"california wine" news and stories

Lodi, California, is a wine-growing region just northeast of San Francisco (in San Joaquin Valley, the Northern portion of the Central Valley) and quickly coming into its own despite being one of the state's oldest wine pockets. Zinfandels are the best-known wines from Lodi and can easily stack up to juicy Zins from Sonoma's Russian River Valley. Yet Lodi winemakers are also turning out varietals that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Merlot.

Here are some of our favorites from a recent tasting. Good news: all of these seven bottles cost under $20 each.

Brazin 2008 (B)Old Vine Zin, Lodi ($15)
Packed with bright red fruit, the Zin also expresses plum and fig flavors, accented by mocha. It's the kind of Zin you might save for a dessert -- it's that sweet and indulgent.

Ravenswood Winery 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi ($14)
This cult Zin producer culls from a lot of Northern California AVAs to make a solid Zin, Lodi included. Twenty-four percent Syrah is blended with 76% Zinfandel, culminating in a wine that has a fragrant bouquet that seamlessly kicks into concentrated notes of plum and blackberries. White pepper enters mid-palate and coasts through to the finish, linking up with vanilla and cocoa.

When the wine-themed comedy-drama film Sideways came out in 2004, it put a silent death upon Merlot, a red-wine grape with remarkable geographic spread, growing in climates ranging from California to Chile. Due to negative comments about Merlot in the film -- and the fact that Pinot Noir wines were deemed supreme -- wine lovers were posed a puzzling question: Are there any good Merlots out there?

Merlot is estimated to be the third most grown varietal of a wine grape. Problem is, when there are many producers of a specific varietal, the consumer's challenge is to hunt down the best of the bunch. (Answer to above question: yes, there are indeed good Merlots out there.)

Fortunately we've done a lot of that work for you. Here are six Merlot wines from Calfiornia that we do not hesitate to recommend.

Viognier is a delicate white wine. Each glass swims with floral aromas and a hint of tropical fruit that's more easygoing than it is aggressively acidic. A good-quality Viognier has a balanced structure that effortlessly evolves into the finish. It's also a very versatile grape that can handle a cool-weather climate, as in Washington's Columbia Valley (two we tasted are from this region), as well as hot-year-round states like Texas.

Pasta dishes with rich white sauces pair well with Viognier, as does fish, or salads with bright, intensely flavored ingredients such as roasted beets, orange slices or sharp, creamy chèvre.

After the jump, seven Viogniers from around the U.S. that we highly recommend.

In celebration of Labor Day we'd like to introduce you to a handful of white wines to help close out the summer in proper style. There's no need to put away the whites just yet. Savor a few white wines before autumn's cooler nights debut because then it will be a sultry, spicy red wine you crave, right?

With all-American spirit, these bottles contain grapes grown in the U.S. and made into fantastic wines by California wineries. And they all cost under $10, leaving you room to splurge on food for a Labor Day barbecue (summer's last hurrah?).

We had to taste a lot of bottles to come up with these six. It was not an easy task, for many at this price point just aren't -- quite honestly -- that great.

Find our best bets after the jump!

Red-wine blends are akin to a coffee roaster's espresso blend, as it's a formula that is unique and carefully thought through. By merging grapes, sometimes from different terroirs (vineyards), complex layers are introduced. To the winemaker, it's an opportunity to demonstrate his or her craft and talent in mixing flavors for a really great mouthfeel. Lots of experimentation, lab time and sipping trials go into creating the perfect blend.

After the jump, find seven red blends we've recently tried and have no hesitations recommending.