Lodi is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the Central Valley of California, at the northern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, within portions of Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties, east of San Francisco Bay. It was established as a designated wine growing appellation on February 13, 1986 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Lodi District Vintners Association to establish a viticultural area named "Lodi."[5] The viticultural area originally was 458,000 acres (716 sq mi) of which 39,000 acres (16,000 ha) were cultivated with wine grapes.[1] In 2002, the area was expanded by 27,500 acres (43.0 sq mi), with 5,240 acres (2,120 ha) cultivated, in the western area and in the southern portion by 66,000 acres (27,000 ha), 5,600 acres (2,300 ha) cultivation, of the original AVA boundaries in San Joaquin County.[2] The appellation lies in southern Sacramento County and northern San Joaquin County. Its western border is outlined by Interstate Highway 5 and the eastern border is adjacent to El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties.[6]
On July 16, 2006, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury established seven new viticultural areas within the boundary of Lodi viticultural area. The seven new AVAs are Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River and Sloughhouse. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.[7]
History
The Lodi region has been home to grape growing since at least the 1850s when wild grapes would grow down from trees along the edge of rivers. This led some trappers to call the Calaveras River, which runs through the southern portion of the area, "Wine Creek."[8] The farms run by multi-generational families were producing 20% of the wine in California in 2024.[9]
Grapes and wines
Although the appellation is probably best known for its old vine Zinfandel, Lodi also produces a large quantity of Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon blanc.[4]
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Cabernet Sauvignon
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Old Vine Zinfandel
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Lodi Viticultural Area" (27 CFR 9 [T.D.ATF-223; Re: Notice No. 567] Final Rule). Federal Register. 51 (30). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 5323–5325. February 13, 1986.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d "Expansion of Lodi Viticultural Area (2000R-436P)" (27 CFR 9 RIN 1512-AC92 [T.D. ATF-482; Re: Notice No. 891] Final Rule). Federal Register. 61 (171). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 5323–5325. September 4, 2002.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Frost Dates for Linden, CA". The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Yankee Publishing. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
- ^ a b "Lodi (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2008.
- ^ "Petition For Establishment of "Lodi" as an American Viticultural Area". TTB.gov. Lodi District Vintners Association. July 26, 1982.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Rieger, Ted. "Subdividing Lodi—Proposal Supported for 7 Sub-AVAs". Wine Business Monthly. No. August 2003.
- ^ "Establishment of the Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Sloughhouse Viticultural Areas" (27 CFR Part 9 [T.D. TTB–50; Re: Notice No. 50] RIN 1513–AA82 thru 1513–AA88 Final Rule). Federal Register. 71 (136). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury: 40404–40417. July 16, 2006.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "The Appellations of California Wine". Wine Institute. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007.
- ^ Morgan, Tyne (August 14, 2024). "Grape Growers Desperately Need You to Drink More Wine as They Grapple With a Glut of Uncontracted Grapes". AgWeb.
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