Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
106 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 { lodi } I'm walking through rows of Sangiovese vines with winemaker David Akiyoshi of LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards when we stumble upon the topic of Lodi being an "up-and-coming region." This is funny to both of us, since we are walking on land that has been planted as grapes since the early 1970s, established by the Lange family, who have been generational farmers in the Lodi region since the 1870s. With a collective grape-growing history that dates back to the mid-1800s, Lodi is, in fact, one of the oldest regions in California wine history. "People forget that the Mondavi family settled here before setting their sights on Napa Valley," explains Akiyoshi, himself a second-generation winemaker who has been in the business for more than 30 years. "They came with the wave of European settlers to the Lodi region 100-plus years ago, bringing with them the grape varieties and knowledge of grape-growing and winemaking." Winemaker David Akiyoshi of LangeTwins Winery and Vineyards. DAVID AKIYOSHI HELMS THE WINEMAKING TEAM AT LANGETWINS FAMILY WINERY AND VINEYARD WITH INSPIRED INTENTION by Karen Moneymaker photos by John Curley The Oldest New Kid on the Block