Located southeast of Sacramento near California’s eastern edge, the Lodi region isn’t a romantic, sophisticated wine “country” (yet), but it’s got the hip enviro-edge. Lodi is so serious about the health of its land, they formed a growers trade group, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission (LWWC), which in 1992 laid down their environmental imperatives in a farming manifesto, Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing.
This booklet, which outlines 75 farming practices, is California’s first third-party certified, formal standard for sustainable agriculture — reviewed by scientists, academics and environmentalists. By encouraging its tenets on a region-wide basis, their goal is to improve and maintain the overall health of the vineyards’ ecosystem and increase quality wine production.
Does the quality-driven program follow into the glass? I think so. Lodi makes fantastically lush, ripe zinfandels, among other varieties like this syrah. Many come from very old, graggly vines that stick up from the ground like fat fingers on an aged person, producing intense, concentrated wines. This example is full-bodied and elegant with super fruity blackberry, plum, dried black cherry, sweet chocolate and soft, leathery tannins. With its high octane alcohol (almost 15 percent), it smacks a bit of port but don’t let that scare you away from this truly gorgeous wine. Available by the glass for $10 at Cafe Dufrain.
This article appears in Apr 15-21, 2009.