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.

September 1, 2016 | Randy Caparoso

What ARE the 100 grapes of Lodi?

In Lodi's Mokelumne Glen Vineyards: 2016 Kerner grapes, producing one of California's most cutting-edge wines

Among the most "surprising" things cited by visiting wine bloggers during this past month's Wine Bloggers Conference (i.e. #WBC16, August 11-14, 2016) is the fact that there are over 100 varieties of European wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) grown in the Lodi Viticultural Area.

Lost among the dozens of positive blogs posted since #WBC16 has been this salient fact: it should not be much of a surprise. Vitis vinifera, after all, originated in the Mediterranean Basin, and Lodi's climate is squarely Mediterranean, as is most of the rest of California's coastal wine regions (for a comparison of regional temperatures, also see How warm, or cool, is Lodi?). Lodi is a home away from home for classic European varieties.

Needless to say, the vinous urban myth that Lodi is some kind of ungodly desert, where fine wine grapes (presumably) cannot possibly ripen before raisining on the vine, accounts for much of this collective surprise. Growers and winemakers in Lodi have long been cognizant of this perception. Indeed, one of the reasons why the Lodi Winegrape Commission was formed in 1991 was precisely to counter this misinformation (see Lodi Winegrape Commission marks 25 years of unprecendented success).

Another one of Lodi's cutting-edge varietals: Verdejo, grown by Bokisch Vineyards

#WBC16, as it were, went a long way towards disproving the misperception that Lodi is too hot for classic winegrowing simply by offering visiting wine journalists tastes of wines crafted from numerous grapes, familiar and unfamiliar, that are fresh, light, fragrant, and balanced with all the natural fruit acidity in the world.

Typical of the blogger reactions was The Fermented Fruit's Ryan O'Hara's declaration: "As it turns out that there was more than my share of excitement awaiting me in Lodi, in the form of proving my preconceived notions about Lodi wine completely wrong!" (writer's bolds).

Talk-A-Vino's Anatoli Levine gushed: "You know what – now I’m afraid to bore you away with all this 'acidity and restrained fruit,' but this was the trait of literally every Lodi wine I had an opportunity to taste – there were no fruit bombs, there were no hot wines, there were delicious, well made world-class wines, made with love and care. I just have to tell you this, as it was really an overarching impression over the three days of tasting, so now I will [try to] avoid repeating myself all the time." And on and on...

Case closed.

So for now, in the interest of furnishing further visual documentation for those online journalists just beginning to wrap their just-blown-minds around this epiphany, the following is a photographic rendering of those 100+ wine grapes now flourishing in Lodi. From A to Z...

Aglianico; Mettler Family Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Albalonga (Riesling x Silvaner); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Albariño; Terra Alta Vineyard, Bokisch Ranches (Clements Hills AVA)

Alicante Bouschet; Mohr-Fry Ranches (Mokelumne River AVA)

Alvarelhão; Silvaspoons Vineyards (Alta Mesa AVA)

Arnsburger (Riesling clones 88 x 64); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne Glen AVA)

Bacchus; (Silvaner x Riesling) x Riesling; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Barbera; Leventini Vineyard (Jahant AVA)

Bastardo (a.k.a. Trousseau Noir); Ripken Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Black Prince (a.k.a. Rose of Peru); Jessie's Grove (Mokelumne River AVA)

Blauer Portugieser; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Blaufränkisch (a.k.a. Lemberger; Blauer Limberger); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Cabernet Franc (a.k.a. Bouchet); Keith Watts Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Cabernet Sauvignon; Phillips Farms (Mokelumne River AVA)

Carignan (a.k.a. Cariñena); Rauser Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Carménère (a.k.a. Grande Vidure); Phillips Farms (Mokelumne River AVA)

Carmine; (Cabernet Sauvignon x Carignan) x Merlot; Ripken Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Charbono (a.k.a. Douce Noir; Bonarda; Corbeau); Pasos Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Chardonnay, FPS 17; Bare Ranch, Phillips Farms (Mokelumne River AVA)

Chenin Blanc (a.k.a. Pineau de la Loire); Cresci Vineyard (Alta Mesa AVA)

Cinsaut (a.k.a. Black Malvoisie); Bechthold Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Colombard (a.k.a. French Colombard); Delta Packing (Mokelumne River AVA)

Counoise; Guard Road, Ripken Vineyards (Lodi AVA)

Dolcetto; Celle Vineyard (Lodi AVA)

