2024 Fall Wine Club Release
Dear Club Members,
You've probably heard about the grape and wine glut that is weighing heavily on the industry. It is a new reality for us in this business. Wine consumption is down, both here in the US and world wide. As a result, wineries are cutting back on production, and many growers are left with fruit hanging. In more than forty years of farming, I've never seen the industry crash and burn like it is right now. Many of the wine producers and growers will go out of business. Fortunately I've been able to sell most of my fruit this year, though the price is not what it has been in years past, but I feel fortunate as we own our land and have little debt. Many others are not so lucky.
For this quarter's selections, our committee of blind tasters has picked three great wines, a couple of blends and a stand-alone variety.
2020 Carnival
I'm a big fan of wines made from grapes grown in France's Rhone Valley. They always seem so fresh and fragrant, with beautiful hues in the glass when light pierces them. This is our Rhone blend, and this particular vintage is mostly Grenache, with smaller amounts of Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. You will find this wine to be of medium density in the glass, with a slightly floral bouquet with hints of clove and spice. On the palate, I get a big burst of fruit up front, with a pleasant balance of acidity and tannin, tapering to a clean finish. I would serve this wine with a meal of poultry or salmon, or a meal full of flavor and refreshing, like a chicken salad.
2019 Petit Verdot
Here in Lodi, California we can bring out the ripe flavors in almost any grape because of our long growing season, our hot summer days and cool summer nights. Petit Verdot is a perfect example of this. It has long been a main variety in the Bordeaux region in southern France, where small amounts add color and tannin to their wines. But rarely is it ever produced as a single varietal wine since it seldom ripens to the point where the acids and tannins soften and reveal the fruit. Here in Lodi, we can achieve that easily. Petit Verdot wines burst with dark fruit flavors like ripe plums and black berries. I age mine in new barrels, frequently giving it two full years. This is a great wine right now, but if you are so inclined, go ahead and lay it down for a couple of years.
2021 Vino Tinto
I became familiar with the name Vino Tinto when I was teaching school in Peru back in the late 70's. Back then, Vino Tinto was their name for any red wine. My version is made from Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah. It has been a favorite for years. I have confidence it will be one of yours too.
Thank you for participating in our wine club. Any feedback you might have is always appreciated.
Wine description & write-up by owner/grower/winemaker Tom Hoffman
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