For the Love of Family & Fine Wine
By Nora Heston Tarte
For more than 100 years, the Mettler Family has been farming wine grapes in the Lodi Appellation. As one of the pioneer families to start a wine brand in this area, they have a strong hold in the local wine community. But while their first Lodi vineyards weren’t planted until 1899, their industry roots date back to the 1770s, when the family patriarchs began farming efforts in their homeland of Germany.
In 1938 Carl Mettler married Gladys Handel and had four children that they raised while farming in Lodi. Their youngest son, Larry, married Charlene Lisenbee in 1968 and has continued to farm wine grapes, expanding the business to now include their three children Kim, Kelli, and Adam.
Over the years, the Mettler family spent time researching prime varietals and rootstocks to grow in the varied Lodi soil. Carl Mettler also worked closely with University of California, Davis research teams to develop new rootstocks and varieties that would be ideal for the Lodi Appellation.
The Mettler family has not only grown their brand to include distribution, a tasting room, and their own custom farming business, but have moved to both sustainable and organic farming practices in their vineyards. In addition, their aptly recognized and revered Cabernet Sauvignon has been joined in the marketplace by other varietals, namely Petite Sirah and Old Vine Zinfandel.
“In the late 1990s we released our first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and began distributing it,” General Manager Kim Mettler-Eells says. “Some would say we built our brand backward, because we started with distribution and then built a tasting room almost 15 years later, but that model worked for us.”
The Mettler family remains very involved in the process to turn out wines that they are proud of. The family has the ability to choose the best lots of grapes from their vineyards to ensure every vintage stays true to the Mettler reputation of quality. The addition of a trucking company during harvest has allowed them to transport their own grapes during the season as well, giving them even more control over the vineyard to bottle process.
“Our business has diversified over the years, which has created not only more control over our end product but also the capability to be flexible when needed,” Kim shares.
While Cabernet Sauvignon may be their most popular offering, Mettler Family Vineyards creates a number of unique varietals such as Aglianico, Pinotage and Muscat Canelli, all exclusive to the vineyard’s tasting room.
“One of my personal favorites right now is our Estate Grown Red Rhone blend, GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre). It has a soft approach on your palate, but it is nicely balanced with notes of juicy berry,” Kim adds.
If you’re looking for a wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner, the Mettler Family Vineyards 2013 Pinotage is a nice addition to your table. “The South African variety is scarcely planted in California and offers a delicious lighter style red wine with bright fruit that would pair wonderfully with turkey,” Kim advises.
While the wine list and farming practices are consistently evolving at Mettler Family Vineyards, family is still at the forefront.
“My husband Jason Eells is our vineyard manager and my brother Adam is our wine maker,” Kim explains. “We work together to ensure that every detail reflects our commitment to producing wines of the highest quality.”
Imbibe:
Mettler Family Vineyards
7889 E. Harney Ln., Lodi
(209) 369-3045
MettlerWine.com