This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Apothic Wine. Just like the wines of Central Valley and Lodi, this wine spends a lot of hours basking in the sun on vines grown in valley floor-level vineyards. It’s a California style; a big, full-bodied red wine positively bursting with juicy grapes.
There are so many wine regions in California alone that it can be overwhelming. We’re going to shine a light on some of the great wine being made beyond the more well-known AVAs. In Northern California, just east of San Francisco and south of Sacramento, there’s a Zinfandel goldmine called Lodi.
Lodi became an official AVA in 1986, but the first vineyards were planted way back in the 1850s at the height of the Gold Rush. The hardy grape, Zinfandel, flourished due in part to the area’s Mediterranean climate and sandy soil. Over 150 years later, many of the old vines are still yielding beautiful fruit, and the wine market started going crazy for it in the ‘90s and early aughts. Nowadays, Zinfandel is still Lodi’s main grape, but there are a whopping 125 other varieties growing here as well.
On this episode of “Wine 101,” Keith is joined by Stuart Spencer, executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission and owner and winemaker at St. Amant Winery, to get a well-rounded idea of this lesser-known wine zone. Get ready to book flights.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
E. & J. Gallo Winery is excited to sponsor this episode of VinePair’s “Wine 101.” Gallo always welcomes new friends to wine with an amazingly wide spectrum of favorites, ranging from everyday to luxury and sparkling wine. (Gallo also makes award-winning spirits, but this is a wine podcast.) Whether you are new to wine or an aficionado, Gallo welcomes you to wine. Visit TheBarrelRoom.com today to find your next favorite, where shipping is available.