was from, the winery didn’t seem familiar and I didn’t remember talking to anyone about these wines recently.  I decided to give them a try, knowing nothing.  I didn’t look up the wines website, just poured and decanted for 30 minutes at 68F, starting with the Cabernet. After tasting both wines, each over a 3 day period and with my tasting notes complete I ventured onto the Villa San-Juliette website.

I was very surprised to see a photo of Nigel Lythgoe laughing, holding a glass of wine, to say the least.  Nigel Lythgoe is an international superstar.  He developed and produced “Pop Idol” which was created by Simon Fuller.  Pop idol became a global television show, and in 2002 Nigel moved to the U.S. to develop and produce “American Idol” and he became a producer and judge on “So You Think You Can Dance”.

40 years ago Nigel met Ken Warwick at school and they became friends. Both ended up in the entertainment industry as producers and both moved to the U.S. in 2002 to work on American Idol.  Ken was a producer of the show from 2002-2013 and more recently he has been producing “America’s got talent”

So according to the info on the website, these two guys were having dinner in Vegas back in 2004 and they asked the sommelier to surprise them with a Cabernet.  The Som brought out something that apparently caused them to purchase a 168 acre vineyard in Paso Robles!  That’s probably not exactly how quickly it happened. In my mind’s eye I can see a hilarious scene where the two super stars and their British Accents sounding like judges on So You Think You Can Dance and getting really excited about the wine suddenly declare “We must buy Paso Robles at once!”

The pair bought the vineyard and immediately set about a major overhaul and renovation.  The 168 acre property now has over 130 acres under vine with 11 varieties.  The vineyard also received SIP certification in 2013.  SIP is a very rigorous “Sustainability In Practice” certification and is much more holistic than simple “Green” or “Organic” certifications.

Also in 2013,Matt Ortman was hired as wine maker.  Matt has a long background in wine that comes from his father, who was wine maker at Spring Mountain Vineyards, and a consultant at Cain, Far Niente and Shafer.  Matt auditioned for the “role” of wine maker at Villa San Juliette.  Nigel and Ken and a bunch of wine makers present their wines for a blind tasting and in a scene rather like one of their TV show’s they picked the top contestant!  Matt’s wines took first and second place.

Villa San Juliette 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles

Villa-San-juliette-sauvignon-blanc-bottlePale straw in color with lychee and a bit of honeysuckle and melon on the nose.  The palate is dominated by citrus and searing acidity with notes of lemon grass.  If you like your Sauvignon Blanc to have some kick to it, then this is the wine for you.  The alcohol weighs in at 14.4% and although not over bearing there is a warm glow from the alcohol that manifested itself more on the 2nd and 3rd day of the bottle being open.  Retail price is $14.  A decent wine though not terribly complex, a basic summer wine.  Weekly Wine Journal rating: 86 points.

 

 

 

 

Villa San Juliette 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles

Villa-San-Juliette-Cabernet-bottleDeep purple in color, with a nose of blackberry and rose petals.  The palate is nice and smooth, rich with currant and black cherry.  The alcohol comes in at 14.5%.  This wine drank nicely all throughout the 3 day tasting period.  The blend on this wine is quite interesting with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Alicante Bouschete, 9% Syrah and 3% Cabernet Franc. There is a texture and mouthfeel to the wine vaguely familiar, a little like “Rutherford dust”.  This fine dust like texture is nice, gives the weight a more weighty feel.  This wine would pair equally well with steak as with a meaty tomato based pasta.  The retail price is about $20 but if you can get the wine for $15 this would be an exceptional value.  Weekly Wine Journal Rating: 88 points

 

 

 

*wines provided by the winery for review

 

OZV | Old Zin Vines

2012 OZV | Old Zin Vines

The oldest continually operating winery in Lodi California was purchased by Rudy Maggio and the Reynolds (Don and Rocky) back in 2001.  Lodi, in case you are unfamiliar, has been referred to as “The Zinfandel capital of the world.”  I found that quote on Wikipedia, but the footnote link is broken.  Even though, the description sounds good to me! Currently there are over 80 wineries and over 100,000 acres of premium grapes planted in the Lodi A.V.A.Old-Zin-Vines-bottle

Lodi received its official American Viticultural Area (A.V.A.) status in 1986, and is located at the east end of Sacramento/San Joaquin delta.  The town of Lodi itself is located about 15 miles north of Stockton.  Now that you know where, here’s the why.  The Lodi AVA’s primary characteristics are:  A long growing season, distinctive sandy soils, and cool ocean breezes coming from the San Francisco area which produce a “Mediterranean” Climate.

After Rudy & the Reynolds purchased the Oak Ridge Winery they set about a major transformation starting in 2002.   They rebuilt the winery and today, in addition to making their own wines they operate, custom crush, bottling, labeling, marketing and wine storage facilities.  Rudy and Rocky didn’t start their adventures in the wine business with the purchase of this winery.  In fact, their family farming histories span 5 generations.  In addition to the Oak Ridge Winery they have an impressive collection of heritage vineyards (more on that in future articles).

OZV-wine-labelSo, how about that wine?  The 2012 OZV Old Zin Vines is a simple straight forward wine.  It’s a big ripe jammy Zinfandel.  The palate is dominated by blackberry jam, blackberry compote and blackberry pie filling.  The wine is pleasantly light on the alcohol (13.95%) and doesn’t show any alcoholic “heat” typical of higher octane wines. Although not terribly complex, the wine is a crowd pleaser and at a suggested retail of under $15 it’s a great deal.  Weekly Wine Journal rating: 89 points

Technical Data:

Ph/Ta 3.52/6.8g/L

Blend: 96% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Sirah.