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Lodi has long been a place for big red wines, a fertile winegrower's paradise 100 miles east of San Francisco that produces lots of grapes with lots of vigor.
But Lodi is changing. Yes, there is still plenty of bulk wine and big wine, but there is a burgeoning movement to produce wines of style and substance. Some producers hope to take advantage of Lodi's fertile land by finding pockets just right for varieties rarely associated with California, let alone its Central Valley.
Originally this was Tokay -- a table grape -- land. Then came Zinfandel. (The area's first Zinfandel vineyard can be traced back to 1907.) Many of the winemakers and grape growers working in Lodi today can trace their family ties in the area back three, four or five generations.
Robert Mondavi came in 1979 to establish the Woodbridge Winery, probably the single most-recognized brand associated with Lodi.
The area now has almost 100,000 acres planted to wine grapes, mostly Zin (39 percent of all grapes grown in California), Petite Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Gris and Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
But then there's Bokisch Vineyards.
Husband and wife team Markus and Liz Bokisch came to Lodi to be growers after traveling through Markus' native Spain in a classic Volkswagen bus (they still have it) and falling in love with the wines of Spain and Portugal.
A viticulturalist by training who had worked many years in the Napa Valley for Joseph Phelps, Markus in particular honed in on Lodi as an ideal place to do something different, both viticulturally and economically – the land being simply more affordable than many other areas of California.
The couple make most of their money looking after vineyards for others in Lodi, farming the usual suspects. But in their rural backyard in Victor, just outside of town, they grow Albarino, which they bottle into a crisp, deliciously food-friendly wine under their own label. Only about 400 cases are made, the alcohol level is low (12 percent) and the price is fair ($16).
They also grow Graciano ($18), Garnacha, Tempranillo and Monastrell -- all worth a try.
2010 Bokisch Terra Alta Vineyard Albarino, Clements Hills-Lodi
This light, refreshing Albarino has green apple and pear to spare and lovely, dry acidity, its Catalan roots evident in the wine's overall Old World style. It screams for seafood. 12 percent alcohol. $16
2009 Bokisch Terra Alta Vineyard Garnacha, Clements Hills-Lodi
Very savory and herbal, this is one of Bokisch's bigger-bodied reds, still bright with strawberry, cherry, even cranberry and earthy flavors and packing a powerful, Rioja-type finish at the end. 14.5 percent alcohol. $18
2008 Bokisch Las Cerezas Vineyard Graciano, Mokelumne River, Lodi
Fruity, dusty and soft, a dark cherry and plum Graciano grown and made in Lodi with great depth, balance and earthiness. The grape is native to Rioja, where it is usually blended with Tempranillo, but does deliciously here on its own. From Lodi Rules Certified Green grapes. 14.5 percent alcohol. $21
2008 Bokisch Tempranillo, Lodi
Bright and earthy, dense and dark, this New World Tempranillo has an Old World soul, with dark cherry and strawberry going on as well as a touch of cocoa and tobacco. Its acidity adds a spark on the finish. This Ribera del Douro native grape seems plenty happy in the middle of California, at least in Bokisch's hands. 14.5 percent alcohol. $21
2008 Bokisch Belle Colline Vineyard Monastrell, Clements Hills-Lodi
Also known as Mourvedre, this Spanish-inspired Monastrell from Bokisch, grown on a hillside, is brawny with plenty of earth and bacon bite to it, yet also floral, rich yet bright, tasting of black cherry and pomegranate with a menthol tobacco chaser. 14.5 percent alcohol. $21
Zester Daily contributor Virginie Boone is a Sonoma Valley-based wine writer. She has reported on the Northern California wine scene for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and its affiliate food and wine magazine, Savor, and is a contributing reviewer of California wines for Wine Enthusiast.
Photo: Bokisch wines. Credit: Courtesy of Bokisch Vineyards
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