And yet another reason why Lodi deserves its most recent recognition by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as Wine Region of the Year: Its commitment to and leadership among earth-friendly practices; most notably the formation of Lodi Rules™ in 2005 – California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program. With 101 rigorous farming practice standards, Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach that goes well beyond just pest management to include water and air quality and community and employee wellbeing, among others. And just as the program’s winegrowers are held to high vineyard management standards, so are the wines made from those vineyards. For a bottle of wine to bear the Lodi Rules logo, it must be made up of at least 85% of wine grapes sourced from a vineyard certified under the program. This St. Patty’s Day, you can support your local winegrower and community by going sustainably green with one of these three Lodi wines:
ESTATE CRUSH 2013 BECHTHOLD VINEYARD LODI CINSAULT Take home your very own pot ‘o gold with this delicate, garnet-hued wine – one of the mere 5% of wines to walk away with a Double Gold Medal from the 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. At more than 7,000 entries yearly, the SFCWC is the largest competition of American wines in the world. Flavors of juicy strawberries and pomegranates and hints of spiced rhubarb make this wine a tasty match for traditional dishes like corned beef and cabbage, rack of lamb with herbs and shepherd’s pie. ($26) EstateCrush.com
HARNEY LANE WINERY 2014 LODI ALBARIÑO Brimming with flavors of citrus blossom, green pear, pineapple and lemon zest, this bright and refreshing wine is 100% estate-grown and produced. Aging in 50% stainless steel and 50% neutral oak barrels provides your palate with the perfect balance of crisp acidity and soft creaminess. Clean, expressive mineral notes perfectly counteract the richness of dishes like fish and chips, smoked salmon and beer and cheddar soup. ($19) HarneyLaneWinery.com
MICHAEL KLOUDA WINES 2014 BROKEN VINE LODI ZINFANDEL Named for winemaker Michael Klouda’s embarrassing experience of accidentally plowing over a prized 60-year-old Zinfandel vine in Lodi winegrower Bob Schulenburg’s west side vineyard after first moving to Lodi in 2009, this wine screams of raspberry and blueberry compote tinged with whiffs of sweet tea and dusty earthiness. Springy acidity is complimented by gentle oak tannin, the result of aging for 16 months in 2nd-year barrels. Enjoy this stunning wine alongside Irish stew, roast rib of beef or bangers and mash. ($26) DrinkMKWines.com
WHERE TO FIND THESE WINES: Pick up these Lodi wines from the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, 2545 W. Turner Rd., Lodi, (209) 365-0621. Open daily 10am-5pm. LodiWine.com
Look for the Lodi Rules logo on your bottle of wine which guarantees that you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and an entire agricultural community that embraces their responsibility to care for the environment. LodiGrowers.com/Lodi-Rules