Ultimate California Wine Blog

I’m pretty enamored with history and art. Wineries that combine either history or art are an easy mark for my affection. Driving up and down the Silverado Trail every day, I glance often at Regusci Winery as their historic buildings have always intrigued me. Apparently part of the Ghost Winery trails, there is a building that lies back off the road, nestled behind some olive tress that was constructed in the 1878.

It was a gravity-method building that had been constructed and is thankfully one that is still standing to this day. It was in 1932 that Gaetano Regusci purchased the estate and along with grapes, also raised cattle and pigs to supplement the family’s income. The family continued to farm grapes, but it was Gaetano’s grandson, Jim, who re-established the estate as a winery.

Today, the historic building still greets visitors, as does several of the winery dogs including Scrappy, an accommodating Golden Lab who guards the parking lot. The tasting room is expansive and bright with natural light. The crew working the pouring counter are amiable, fun-loving, and informative. While there is a limited number of wines to taste, all are of exceptional quality.

2003 Chardonnay, Napa Valley – Classic citrus and tropical fruit bouquet with a crisp entry and balanced, even buttery mid-palate. Creamy vanilla finish. $28.00

2001 Regusci Estate Merlot – Some hints of green bell pepper but segues into dark, plummy, black raspberry. Vanilla, cherry and complex spices characteristics in the mouth feel with a bright, engaging finish. $40.00

2002 Regusci Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Ultra ripe, port-like entry with subtle overtones of chocolate, boysenberry and other dark berries, and a touch of toasted vanilla. A complex, cherry finish that is rich and heady. $48.00

2002 Regusci Angelo’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – This is a wine from the Stags Leap District which (thankfully for me), does not have those disdainful SLD characteristics I seem to continually experience; dirty, earthy, green bell pepper. The antithesis of this lies in this reserve offering. Fruit forward bouquet that includes dark berries as well as layered, complex tones of toffee and caramel. It enters the mouth with toasty, rugged qualities that include tobacco and leather, but heighten with dark cherry and more toffee on the finish. $95.00

Vino con Brio was my last stop on my day’s journey to Lodi. With barely six wineries under my belt for this region, I am already looking forward to heading back. Vino con Brio is a little more remotely located than some of the previous posts, but no less charming as it is also the location of Amoraso Inn & Gardens. Approaching the tasting room, there are four adjacent rooms across some charming landscaped gardens. The tasting room is small but charming with a few barstools available for tasting.

NV Amorosa Sparkling Wine – Stinky and harsh. Sadly undrinkable although my friend who travel led with me this day seemed to enjoy it. $12.99

2003 Sauvignon Blanc – Aged in 100% French oak, this dark golden offering is bright and fruity. Acidic mid-palate with a grassy, mineral finish. $15.99

2003 Pinot Grigio – With 10% Viognier. Engaging and warm with floral aromas. Both fruit and mineral qualities appear in the mouth feel that is layered with a long, creamy finish. $15.99

2002 Viognier – Sweet, floral bouquet enters the mouth with kiwi and green apple flavors. More mineral qualities on the finish. $16.99

2001 Pinotage – There are only ten wineries in the U.S. growing this grape more known from South African producers. Very bright and engaging, cherry and raspberry appears as part of the bouquet and initial taste. The mouthfeel also provides some hints of orange peel as the exciting, fruity mid-palate smooths out to an even, complex finish. $19.99

2001 Sangiovese – Explosion of raspberry candy subsides a bit to reveal some grassy aromas. Acidic and tannic, the fruit continues but in a rather sharp way. $15.99

2001 Syrah – Tight qualities in the nose of mineral, herbal, and green vegetable. Thin and vegetal in the entry with some fruit, but not quite enough. $15.99

2002 Vibrante Red Blend – A blend of 72.5% Syrah, 22.5% Mourvedre, 3% Grenache, and 2% Petite Sirah. Fabulously exciting aromas of cinnamon combined with dark chocolate-covered cherries. The candyshop essences continue into a petulant mouth feel of cocoa, dark cherry, and a spicy, engaging finish. $15.99

2001 Old Vine Zinfandel – I’m wondering how long this bottle was open as the characteristics were decidedly oxidized. Thin flavors and aromas of mushrooms and truffles in a long, earthy finish. $21.00

Vino con Brio ~ 12479 Locke Road ~ Lockeford ~ CA ~ 888-410-VINO

Michael-David Vineyards is a bit of an oddity in Lodi in that it resides in a building complex which includes not only a winery tasting room, but a roadside market and restaurant. I actually stumbled across Michael-David in the simple act of stopping for lunch — but found so much more.

