It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth. - Pliny the Elder (A.D. c. 23–A.D. 79)

Lodi’s Treasure Island Wine Festival  - Of Stealth Bombers & Stealth Wines

By John Koetzner   & Photography by Margie Koetzner
 
     Aircraft soared over the bay, but on Treasure Island, those of us interested in tasting the fruits of the vine, hovered over the numerous tables that were adorned with wine bottles ready to be poured into our souvenir glasses.  When I did look up while walking between tents, I saw a Stealth Bomber soaring over, casting a shadow like a giant bat, or looking like something out of the first Star Wars movie.
     We previously looked at some white wines at the tasting, but we knew we had our work cut out to try to give some justice to the red wine that Lodi wine producers make. Zinfandel was at the top of the list, but we also had a selfish interest in tasting some Petite Sirahs. Of course, we didn’t just limit ourselves to those varietals, but we were on a mission to try several.
     Up front, we need to tell you that the big tastes were at two producers who had wines that tantalized the tastes buds, pranced on our palates, and deliciously danced their way down to smooth finishes.  In tent one, we came across Klinker Brick Winery (www.klinkerbrickwinery.com ) that had a tremendous 2009 Lodi Farrah Syrah ($20.00 suggested retail) that had great black cherry fruit forward mixed with vanilla overtones. We were equally impressed with the 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel ($16.70 suggested retail) and the 2009 Old Ghost Old Vine Zinfandel ($37.00 suggested retail). We finally ended our tasting with them trying the Late Harvest Zinfandel, a wine that exceeded our expectations, because it was very nicely balanced, letting the residual sugar show, but letting it balance well with the acid in the wine.
     Our second choice for the big tastes of the day happened to be in tent two:  McCay Cellars (www.mccaycellars.com). They had a 2008 Equity Zinfandel  from a forty-five year old vineyard  (suggested retail of $24.00) that had great mouth-feel, brilliant fruit forward, and a great finish. However, we were equally impressed with the 2008 Petite Sirah ($24.00 suggested retail) and the 2008 Cabernet Franc $20.00 suggested retail). Both were excellent examples of the varietals, and both were reasonably priced for the taste.  Proprietor Michael McCay was on hand to talk harvesting (he likes to pick based on acid and ph rather than sugar level) and he was readily available to talk other aspects of production.  His wines show a commitment to full bodied wines that have great fruit, complexity and balance.

     Other contenders for wines that we wanted to haul home by the truckload were the Gen5 (http://gen5wine.com ) 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (available from BevMo for a pretty price), Michael David Vineyards (http://www.michaeldavidwinery.com ) 2009 Earthquake Petite Sirah, Scotto Family Cellars (http://www.scottofamilywines.com/ ) 2008 Malbec (which retails for $12.00), and the Watts Winery (http://wattswinery.com/index.html )2008 Malbec ($14.95 suggested retail). 
     We were appreciative of the great food on hand and the desserts too. Desperately Seeking Chocolate (www.dschocolate.com )  had great gourmet chocolate sauces and BridgeBrands Chocolate (www.bridgebrandschocolate.com ) had great tins of chocolate to pair with different red wines.  And yes, it was really tasty with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
     The stealth bomber passing over later was just another reminder of how we need to be careful at a tasting to follow professional tasting protocol. Smile, swirl, swish, taste and spit. Fortunately, we were spitting out our tastes all day, or we would have been bombed.  That leads us to remind you that the Lodi First Sip tasting takes place on November 12-13, 2011. Judging from the Treasure Island tasting, it’s an event not to miss.