Lodi Wine Commission has had a BIG year and it’s been a win win partnership to bring the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference to the area.  If you are not convinced Lodi is going to be one of our best WBC’s yet, think again.  Not only do we have an excellent agenda, content and speakers for attendees but the team at Lodi Wine has been actively planning some fantastic events for us as well!  Check out the post below from the team of at Lodi Wine Commission and start getting excited for WBC16!!

Don’t blink: The 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference is just around the corner and will be here before you know it!

We’re looking forward to seeing familiar faces and greeting new friends. If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit the Lodi Appellation, you’re in for a real treat (and probably a bit of an awakening).

WHAT THE… WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!?

This seems to be the common reaction to Lodi’s seemingly overnight success by industry folks who are less familiar with the history of our region; and rightly so. Although our growers have been growing fine wine grapes for over 160 years, it has only been within recent years that Lodi has – in a sense – exploded onto the wine scene, garnering titles like “Wine Region of the Year,” “Vineyard of the Year,” “Grower of the Year,” and “Winery of the Year,” by various entities including Wine Enthusiast and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), among others.

But those who are “in the know” know that the success of our region hasn’t come out of nowhere. As a matter of fact, Lodi’s evolvement from a supplier of fresh grapes in the late 1800’s to a behind-the-scenes supplier of wine grapes for everyone from home winemakers during Prohibition to premium wine producers through most of the 1900’s has taken over 100 years. Today, with 110,000 acres planted to vines, Lodi plays an integral role as the nation’s largest and most versatile producer of premium wine grapes with more than100 varieties in commercially- and experimentally-grown production. Where there were eight wineries 20 years ago there are now 85, the majority of which are operated by fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-generational farming families.

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT US…

Let’s talk about you: The wine blogger. You’re authentic, relevant, fun-loving and – let’s face it – a bit raw at times. But we dig that about you. In fact, our region prides itself in embodying those same characteristics. And for those of you who have spent any amount of time with our growers and vintners, you know this to be true.

But this isn’t where Lodi’s commonalities with the blogging community end, by any means. While we both play integral roles within our respective industries, we have been underappreciated at times. And yet, we’ve both held strong for years. Why? Because we are integral to the whole.

In our minds, no argument can be made against the value that you – wine bloggers – provide to our region and overall industry. We know that the general wine consumer is most heavily influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations from peers and we’d have to be blind not to know that these recommendations have a huge impact on what consumers across the nation and beyond think about our region and wines, and on what they end up buying.

Yes; Lodi is keenly aware of your importance and places incredible value on your ability to help us share with the world stories of our winegrowing families, our history, and the exciting revolution happening today in our vineyards and cellars.

SO WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO GAIN BY ATTENDING #WBC16 IN LODI, CALIFORNIA?

If you’ve never stepped foot on our sandy loam soils or sampled our wines, this is your chance to discover firsthand a wine region that is just now coming into its own. And how exciting is that?

During the conference, you’ll have multiple opportunities to become better acquainted with our winegrowers and vintners as well as our vineyards and wines through afternoon excursions, seminars and tastings.

So if you still haven’t signed up to attend the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference, you’re in danger of missing out on one heckuva good time. And you can take our word for it. Better yet? Take the words of your peers for it:

Bill Eyer,Cuvee Corner

I’m constantly surprised by the things I believe to be true, about a particular wine region, like Lodi. This is especially true, when it turns out to be completely different than my expectations. This is where perception walks up to meet reality. On this journey into the ‘renewed’ Lodi Wine Scene, my expectations about what I would find there, was turned on its head more than once. Of the five other wine writers who had traveled with me, I was the only one who had been to the area before, and this time around I was happily surprised by what I found.Source.       

Jeffrey Kralik,The Drunken Cyclist[JH1]

Every wine region I have ever visited (with perhaps one notable exception) has proclaimed that they, unlike many other regions, have a sense of community and cooperation that really sets them apart from other regions. Seriously. I have heard that in every wine region I have ever visited (with one notable exception). No kidding. In Lodi, though, it seems different. I am not sure if I can put my finger on it, but everyone seems to get along–even recent outsiders are welcomed as insiders and there truly seems to be the belief that each success benefits the whole.Source[JH2] .