The restaurant offers substantial fare including burgers, monster salads, and pretty fabulous soups (I recommend the Chicken Tortilla). In front of the building there were holding pens of baby chicks and baby lop-eared bunnies, both being sold for Easter.

The market has country-style munchie fare including gourmet crackers, condiments, and baked goods. A word on the baked goods — a large cabinet contains freshly-baked pies of exceptional quality. I went home with a Peach Boysenberry pie but a small, freestanding freezer sits nearby and pre-made, ready-to-bake frozen pies are also available. The market includes a small fruit and vegetable fridge which, during my visit, supplied amazingly inexpensive, baby white asparagus (for MY Easter dinner).

So, when you first walk into the buildling, on your far left you see the cafe, in the middle lies the market, and on the far right is the tasting bar for the winery. At first it seems sort of odd, but the tasting bar is extremely communal and lively with guests roaming between tasting wines, shopping, and perusing the menu. Many consumers have come across Michael-David’s 7 Deadly Zins, but I certainly didn’t realize the extent of the additional varietals that is produced by this Lodi winery:

2003 7 Heavenly Chards - Distinct crips green apple and apricot aromas easily predict the buttery mouth entry. Balanced, acidic mid-palate. $17.00

2004 Incognito Viognier – Overtly floral tones which segue to creamy, peach tones. Tangy flavors start to entice but some sharp, harsh acidic notes disappoint on the finish. $19.50

2001 Chenin Blanc – Very crisp and bright. A sweet, wet entry produces tropical flavors that are thin on the finish. $3.99

2003 Incognito Rouge – A blend of Syrah, Petite Verdot, Carignane, and Mourvedre. Excitingly mineral and herbal tones which are great fun. I didn’t care for the green bell pepper on the mouth entry which was initially thin, but blossomed to a more full, fruitier finish. $19.50

2002 Merlot – Thin, asparagus smells. Somewhat of a cheap cherry taste that is pale and thin with no finish whatsoever. $20.00

2003 7 Deadly Zins – Bright ruby color. Clove and cinnamon with plummy aromas. The spicy tastes which enter blossom and engages. Very nice, spicy finish. $17.00

2003 6th Sense Syrah – Perfumy qualities reminiscent of a dimestore quickly (and thankfully) subsides to produce elegant dried floral amoras. Dried cherry flavors with a dry mid-palate. Did I mention how dry it was? $17.00

2002 Earthquake Syrah – Port-like aromas with concentrated, chocolate-covered cherry qualities. More chocolate cherry in the flavors with a tight finish. Would benefit from decanting. $25.00

2000 Late Harvest Viognier - A golden yellow color anticipates a honeysuckle bouquet which quickly dimishes to show overtly ripe (almost moldy) stone fruit. Thin apricot flavors are immediately overwhelmed with floral qualities which almost seem artificial. $9.00

Michael-David Vineyards ~ 4580 West Highway 12 ~ Lodi ~ CA ~ 888-707-WINE

Across the board, what I began to discover during my Lodi excursion is that more than a few decently-produced wines are being made on par with those in Napa and Sonoma. However, the price points of these wines tend to be considerably lower. It is thus that I present my findings on Van Ruiten Vineyards.

One of the many great experiences I am discovering about Lodi which has
thus far been remarkably different from "the bigger valleys," is the
propensity of the winery owners to be extremely accessible. Of the six
wineries I visited in one day, I met the owners of half of them. There
is no pretension whatsoever as even in his most crowded tasting room,
John Van Ruiten wandered in just to say hello…

The history is an intriguing one; John Van Ruiten arrived in Lodi from
Denmark just over fifty years ago after World War II and planted
Zinfandel grapes but it took those fifty years before Van Ruiten was
able to build his winery which was constructed just before the 2000 harvest. In general, the architecture, decor, and presentation of Van Ruiten is such that if it were to be plucked from its roadside location and place it against a small hillside in Sonoma, it would be right at home. But first you would have to double the price of the wines…

2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County – Classic bright, fruit-forward offering with grapefruit and melon qualities. Mellowed a bit in that 50% of the wine saw some American oak. Pretty decent wine for $10.00

2002 Vioginer – Sweetened honeysuckle and distinct rose petal aromas do not prepare for the creamy apricot and tropical fruit flavors. $10.00

