Letters from Lodi
An insightful and objective look at viticulture and winemaking from the Lodi
Appellation and the growers and vintners behind these crafts. Told from the
perspective of multi-award winning wine journalist, Randy Caparoso.
What is Lodi terroir? (Part 3, Soil and topography)
Continued from What is Lodi terroir? (Part 2, Mediterranean climate)
In August 2006, the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) approved the usage of seven new American Viticultural Areas (a.k.a. AVAs) falling within the broader Lodi AVA (originally recognized in 1986):
• Alta Mesa
• Borden Ranch
• Clements Hills
• Cosumnes River
• Jahant
• Mokelumne River
• Sloughhouse
What is Lodi terroir? (part 2: Mediterranean Climate)
Continued from What is Lodi terroir? (Part 1, Definition)
Impact of Delta breezes on Lodi terroir
Because it falls within a watershed immediately east of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta draining directly into San Pablo Bay (the northern extension of San Francisco Bay), the terroir of entire Lodi Viticultural Area in terms of climate is defined as "Mediterranean," a climate classification also comparable to much of the coastal wine regions of California.
Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry summers and mild, wet winters typical of wine regions located 30 to 45 degrees north or south of the equator. This includes, of course, almost all the wine regions along the Mediterranean Basin, as well as much of the California Coast between the North Coast and Central Coast AVAs...
Continue »What is Lodi terroir? (part 1, Definition)
What is terroir?
Out of respect for this concept's French origin, I prefer to italicize the word, although you don't have to, since it's now co-opted into the English language like many other French words (such as élevage, café, chef, sommelier, apéritif, petite, haute couture, de rigueur, et al.).
But be careful how you use it. Merriam-Webster, for instance, simply defines terroir as a "combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives wine grapes their distinctive character." That's true, but it's a lot more than that...
Continue »