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Diary of a Wine Student Search for: Published on May 24, 2021
Forty-five years ago today, the Judgment of Paris happened. I’m sure we’ll see lots of missives commemorating the occasion, all the more bittersweet with the recent passing of Steven Spurrier back in March.
While I’ll toast the success of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena, I have to confess that, even as a wine geek, the glow of that achievement is waning for me a bit.
Sure, it’s cool when you first hear about it with American pride and bottles in the Smithsonian. And that Alan Rickman movie certainly was fun. But after that, then what?
There’s something thrilling about getting your hands on a rare item. First, there’s the tingle of excitement that comes with the hunt, followed by that surge of satisfaction in knowing it’s yours.
The things we collect have the ability to become tiny time capsules that connect us to a special memory in our lives. And when it comes to wine one of our favourite things to collect there’s nothing like allowing its flavour, depth, and complexity to evolve with time.
It all culminates the second we get to uncork it at its ripest, most delicious or savour it on the most special of occasions, further cementing in these meaningful moments in our minds.
The Newcomers
With all due respect to Creedence Clearwater Revival, but there are some people who choose to get stuck in Lodi on purpose.
The term “new to Lodi” used to mean that your family had been here only two or three generations. But now there’s a whole new breed of growers and vintners (call them the omni-generationals) putting an exciting spin on what it means to be able to put the name Lodi on a bottle of wine. They’re bringing with them new ideas and new techniques, along with a deep appreciation and understanding of the unique conditions that make this one of the premier wine regions in the country. If not the world. And in doing so, they’ve opened a lot of eyes as to what’s possible. We’re talking about people like Markus Bokisch, who found the volcanic soils over in Clements Hills perfect for transplanting his family’s Spanish farming roots; becoming