Lodi Appellation Getting More Press

The Lodi Appellation in California, home most notably to some fantastic and accessible Zinfandels, has been getting quite a bit of press lately. The fruit there is certainly not limited to Zinfandel as there are some nice Cabernet Francs, Sangioveses, and even Barberas in the region. As much as 20% of California's wine starts with Lodi grapes. It is one of the places in the country where wonderful wines are being handcrafted in small wineries.

Contra Costa Times has a recent article with a bit of focus on Lodi's similarity today to the Napa of the past (bugmenot has a registration). USA Today published a favorable article on the Lodi appellation about six months ago. Michael Vaughan had some very nice things to say about Lodi just over a year ago. Sunset dedicated ink to Lodi as well.

Lodi is a personal favorite of mine largely because of its accessibility and the winemakers' dedication to quality. The tasting rooms, the wineries, and the nearby homes are a nice reprieve from the mansion-like monuments in some other regions.

Recommended wineries:

• Lucas - a personal favorite and the first to put 'Lodi' on labels
• Macchia
• Watts
• Jewel of Global Wine Group - very reasonable prices
• ...and more