While the growers and wine makers certainly take their respective roles in the wine making process very seriously, they do not take themselves all that seriously. Lodi people, for the most part, are fun to be around. They seem to get it: Wine is a beverage. It should be fun.Source[JH3] .

**Note from Lodi Wine: No matter what he says, don’t let Jeff fool you: He had the time of his life traipsing through our vineyards in what he refers to as the “suspect transport vehicle.”

Julia Crowley,The Real Wine Julia

My most memorable moment is actually a combination of similar moments combined: moments that I like to call “tailgate tastings.”  Until visiting Lodi, I wasn’t aware that the Lodi region consists heavily of winegrape growers – generations of folks that farm the lands where the fruit is grown and produced into wines that are truly showcasing the terroir of where they once weathered the unpredictable conditions and thrived to survive. There’s such a dramatic sense of place when meeting the winemakers and farmers in the middle of their vineyards, dirt under their nails, bottle of wine in one hand and a shovel in the other. In Lodi, I discovered there’s no better place to taste wine than on the tailgate of a Chevy pickup.Source.

Frank Morgan,Drink What You Like[JH4]

Prior to visiting the region, I pretty much considered Lodi the epicenter of industrial wine production.  Each vineyard and winemaker visit chipped away at my misconception of Lodi, revealing a region built by family winegrowers (many multi-generational) — many of them small, boutique operations — deeply passionate about their region, vineyards and wines, deserving of more recognition.Source.

Jon Thorsen,Reverse Wine Snob®

And with that our tour of Lodi was over. We enjoyed the trip immensely but were also left with the distinct impression that the sky’s the limit for this region that is just beginning to hit its stride. It will be fascinating to see how it transforms over the next 5 to 10 years.Source.

Ben Carter,Benito’s Wine Reviews

If I learned anything from Lodi, it’s that they think in the long term.  The winemakers and growers are not thinking about next year, instead they’re thinking ahead to the next four or five generations.  And even though they are producing a premium, labor-intensive product through this project, the prices per bottle are kept low in order to promote the region and show off the potential.  It will be interesting to see how these wines age over the next decade, and I think in the next 10-20 years, people will be bragging about great bottles from Lodi.  The talent is there, the soil is there, but most importantly, they have the solid weight of farming behind them, and that, after all, is what drives the great wine regions of the Old World.Source.

**Note from Lodi Wine: We had the pleasure of spending a fun-filled three and a half days with Ben and an equally talented group of wine bloggers in early summer 2014. Trip aside, Ben was a regular participant in our quarterly online tastings and we continue to miss his enthusiasm for our region and wines as well as his overall love of the industry. Ben – we’re also excited to see how our region and wines will evolve over the next 10-20 years. Cheers to you, thank you and you will always be remembered here in Lodi.

Convinced Lodi is the place to be this August?  Register for WBC today!

[JH1]https://thedrunkencyclist.com/

[JH2]https://thedrunkencyclist.com/2015/07/03/lodi-friday-from-bulk-wine-to-fine-wine/

[JH3]https://thedrunkencyclist.com/2015/09/04/lodi-friday-lodi-gets-it/

[JH4]https://drinkwhatyoulike.wordpress.com/

The Wine Discovery Sessions are something that we all look forward to.  As the name hints, it is a unique chance to spend time with a particular wine and a multitude of wine leaders.  The 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference will have 3 sessions for attendees on BOTH Friday and Saturday.  This year, we are pleased to welcome pioneers in New Zealand wine sustainability, Yealand Family Wines. Combining the very latest cutting-edge green technology and highly innovative thinking, the Yealands name quickly became synonymous with a passion for crafting ultra-premium wines in the most environmentally-friendly manner.  Yealands has shared with us beautifully done videos about their operation and the five ingeniously weird ways Yealands Family Wines is redefining “Eco-friendly” in New Zealand.

WBC16 sponsor UC Davis is known for cutting-edge wine research and teaching, the technologically-advanced Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building, and the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.  In fact, the university is so well known in the wine industry some people point to just two degrees of separation between UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology and anyone in the wine world.

