Acquiesce Winery in Lodi might be the last place you expect to find true French-style wines, specifically, Rhône varietals.
Why Rhône Style Whites Do Well in Lodi?
Lodi is known for their red wines, specifically Zins. It can get hot in Lodi, however, the area also gets plenty of cooling breezes from the San Francisco Bay and the Delta.
With Lodi’s sandy soils and Mediterranean-like climate, Rhône style whites do well here.
In 2000 Susan, owner and wine maker for Acquiesce Winery, and her husband Rodney bought 18 acres of land near Lodi to grow grapes. At that time 12 of these acres were planted to Zinfandel.
From Zin to White Rhône Style Varietals
Susan’s favorite wines are all white, especially those inspired by Chateauneuf-du-Pape in France’s Rhône Valley.
Grapes like Bourboulenc, Grenache-Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and Rousanne were not planted in California at the time they purchased the winery. In fact Acquiesce Vineyard was the first vineyard to plant Bourboulenc in the United States.
With a local winemaker, Susan and Rodney started cultivating their vines with cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel of Châteauneuf du Pape, France for their white varietals.
At Acquiesce Winery all grapes are hand-picked, hand sorted, and the whole cluster is pressed. It is the winery’s attention to detail that makes their wines stand out.
Currently Acquiesce has 16 acres of grapes, mostly those Rhône style varietals, but they do still grow Zin and sell it to other winemakers.
In conclusion Acquiesce’s white wines definitely stand out in an area known for its Zin.
Visit Acquiesce’s Tasting Room or Shop Their Wines
Visit the intimate tasting room at Acquiesce Winery and learn more about how they brought Rhône style varietals to Lodi.
Now all you need with your wine is a charcuterie board. A charcuterie board and wine pair really well, in fact we have several ideas for a vegetarian charcuterie board.
Also think about the upcoming holidays and what to serve. Here’s how to make a Christmas tree charcuterie board.