T
hose in the know about
California wine country have
had their eyes on Lodi lately.
Actually, Lodi used to be
known as a wine factory of
sorts where huge quantities of grapes
were grown and sourced to wineries
outside the region. Over the past 15
years or so, local wine growers have
begun a winemaking revolution, using
their collective history that stretches
back to the 19th century and their
natural wine growing strengths to
produce “ultra-premium wines.”
It’s in search of these quality wines
that I find myself at Borra Vineyards
on a recent summer morning. It’s
dusty in the fields outside of Lodi on
what will be a 105-degree day. I’m
tasting European style wines low in
alcohol, just right for this kind of dry
heat. I ask Borra’s Swiss winemaker,
Markus Niggli, if he makes European
style wines because of his
background. His answer is a simple
“No.” Gee, I thought I was on to
something, but I guess not. He
explains that in this ever-growing
wine industry, you need to be
different. As I learn later in our
tasting, this makes perfect sense
for Markus to say.
Being different in wine requires a
careful balance of striking out while
honoring tradition. Like many others
in the Lodi wine industry, Steve Borra,
the owner of Borra Vineyards, was
one in generations of grape growers.
His grandfather planted cuttings
from Italy, and three generations
later, Steve made wines reflective of
his family’s Italian heritage and soon
opened the first boutique winery in
Lodi in 1975.
After the year 2000, things started
to change around Lodi; winemakers
were getting more serious, setting
their goals higher. Soon after Markus
entered the picture, first working in
sales for the winery. When he laid out
his vision for the winery to Mr. Borra,
Steve took his chances on this young
Swiss guy and made him winemaker.
Four years later, Borra Vineyards has
gone in completely new directions
while garnering praise along the way.
It seems that the tradition in Borra
and the innovation in Niggli make a
winning combination.
What does innovation in wine look
like? Even though Lodi is best known
for its Zinfandel, it produces many
other varietals, about 60 of them,
actually. Lodi’s climate of long
summers is perfect for growing
grapes--hot, sunny days and cool
nights thanks to a strong delta breeze
can cause a 50-degree difference in
temperature from afternoon to night.
These conditions allow grapes to
develop their full character and offer
winemakers greater flexibility.
This turned out to be just what the
risk-taking side of Markus Niggli
needed to demonstrate his
winemaking potential. He discovered
vineyards of German grapes growing
along the quiet Mokulemne River east
of Lodi. No one thinks of varietals like
Kerner or Gewürztraminer when they
think of Lodi, but with the variety
here, it’s not a surprise that Markus
was able to get a hold of these
grapes. What is a surprise, however, is
what he did with them. He picked the
grapes early to increase the acidity
and decrease the sweetness and
created interesting white wines that
are light, dry, and utterly drinkable.
Success also comes from Niggli’s
winemaking philosophy. By taking
a natural approach to winemaking,
he allows the true character of the
grape and its terroir to shine. By not
using a press, the wines become soft
and approachable, not heavy like
so many California wines can be.
By increasing acidity and decreasing
the alcohol, the wines become more
drinkable, so you can have that second
glass in the evening.
Perhaps most important in Niggli’s
success is his desire to be different.
This drive became apparent throughout
my visit, and fortunately for Borra
Vineyards, his eagerness to take risks
has allowed them to stand out both
locally in the increasingly full Lodi wine
scene and even in the state where very
few wines like theirs are being made.
I was naïve to assume that his
European roots would result in his
European style wines. In fact, he never
made wine in Europe and wasn’t trained
there. Instead, he left Switz