For more than 80 years, UC Davis has driven innovation in grape growing and winemaking in California and the world, from contributions to the science of grapes and wine to training of future wine-industry leaders.

The Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis blazed that wine trail by utilizing a balance of art and science: introducing modern sanitation in the 1950s, crafting the first standardized lexicon for wine with the debut of the Wine Aroma Wheel in the 1980s, and developing stainless steel tanks, controlled temperature fermentations, and pest-resistant grapes.

Then, in 2001, famous California wine producer Robert Mondavi gave a personal gift to UC Davis to establish the Robert Mondavi Institute, providing a point of convergence for growers, scientists, and enthusiasts who are intent upon enhancing the quality of life for all through wine, brewing and food science.

With UC Davis, sustainability is always front and center. Right now, the viticulture and enology department is developing self-cleaning fermentors capable of recycling 90 percent of its water. The goal: affordable technology and alternative practices that use less than one gallon of water to produce one gallon of wine.

This year at the Wine Bloggers Conference, UC Davis will host one of the highly popular Wine Discovery Sessions on Friday, August 12th. Wine Discovery Sessions are in-depth tasting experiences and we’ll provide more information about the UC Davis session as we get closer to the conference date.  There are three sessions on Friday and three sessions on Saturday….. so you will have to pick one each day.

Get to know UC Davis by joining their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram communities. Register for WBC16 today!

It’s going to be a great year at WBC16!  We had such a tremendous response to the excursions, our friends at Ironstone Vineyards threw their name in the cap to host a second post-conference excursion option.  This excursion is designed to give attendees a unique and intimate setting few will ever get to experience getting to know this beautiful winery known to some as the Queen of the Sierras!

About Ironstone Vineyards

At the base of the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountain Range sits the Sierra Foothills. The soils have intense rich minerals that were discovered during the 49er gold rush. Start your visit to Ironstone Vineyards with a tour hosted by Founder, John Kautz. A second generation farmer, John’s parents immigrated to the United States from Germany and purchased just a few acres of land from a U.S. Land Grant. Taking the lead, John built this family farm of 38 acres to where it is today with over 7,000 acres of vineyards in Lodi and the Sierra Foothills. John has many honors to his name including U.S. Jaycees National LP-Gas Association National Outstanding Your Farmer, Ford Foundations’ Top Farm Manager USA, California State Fair Agriculturalist of the Year, California Association of Wine Grape Growers Grower of the Year. Additionally, John has served on many boards promoting agriculture and tourism for California. These include Ag Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Clayton Yeutter, CFO of the California Travel & Tourism Commission, Chairman of the California State Chamber of Commerce and President of the California State Board of Food & Agriculture. He is also a member of Winrock International-Rockefeller Foundation, California Farm Bureau, California Wine Institute, Western Growers Association and KVIE Public Television. Building Ironstone has been his dream and he will share every aspect of the winery and gorgeous grounds that surround it.

Meet Your Excursion Hosts

Stephen Kautz, President of Ironstone Vineyards and Steve Millier will lead you through what makes the iron and granite soils ideal for wine grape growing. Stephen Kautz attended California Polytechnic State University and has been instrumental in developing the vineyards that are a part of Ironstone’s Reserve range of wines. His passion for Calaveras County shines through with his memberships as President of Calaveras Wine Grape Alliance, Calaveras County Fair, Calaveras Visitors Bureau, as well as a past Director of the California Wine Institute and California Agricultural Leadership Program.

Director of Winemaking, Steve Millier is an Enology graduate of California State University, Fresno. His career started in the Santa Cruz Mountains with famed David Bruce Winery, known for their Pinot Noirs. Later, Steve joined Stevenot Winery in Murphys and for many years purchased grapes from the Kautz family. In 1989, Steve joined Ironstone as founding Winemaker and has been instrumental in all aspects of the winery. Winning numerous awards through the years, such as the prestigious “Prix d’Excellence Award” from the International Du Vin in France, as well as a plethora of Gold medals, Steve shows his creative side with unique varieties, like Symphony, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah.

