{"id":10554,"date":"2016-08-20T18:17:58","date_gmt":"2016-08-20T18:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/?p=10554"},"modified":"2016-08-29T20:01:04","modified_gmt":"2016-08-29T20:01:04","slug":"should-napa-vintners-follow-lodis-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/should-napa-vintners-follow-lodis-lead\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Napa Vintners Follow Lodi’s lead?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The six Lodi Native wines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lodi Native Project<\/h2>\n

I was fortunate to be one of 25 wine bloggers who attended a post conference session devoted to the Lodi Native Project<\/strong>. \u00a0The session included vineyard walks and meeting the project winemakers and growers, followed by \u00a0a tasting of all six Lodi Native wines. \u00a0This is a first-of-a-kind project and an eye-opener for myself and all the other wine bloggers. This is a testament to\u00a0the cooperation and spirit of the Lodi wine region and its winery owners, winemakers, and vineyard growers. The Lodi Native is an intriguing project intended to showcase the terroir, or sense of place, from six unique old vine Zinfandel vineyards. You’ve heard the old adage ,”Wine is made in the Vineyards.” The Lodi Native project proves that.<\/p>\n

\"blah<\/a>
Wegat Vineyard – Old Vine Zinfandel \u00a0– hollowed out trunk is typical of these old vines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In brief, this is what the Lodi Native Project is all about. In 2012 the Lodi Wine Grape Commission<\/a> convinced six winemakers to make a 100% Zinfandel wine from a\u00a0designated Zinfandel vineyard. Each winemaker was to stick to strict rules. Only native yeast could be used, and no new oak barrels were allowed. Acidifying wines or adding water were not allowed. In short, the wine is made with minimal intervention by the winemaker. The wine should reflect the place\u00a0in which the Zinfandel is grown. \u00a0All the winemakers use the same label, with the exception of the name of the vineyard and the name of the producing winery on the bottle. \u00a0More information on the Lodi Native requirements<\/a>\u00a0go to this link.<\/p>\n

\"Moderator<\/a>
Moderator and Lodi Native winemakers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the start the winemakers were rather skeptical, thinking that without using their skilled\u00a0winemaking techniques, the wine was destined to be inferior. The exact opposite occurred, with each wine beautifully showcasing\u00a0the place where it is was grown. Deep and complex, elegant and restrained, characterize each of the six wines. We\u00a0tasted the six wines\u00a0at the Macchia winery. I would love to have tasted these wine in a side-by-side tasting to compare and contrast the individual characteristic of each wine. However, with the number of wine bloggers and the limited space, we tasted the wines one at a time.<\/p>\n

The Lodi Native wines are available for purchase, but the 2012 and 2013 Lodi Native wines are sold out. I am hoping to get on the list to purchase the six Lodi Native wines for 2014.\u00a0The 2014 vintage will be bottled in November and will be sold in a six-pack for a price of $180. $30 a bottle is a great price point for Zinfandel wines of this quality. The Lodi Wine Commission will have a signup list online when the wine is available. \u00a0In the meantime, any travelers to Lodi can visit the six wineries. Just maybe, one or two will have their Lodi Native wine available for purchase. See the Lodi Native Project Wine Map below.<\/p>\n

\"old<\/a>
Old vine ready for harvest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The six vineyards and winemakers are:<\/h3>\n