The young guns of Lodi wine

All about some of the "young guns" in the Lodi wine industry.

Guest post by Anna Delgado

Let's welcome guest columnist Anna Delgado, who will introduce us to three outstanding "young guns" in the Lodi wine scene: A head winemaker (Marilia Nimis-Schrader), a brilliant up-and-coming winemaker (Jesus Aleman), and a promising sommelier (Jacob Weisman).

We first introduced Anna Delgado this past July in a post co-written by her entitled Do not talk about what younger consumers think about wine unless you're under 30. Ms. Delgado, who is 26 years old, knows more than a thing or two: Not just about the tastes of other 20-somethings but also that of consumers of all ages⏤she speaks with them on nearly a daily basis as a full-timer at the Lodi Wine Visitor Center.

This past harvest season Delgado almost doubled her working hours (who needs sleep when you're young and energetic?) working as a "cellar rat" at Lodi's St. Amant Winery, doing everything from crushing grapes (in some instances, with her bare feet) to filling, moving and topping barrels. 

Lodi wine country's Anna Delgado.

During her few waking hours, Delgado has also been chronicling her evolution as a wine lover and wine professional on her Substack online page entitled Wineshop Punk. In recent posts called Young voices in wine (stories from boots on the vineyard grounds) and Holy trinity of wine production, she has been profiling fellow 20-somethings working in the wine industry (inside and outside Lodi) that she finds inspiring.

Says Delgado, "I like to use my platform to share the stories of my fellow wine industry punks who, like in the The Replacements song Swingin Party, are pounding the prairie pavement, losing proposition, quitting school, going to work, and never going fishing. All for the hopes of a swinging wine party down the line."

This sounded so good to us that we asked if she could share some of her observations on Lodi's "young guns" with readers of the Lodi Wine blog. The stories of three of Delgado's fellow young Lodi wine industry professionals, as told in her own distinctive fashion (read on!)...

The young guns of Lodi wine

Marilia Nimis-Schrader of Lodi's Oak Farm Vneyards.

Marilia Nimis–Schrader⏤Winemaker, Oak Farm Vineyards 

We talk endlessly about making our wine culture more European, so what’s more Old World than hiring an aspiring young winemaker from Friuli in Italy? 

Meet Marilia Nimi-Schrader, who first came to town about five years ago to work a harvest with Oak Farm Vineyards after meeting their head winemaker [at the time, Sierra Zeiter] during an internship at Kim Crawford Wines in New Zealand. Realizing Marilia had natural talent, the winery offered her a job to stay on for second harvest. Imagine you’re a young Italian girl living the California dream while working a wine country job from dawn till dusk: Life is sweet, but then comes a rude awakening...

Suddenly, in the June before harvest, the head winemaker quits. The boss, however, trusts your ability to step in as the new winemaker, and in no time you’re calling the picks for a serious, high volume winery. Rolling with the punches and trusting her gut, Marilia closed her first harvest as head winemaker stronger than ever. Since that first fateful vintage, Marilia⏤even while caring for a new baby boy⏤has called Lodi home.

Speaking from experience, Marilia now advises people in the industry to show off their talents. Being afraid of the spotlight means never getting seen. So you do what Marilia did: Step into your light and let the boss see just how good you are. 

Oak  Farm Vineyards' Marilia Nimis-Schrader prepared for another Lodi crush.

Personal growth also requires knowing how to tackle your weaknesses. Working well on your own is one thing; leading a staff with a gentle yet firm hand is another. For guidance on how to be a director of operations, she looks to Chad Joseph, Oak Farm’s winemaking consultant, who knows how to ask for results while uplifting the team. 

Marilia says that making the 2022 Oak Farm Vineyards Falanghina from the Lost Slough Vineyard was a straightforward task, from barrel to glass. The 2023 Fiano from their estate vineyard ended up being more of a struggle, but was worth the payoff—something you can taste in the wine's complexity. 

A winemaker reaps the benefits of persistence in the twinkle of tasting room attendants' eyes when they’re confidently pouring well executed wines, freed to focus more on their steps of hospitality. It is in the spark of an attentive harvest intern who knows how to help without being told. These are the special moments that fuel Marilia; which keep her pushing forward as a modern day winemaking Madonna. Or as I like to say, "Mother Marilia, full of grace!"

Jesus Aleman of Monte Rio Cellars.

Jesus Aleman⏤Assistant Winemaker, Monte Rio Cellars

You might already know Jesus Aleman from his work with Monte Rio Cellars, but I know him as one of the few genuinely lovely guys from Galt High School. Soft-spoken with squinty eyes (Jesus didn’t know he needed glasses back then), Jesus packed up his hometown pride and left for Sonoma State University to pursue a career in dentistry. 

