California is known for its wine countries. The climate is perfect for it! Just the right humidity, just the right soil, and a vineyard will thrive! From Napa to Sonoma, nearly 80% of wine made in the US is grown in California. However, some wine countries are better known than others. Napa, for example, is nearly a household name. But if you only drink wines from the best known countries, you’ll be depriving yourself of a lot of good wine. For example, Lodi wine country, the home of Amarose, is a region packed with history and packed with delicious wine.
Where is Lodi Wine Country?
Lodi is a quaint, pastoral town in the central valley of California, about an hour east of San Fransisco and a little bit to the south of Sacramento. Lodi wine country is part of the Sacramento River Delta region, a beautiful and fertile bit of land defined by the snaking Sacramento river dividing the landscape and irrigating the soil to make it perfect for growing crops– especially wine grapes!
What made Lodi famous?
While it’s known as Lodi wine country, the town of Lodi actually boasts a background in a different type of beverage as well. A&W, the famous burger joint and related root beer brand, had its start in Lodi. Next time you stop at an A&W, or see one of their root beers in a grocery store, remember the sunny Central California town when it began!
Why Lodi wine?
Napa might have the most prestige, but Lodi wine country is steadily racking up the points, with accolades piling up such as being named ‘Wine Region of the Year’ by Wine Enthusiast in 2015. But how did Lodi begin as a wine country? To answer that we have to go back to 1857, when the Flame Tokay grape variety was introduced and began to thrive in the area.
One staple of Lodi wine country is the old vine Zinfandel, called as such because the plants the Zinfandel grapes grow on are gnarled and ancient. This age lends a distinct flavor to the grapes, and thus to the wine. Old vine grapes can’t just grow in any old place, they need to be established in a place for decades- proof of Lodi wine country’s abiding commitment to growing wine.
Lodi is also starting to be known for its rosé. Though the event has faced some setbacks with the Covid 19 pandemic, the Celebrate Lodi Rosé Festival recently passed its second year and promises, like Lodi’s old vines, to only get better with age. To sample some Lodi rosé, head over to the store tab of our website and treat yourself to some Amarose!