Dornfelder; Helfensteiner (Frühburgunder x Trollinger) x Heroldrebe (Blauer Portugieser x Blaufränkisch); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Ehrenfelser (Riesling x Silvaner); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Faberrebe; Pinot Blanc x Müller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madeleine Royale); Mokelumne River Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Forta; Silvaner x Madeleine Angevine (Madeleine Royale x Précoce de Malingre); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Freuburgunder (a.k.a. Pinot Noir Precoce); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Garnacha Rioja Baja (a.k.a. Grenache Noir; Cannonau); Terra Alta Vineyard, Bokisch Ranches (Clements Hills AVA)

Grenache Noir (a.k.a. Garnacha; Cannonau); Acquiesce Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Grenache Noir (a.k.a. Garnacha; Cannonau), Caldwell clone; Lewis Vineyard (Clements Hill Vineyard)

Grenache Blanc (Garnacha Blanca); Acquiesce Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Gewürztraminer; Mokelulumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Graciano; Las Cerezas Vineyard, Bokisch Ranches (Mokelumne River AVA)

Grignolino; Ripken Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Grüner Veltliner; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Gutedel (a.k.a. Chasselas; Fendant); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Huxelrebe; Gutedel x Courtiller Musqué (a.k.a. Muscat Précoce de Saumur); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Kanzler; Müller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madeleine Royale) x Silvaner; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Kerner (Trollinger x Riesling); Mokelumne Glen Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Malbec (a.k.a. Auxerrois); Ripken Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Marsanne; Guard Road, Ripken Vineyards (Lodi AVA)

Marzemino; Hux Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Merlot; Vicarmont Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Mission (a.k.a. Listan Prieto); Jessie's Grove (Mokelumne River AVA)

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; Ripken Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Morio Muscat (Silvaner x Pinot Blanc); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Moscato Giallo (a.k.a. Yellow Muscat); Bella Vigna Vineyard (Alta Mesa AVA)

Mourvèdre (a.k.a. Mataro; Monastrell); Silvaspoons Vineyards (Alta Mesa AVA)

Müller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madeleine Royale); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Muscat Canelli (a.k.a. Muscat Blanc; Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains); Vino Farms (Sloughhouse AVA)

Muscat Orange; Vino Farms (Sloughhouse AVA)

Nebbiolo; Lewis Vineyard (Clements Hills AVA)

Nero d'Avola; LangeTwins Family Vineyards; Jahant AVA

Noblessa; Madeleine Angevine (Circe x Madeleine Royale) x Silvaner; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Optima; (Riesling x Silvaner) x Müller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madeleine Royale); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Oraniensteiner (Riesling x Silvaner); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Perle; Gewürztraminer x Müller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madeleine Royale); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Petit Verdot; Elk Vineyard, Round Valley Ranches (Jahant AVA)

Petite Sirah (a.k.a. Durif); Syrah x Peloursin; Phillips Farms (Mokelumne River AVA)

Pinot Gris (a.k.a. Pinot Grigio; Grauburgunder; Ruländer); Mettler Family Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Pinot Noir (a.k.a. Spätburgunder; Blauburgunder); Mohr-Fry Ranches (Mokelumne River AVA)

Pinotage (Pinot Noir x Cinsaut); Mettler Family Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Piquepoul (a.k.a. Picpoul Blanc); Acquiesce Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Primitivo (a.k.a. Zinfandel); Mettler & Son, Harney Lane Winery (Mokelumne River AVA)

Regent; (Silvaner x Müller-Thurgau) x Chambourcin; Mokelumne Glen Vineyard (Mokelumne River AVA)

Rieslaner (Silvaner x Riesling); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Riesling (Geisenheim, Clone 239); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Riesling (Neustadt, Clone 90); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Rotberger (Trollinger x Riesling); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Roter Traminer (a.k.a. Savagnin Rose); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Roter Veltliner (a.k.a. Roter Muskateller); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Roussanne; Guard Road, Ripken Vineyards (Lodi AVA)

Sangiovese; Sorelle Vineyards (Lodi AVA)

Sauvignon Blanc (a.k.a. Fumé Blanc); Mohr-Fry Ranches (Mokelumne River AVA)

Sauvignon Musqué (a.k.a. Sauvignon Blanc; Fumé Blanc); LangeTwins Family Vineyards (Jahant AVA)

Scheurebe (Riesling x unknown); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Schönburger; Pinot Noir x (Chasselas x Muscat Hamburg); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Schwarzriesling (a.k.a. Pinot Meunier); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Sémillon; Vino Farms (Sloughhouse AVA)

Siegerrebe; Madeleine Angevine (Madeleine Royale x Précoce de Malingre) x Gewürztraminer; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Silvaner (a.k.a. Sylvaner); Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)

Sirius; Bacchus ([Silvaner x Riesling] x Müller-Thurgau [Riesling x Madeleine Royale]) x Seyve Villard 12-375; Mokelumne Glen Vineyards (Mokelumne River AVA)