Somewhere along the line, though, an interest in fermented beverages was perked after brewing ale in his college dorm room, which led to a job at Lodi's Jessie’s Grove Winery, where he got his fingers into every aspect of the business. With one ear to the ground, he began studying the unique approaches to Lodi fruit taken by several winemakers availing themselves to Jessie's Grove's custom crush operations. Eventually, Jesus' abiding interests led to a discovery of former New York sommelier Patrick Cappiello’s work at Monte Rio Cellars, an alternative style brand based in Sonoma County. Cappiello has become known for sourcing almost all his grapes from Lodi, reimagining original usages of many of the region's historic vineyards. 

During the course of driving between Jessie’s Grove and Sonoma State's Wine Business Institute where he was working on his MBA, Jesus turned a close working relationship with Lodi growers into a job sourcing grapes for Cappiello. This naturally evolved into a position as assistant winemaker at Monte Rio Cellars, where Aleman now serves as Cappiello's literal right-hand man.

If there’s one thing I've learned from Jesus, it is the importance of growth through getting uncomfortable. The second you feel too comfortable, it may be time to move on. Get your hands dirty with work experience outside your comfort zone. Once you’ve mastered a new skill, put it to work, and it will open doors to even more opportunities, which can lead to a more satisfying career. Rinse and repeat.

Monte Rio Cellars' Patrick Cappiello and Jesus Aleman in Lodi's Somers Vineyard (planted to old vine Mission grapes). 

In the meantime, if you follow Jesus' path, you double up on your learning by reading books such as Jon Bonne’s The New French Wine, or thesis papers written by viticulture research masters such as Greg La Follette [owner/winemaker of Sonoma's Marchelle Wines]. 

Having put all he’s learned into practice, Jesus is proud of his latest project: Farming Flame Tokay in the historic Chandler Vineyard, first planted in the 1890s, and enjoying the fruits of his labor in the bottling of the 2023 Monte Rio Flame Tokay [see our detailed notes in our post Monte Rio's Patrick Cappiello gets things off his chest]. There is nothing like the taste of success.

Working with grapes that push boundaries in California winemaking is exciting and rewarding. Yet it is sometimes a struggle to sell wines from rare grapes, sourced from forgotten vineyards in wine regions that are still largely unappreciated, much less understood, by the average consumer. 

So please support brands that source locally grown grapes. Investing dollars into community wineries means money going back to support everyone who plays a hand, from grapevines to bottles. It will also help fuel winemakers such as Aleman in both gas and motivation, especially when he needs to drive two hours across NorCal, to personally deliver a few cases of wine. A good reason, you can say, you should follow Jesus in his pursuit of winemaking excellence.

Jacob Weisman of Lodi's Pietro's Trattoria.

Jacob Weisman⏤Sommelier, Pietro's Trattoria

Coming into your own as a sommelier doesn’t always require moving to a big city and working at a fine dining establishment far, far from home. Quite the contrary for young Jacob Weisman, who grew up in Lodi yet had little interest in the industry until his stepdad, Joe Olagary of Olagary Brothers, brought him out to help in vineyards, where he first caught the wine bug. 

Like a rite of passage experienced by many a Lodi teenager, Jacob began bussing tables at Pietro’s Trattoria, a local mom-and-pop  Italian American establishment that has served the community since 1985. Looking for more fine dining experience, Jacob worked a summer gig at Taste Restaurant and Wine Bar in Plymouth, where he learned the true power of running a meaningful wine program from proprietor Tracey Berkner. 

Eager to continue his wine studies after passing his introductory sommelier course, Jacob convinced Pietro’s restaurant owners to let him become their first sommelier. After gaining more floor experience and brief intensive training with the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, he soon passed his Certified Court of Masters Sommelier exam. Thus began Jacob’s role as one of Lodi’s few practicing sommeliers. 

Lodi's ever-popular Pietro's Trattoria. Pietro's Trattoria.

Mr. Weisman’s role as Pietro’s sommelier isn’t just to serve the wine but also to serve his community. Watching Tracey at Taste, he learned the importance of being a pillar for the region’s genuine love for wine. Especially in a community like Lodi’s, where many of the diners consist of local grape growers and winemakers. 

It takes a compassionate sommelier to curate a wine list that serves his community rather than his ego. From introducing customers to multiple producers of Italy's Barolo region to having LangeTwins Family Midnight Reserve by-the-glass for longtime regulars at the bar, sommeliers such as Jacob play a careful game of balance between esoteric selections and the well known "hits." 

That's the unique part of being a homegrown sommelier. The wine list is not just about grapes grown in some faraway land studied in books. What you’re serving is your own community’s livelihood. While diligently preparing to take the rigorous Advanced Sommelier Exam, Jacob is commited to championing Lodi, even as he reaches the next steps of his burgeoning wine career. 

Flame Tokay growing in Lodi's historic Chandler vineyard, originally planted in the 1890s.