MikeDunne has a very interesting article in today’s SacBee on the LodiNative Zin project:
SacBee:LodiNative
Think I’ll order that 6-pack to try myself. Nice to see Lodi doing some good self-promotion work.
Tom
Alder Yarrow also wrote about the Lodi Native project, with notes on the first two vintages along with a few 2014 barrel samples:
I ordered the six pack of 2013 wines a while back, but haven’t opened any of them, yet.
-Al
Thanks, Tom! I read a good break-down of the six featured Zins on another blog a couple of weeks ago (?), but I would like to offer two gripes:
#1: The Lodi Native 6-pack is sold as-is, no cherry picking, in most cases. The Dunne article is the first mention of separately available bottles I have seen. I understand that the intention is to provide a diverse range of “terroir expressions”, but the wines should be able to individually convey a strong message of quality. You don’t have to buy all the Nickel & Nickel Napa Cabs (OK, bad example), CORO Mendocino, or VIGNO Chile wines together to get the idea.
#2: My other rustled feather concerns the tasting notes of one or two of the wines in the Lodi Native line-up. I think that the goal is to shatter expectations of jammy, palate-wringing Zinfandel wines being the default style of the area. Why represent those qualities in any of the Lodi Native bottles? Any trace of that template will threaten to reinforce the negative perspective of the area’s wines.
I am just playing devil’s advocate here. In truth, the six-pack is a good idea, and is marketed to the connoisseurs of quality California wine. The price IS a deal, all-in-all, which signals a major strength of Lodi Wines: value.
As far as including the “fat one” in the picture, I can only presume that the intent is to concede that, in some parts of the Lodi/Woodbridge region, yeah, you find that kind of wine too!
Meg Maker covered this project a little while back:
That’s the one I read. Thanks, David, for reminding me!