Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/46939
Cycles Gladiator Chilean-born Juan José Fourth-generation grower Lance Rudolph of Peirano Estate. His great-grandfather planted the first vines on this property in 1895. Note the height of the old head-trained vines. "It's short because my great-grandfather's generation was short. My family started growing taller in the '30s," he points out. But the grape-growing story started with farmers, not winemakers. "It's in our blood," says Stuart Spencer, a winemaker for Lodi's St. Amant Winery and also Program Manager for the Lodi Winegrape Commission (lodiwine. com). This obsession, as they call it, is impetus for a new consumer-based advertising campaign that will aim to convince the average wine drinker that Lodi is LoCA. The play on words, which means "crazy" in Spanish, is also a clever acronym for Lodi, California. Slogans such as "Sure, We Have a Few Loose Corkscrews" or "Crazy Can Come by the Barrel" are some of the headlines for their spectacular, approachable new print ads. "The soils, the temperature swings, even the grape variet- ies might not mean much to the consumer," states Shannon Harbert, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Lodi Winegrape Commission. "We wanted a modern and innovative approach. LoCA connects to California—it gives it a better sense of place." The ads, placed in such prestigious publications as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and local city magazines in San Francisco and Sacramento, plus a digital environment through Facebook and snooth.com, make it easier for the many Lodi wine brands to sell into a competitive market. "We're paving the way for them," adds Harbert. Restless in Lodi For those of us in the trade who do want more details on terroir and technology, a trip to the wine region is well worth it. Things are changing quickly, and growers-turned- winemakers are bringing out the best of their vineyards, showing us everything from quad trellises to dry-farmed, head-pruned Zin vines. But the best part is tasting: There's a definitive 21st- century flavor to the wines. Randy Caporoso, now a resident of Lodi and our Contributing Editor, met up with me to taste some of the wines that are changing the face of Lodi. We're anxious to tell each winery's story, but we only have so much room. So the next best thing is to briefly offer our own experience. The next step is yours. Verdina Busch worked for Hahn Estate in the Santa Lucia Highlands for nine years before he came to be wine- maker at sister winery, Cycles Gladiator. "I heard the stories about Lodi's terroir and the miracles it performed on Zinfandel," he announced. "Even the young Zin vines are spectacular; the old ones simply carry the heritage into the glass." MAD ABOUT: Cycles Clement 2007 Zinfandel, Lodi ($12) Fresh and Juan José Verdina Busch is the winemaker for Cycles Gladiator. bright; action-packed energy. The vanilla-to-butterscotch mid-to-finish slithers across the palate. cyclesgladiator.com McCay Cellars A local grower for the past 20 years, Mike McCay takes Zinfandel into the 21st century in Lodi. "I honestly believe that Lodi is the best place in California to grow Zinfandel. The varietal needs extra heat with these sandy loam soils." Fruit for his wines comes from the heart of Lodi's oldest plantings, in the Mokelumne River sub-AVA surrounding the town of Lodi—and most of these vines are "ancient." According to McCay, Lodi is in transition when it comes to these old-vine Zins. "I am sourcing from old vineyards whose fruit was earmarked for some of the bigger houses. Now, some of the growers- turned-artisan-winemakers are making good use of these beautiful freestanding, head-trained vines. Their talent was lost in 200-ton fermenters; we rescued these damsels in distress." MAD ABOUT: McCay Cellars 2008 "Equity" Zinfandel, Lodi ($28) Close your eyes and you can visualize a cinnamon stick protruding from your wine glass. Showy and mesmer- izing like an illusionist, this high-octane Zin changes from strawberry to red velvet cake in an instant. Mmmmm! mccaycellars.com november 201 1 / the tasting panel / 93 PHOTO: RANDY CAPAROSO