[quote author="no_vaseline" date=1253138453]Dear California Wine drinkers,
2006 wine grape production was <a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/news/111006-grape-production/">5.75 million tons.</a> And most of <a href="http://www.wineinstitute.org/resources/consumerfeaturedstories/article339">that production isn't on this list. </a> The only real wine region is the four letter word they don't want you to know about - Lodi. <a href="http://www.lodiwine.com/lodirules_history1.shtml">20% of California's production </a> comes from this God forsaken place, but why let the facts get in the way of a good story? The math don't work out so good when you figure out how many cases come out of Napa and Sonoma, and how much production they can get out of that region. When was the last time you saw a bottle of Lodi wine, and where do you think those grapes are going? Here's a hint - you're probably drinking it right now.
My suggestion is that you figure out what grows well in a certain locale and drink that. Temecula makes awesome Italian varietals. Amador County makes California's best Zins. Paso Robles makes decent Cabernets, zins, and Italian varietals. And Santa Barbara makes...a decent merlot and vigoner.
Nobody in California makes a good pinot anymore unless you like over oaked glasses of ripe cherry juice that have so much alcohol you have to really consider switching to cocktails as an alternative. Damn that movie Sideways!
Sincerely,
no_vaseline (recovering grape grower)</blockquote>
Now you made me go look at my past consumption and, that I know of, I have drank only seven bottles from the Central Valley (Lodi, Alta Mesa, and Clarksburg appellations to be specific). The 2007 Scribner Bend Fiano Novatino (Clarksburg) was enjoyable. I don't know if it would be considered "good" because I had no experience with the Fiano grape. The 2007 Fenestra Torront?s Silvaspoons (Alta Mesa) was also quite enjoyable and reminded me a dry muscat. Again, I don't know if it would be considered "good" because I had no experience with the Torrontes grape.
There are two people who have me chomping at the bit to go wine tasting in Lodi: Thomas Coyne and Jeff Runquist. Coyne, for his 2005 Vino Tinto Reserva (a really wonderful blend of 5 Portuguese varietals: Touriga, Tinta Roriz, Grenache, Sousao, and Trousseau), and Runquist for his 2007 Touriga Nacional Silvaspoons.
FWIW, Weins in Temecula sources their Dolcetto (which I liked) from Lodi.
Given how hot it gets out there, though, you are looking at high alc wines almost across the board.