2002 Reserve Chardonnay – 40% of this wine was stored in French oak. Classic butterscotch bouquet gives way to a more elegant apricot. Surprising lemon peel finish punctuates with a bright note. $12.00

2001 Reserve Syrah – An opaque, magenta purple wine which is full-bodied and plummy. Enticingly spicy with a finish that was a tad hot with alcohol. Great flavors suggests that cellaring for five years would diminish the alcohol and expand the lovely spice. $12.00

2001 Cab-Shiraz Blend – 52% Cabernet and 48% Shiraz, an upfront aroma of jalapeno and green bell pepper did not anticipate the mouth entry of plummy dark fruit. A mid-palate of red cherry complements the secondary spicy notes. A surprisingly velvety finish. $15.00

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon – More green bell pepper aromas also demonstrated earthy, green notes. 22 months in French oak provided some darker rich tannins in the black cherry mouthfeel. $15.00

2002 Petite Sirah – Layered, earthy bouquet also provided enticing floral notes and a hint of green herb. Exciting and concentrated, spiced include allspice and clove with a long, fabulous finish of oak, vanilla, and more dark cherry. What a great deal for the price! $18.00

2001 "Old Vine" Zinfandel - From 54-year old vines. Hues of cherry with hints of coffee. A very smooth, rich entry into the mouth with a port-like mid-palate. Full and rich, a touch of licorice on the finish. $18.00

2002 Late Harvest Zinfandel Reserve – Intense and concentrated dark fruit flavors including black raspberry, black berry, and black cherry. Touches of BBQ meat with a sweet, meaty finish. $20.00

Van Ruiten Family Winery ~ 340 West Highway 12 ~ Lodi ~ CA ~ 95242 ~ 209-334-5722

Continuing the Lodi adventure and figuratively throwing a dart at the Lodi map, Borra Family Winery was next on the excursion. Well, maybe when I asked Tim Spence of St. Amant where I should go next, he hemmed and hawed a bit, not wanting to speculate on any of his competitors and neighbors. I pestered a bit and both he and Ernie spoke highly of Borra’s Fusion… Finding Borra was considerably easier than finding St. Amant as it lies on a main road and is clearly marked.

The tasting room is relatively small, however, in a separate building adjacent to the rest of the facilities. It is beautifully decorated with a variety of items for sale that enhance its charm; furniture, clothing, and jewelry. There is a great deal of natural light that comes in the building, which at best holds 16 or 18 people.

I had some difficulties with some of the presentation which I am reluctant to describe, only because I don’t like to complain. I was a tad disturbed that the pours were almost too small to get adequate tasting notes; to the tune of less than half-an-ounce. It was nice, though, that a large tasting crackers and chocolate was set up. So often a wine is enhanced with various food pairings and having both sweet and savory choices was warm and inviting.

I found it odd that after each pour, the hostess immediately put a VacuVin into the bottle and proceeded to pump out the air. This with a roomful of people, not an empty tasting room where the bottle won’t be opened again for hours. I can see that Borra is highly regarded – in the short time I was there, several large groups worked their way into the room, bringing friends and comrades to share their delight. I just wish I had been as delighted and will go back another time to see if it was simply an off day.

2002 Borra Viognier, Gill Creek Ranch – Grassy and surprisingly sweet. Bright and metallic, I was surprised to learn the wine had seen some oak. Green grass finish. $16.00

2003 Chardonnay, Gill Creek Ranch – Concentrated apricot bouquet with a creamy entry. Tight, mineral finish. $16.00

2002 Merlot, Gill Creek Ranch – Overtly jammy blackberry and cherry aromas. Warm and rich with a layered, berry jam finish. Did I mention how jammy it was? $16.00

2003 Zinfandel, Gill Creek Ranch – Hot, hot aromas. Thin and metallic in the mouth with a wimpy, acidic finish. Unknown price.

2003 Fusion – An interesting blend of 46% Syrah, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 8% Zinfandel. Enticing berry and cocoa bouquet. Fresh red cherry with layers of herbal qualities that tease. Thinner finish that I would have anticipated. $16.00

2002 Barbera, Carru’ Vineyard Ranch – Hospital, medicinal aromas
sadly overwhelm in nose and mouth entry. Some cherry in the bright,
acidic mid-palate with more Band-Aid on the finish. $16.00

Borra Family Winery ~ 1301 East Armstrong Road ~ Lodi ~ CA ~ 95242 ~ 209-368-2446