Disclosure: I participated in an online conversation about Lodi Wine. Wine Samples were sent out to me on behalf of Snooth.Com; This is what I discovered.
Since my first visit to Lodi over a year ago now, I’ve been intrigued by the region, and what the grape growers and wine makers are doing in this area of California.
This past August, during the Wine Blogger’s Conference, I discovered that the Lodi region has over 100 Varietals of Wine growing in their region!
And that they do more than just Zinfandel, although, they have gotten quite the name for themselves for their amazing, quality Zinfandels, what we’ve been discovering the last few months is that there’s a lot going on beyond Zin.
This tasting with Snooth.Com showcased that in a whole new way:
Imagine that, of the 4 wines sent to us, none of them were Zinfandels.
The 4 Wines were:
2015 Acquiesce Belle Blanc Wine: Retails: 26.00
Acquiesce Wines have been creating quite the name for themselves in the Lodi region, as this winery only specializes in White Wine Varietals. The ONLY winery in Lodi to be doing this right now.
And, Lodi is finding out, that they have quite the ability to make some incredible white wines, the perfect wine to drink on a hot summer day.
It was an honor to taste the Belle Blance Wine from Acquiesce, a fan favorite throughout the Wine Bloggers Conference this past August.
2014 Lange Twins Nero D’Avolo:
The Nero D’Avolo is an Italian Variety, and this wine from the Lange Twins was the first Nero D’Avolo I’ve tasted, but after tasting this wine from Lange Twins, it quickly became a favorite, and has peaked my interest to try other wines from this varietal.
Also, quite interesting, is that this vineyard was first planted in 2012, but 2 years later, they had to rip the vineyard out. so the fact of trying out this wine from a vineyard that has been ripped out is pretty meaningful for me.
The Lange Twins have replanted the Nero D’Avolo varietal, and will continue to make this wine in the future (a huge favorite of mine now!)
2013 Klinker Brick Farrah Syrah:
I fell in love with Klinker Brick Wines at the Wine Bloggers Conference this past August. It was pretty surreal having Farrah pour us the Farrah Syrah (the namesake of the wine) during the Red Wine Speed Tasting Session!
After the conference was over, my love of Klinker Brick carried on, as I had to visit the winery in person a few weeks later when I was in the area. They have a gorgeous Patio area where you could really enjoy a bottle of wine.
I always love pairing a nice Syrah with a good red meat, especially if grilling during the summer. The spices that come out of a Syrah are a nice pairing with the grilled meat. The Farrah Syrah would be perfect for this!
2013 McCay Cellars Grenache: Retails: 32.00
Lately, whoever I’ve been talking to, wine related, has told me, that they are huge fans of Grenache. So, when I saw McCay Cellars, wines I’ve huge fans of, was sending over a Grenache, I couldn’t wait to try!
And the minute the Grenache hit my lips, I couldn’t put the glass of wine down. It was really, a wine, that could stand alone, but also pairs quite nicely with food. As I drank this wine down, I knew, this would become my to go to drinking wine from now on, and it has!
Michael McCay always does a nice job, with creating, quality wines, the Grenache was spectacular, and a huge winner for me.
It was GREAT tasting the wines coming out of Lodi, and exploring more of this incredible California Wine Region.
