By Nora Heston Tarte
PRIE—which opened its Lodi tasting room in April 2015—is one of the newest wineries to join Lodi’s eclectic group of artisanal wineries. Owners John and Lisa Gash took their home venture commercial in 2010, crafting wines mostly from Livermore Valley. However, sourcing grapes from the Lodi region for their 2011 PRIE Lodi Zinfandel opened their eyes to what the Central Valley appellation has to offer.
The couple looked over many potential “permanent homes,” but Lodi was just the right fit, and it made sense considering the couple has been sourcing grapes from Lodi exclusively since 2012. “In the end we felt a greater affinity to Lodi and the potential for growth and recognition,” John explains. “We share a goal to foster Lodi’s visibility as a premiere and approachable region for vineyards and wine.”
The 10-acre winery on Alpine Road has plans to produce 2000 cases annually and is primarily planted to Cabernet Sauvignon grapes right now, but John and his team—including Manager Mike Anagnos who oversees the grounds—have been working hard to convert portions of the Cabernet Sauvignon vines over to new varietals including Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.
And while the small production vineyard feels camaraderie with their neighbors, they are anything but a cookie-cutter vineyard. Here staff is passionate about getting up close and personal with the production process to create handcrafted, elegant wines. “We are often walking our vineyards, checking in on them,” John admits. “I draw the line at singing to them. That might do more harm than good.”
While the petite vineyard works to expand its tasting menu, PRIE staff pours a selection of wines from 11 AM-5 PM, Friday-Sunday. In addition to their Zinfandel, Vermentino, Pinot Noir and Merlot—all from Northern California AVAs—the winery presents two blends, both from the Livermore Valley. The 2011 Sixty7 is a Merlot/Syrah combination while the 2011 PI is a blend of Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah and Syrah.
As the Bay Area natives acclimate to their new home and expand their work with Lodi fruit, fans of the vineyard have “some cool stuff” to look forward to, including a Carignan from Spenker Ranch, a Petite Sirah from Jason Eels, and an old vine Angelica. The 2015 harvest will also turn out some local crops, including the grapes needed to produce a 100 percent Lodi PI (π) blend. And while the work is already underway, in order to bottle the best, the hometown blend won’t be ready until 2018.
In the meantime, John and his family are getting their hands dirty. The same handcrafted appeal of their vino medley is present in the facilities where the current tasting room—an extension of the winery’s outdoor rooms—features a bar made from the barn’s repurposed wood by John and his father-in-law, Gordy. Here, their hands-on approach results in a unique space where guests can connect with nature as they sip Northern California varietals in the busy yet serene Lodi appellation. “We can throw open the doors and take over the areas under the trees,” John says. “We planned this to provide a relaxing place to hang out with a book or friends.”
Crafting this new space and undergoing many changes has been hard work no doubt, but that doesn’t take away from the fun John and Lisa are having creating this new home for local aficionados to gather. “There is a deep well of energy when you are passionate about your work,” he says.
COME AND LINGER:
PRIE Vineyards
15628 N. Alpine Rd., Lodi
(925) 784-6197
PrieWinery.com