Joan Kautz, Sales & Marketing, who will be your host throughout the day has lead a career in marketing and sales of her family’s brands. After graduating from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and after some short stints in D.C. politics, she elected to start the international marketing and sales for Ironstone. Taking the family’s brands from a few US states to approximately 50 countries worldwide today, she has been the passion behind the distribution. Involved in all aspects of the branded business, Joan has helped with the direction of the wines, branding all products and expanding both the domestic and international markets.

A Deeper View 

Steve Millier, Craig Rous and Joan Kautz will guide you through a tasting of their Ironstone wines including Sierra Foothills Estate Grown Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage. Additionally, Craig Rous, Director of Operations and owner of the famed “Rous Vineyard” will taste through a vertical of the Ironstone Lodi Reserve Rous Vineyard Ancient Vine Zinfandel. The Rous Vineyard planted in 1909 has had an interesting life surviving phylloxera and being used in a white zinfandel blend. Craig brought this incredible vineyard back to its roots of an intense and elegant Zinfandel. Craig will explain how he made the changes and how the wine has evolved over the years. A graduate of U.C. Davis in 1979, Craig started his career at Robert Mondavi Winery, where he was instrumental in directing research efforts and grower education programs pointing towards constant vineyard and wine improvement. His 19 years spent at Mondavi elevated him to the task of becoming Director of Operations for the Kautz family’s Bear Creek Winery, a production winery that crushes approximately 50,000 tons of grapes per year. Craig’s main priority has been to constantly improve wine and grape quality by using technology and winemaking techniques found in smaller wineries. For example wine/vineyard lots are held separate until each is evaluated for attributes desired in each brand, then blended.

Good Eats!

Indulge in a delicious pairing of Ironstone wines and fine foods artfully created by Outer Aisle Restaurant. Eric & Christine Taylor, owners of Outer Aisle, will prepare a flavor-filled menu using Calaveras-grown produce. Their philosophy is that the best-tasting food begins with fresh-picked locally-sourced ingredients, many of which they grow on their own farm. Their commitment to flavor, quality and healthy eating are values that inspire them to create their wonderful ‘farm to fork to flavor’ menu.

Sounds amazing…right??  There are only a few spots left on this fantastic excursion so please make sure to sign up soon!

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) – Your Gateway to the Most World-Class Wine Regions of any Major U.S. Airport

Did you know there are a dozen world-class wine regions across Northern California? California wine goes beyond the quick hour’s drive to the world-renowned Napa and Sonoma wineries. Nearly all of these unique wine regions are within a one- to two-hour drive of Sacramento, without the congestion and traffic of the Bay Area, making SMF is the easiest gateway to these amazing destinations for visitors from across the globe.

In about an hour, you can experience the brilliant chefs at famous restaurants and bistros along with incredible wines to the west in Sonoma County and Napa Valley. North of there by another 30-60 minutes visit boutique wineries throughout rustic Lake and Mendocino Counties, which specialize in organic and biodynamic wines. If you head east from SMF, you can sample sensational wines on the way to Lake Tahoe. About 30 minutes east on Interstate 80 are the developing wine regions of Placer County and the Sierra Vintners where you can sip Pinot Noir or Riesling while experiencing areas rich in Gold Rush history. About an hour’s drive east along, state Highway 50 and the historic Highway 49 (to the north and south of Placerville), there are several up-and-coming wine regions including: El Dorado County, Amador County and Calaveras County which are known for their Old Vine Zinfandels, Barberas and Rhone varietals. Venturing south from SMF, wine lovers will find a treasure in Clarksburg, just minutes from downtown Sacramento, where you can sample multiple wineries at The Old Sugar Mill. Just a short 30-minute drive further to the south on I-5 is the Lodi wine region, famous for award-winning Zinfandels and named 2015 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine. For those wanting to complete the Northern California wine tour, Livermore Valley is also not to be missed for its Bordeaux style wines. Livermore Valley is just 90 miles south of SMF on the outskirts of the Eastern Bay Area along Highway 580.

Map Check….SMF is in fact your gateway to wine heaven!

Sacramento International Airport offers more than 130 nonstop flights per day and is proud to offer nonstop service from many sophisticated foodie cities such as: New York, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, and all of the major Los Angeles area airports.

Clearly Northern California provides abundant opportunity for wine lovers to enjoy numerous varietals and wine-making styles. With the easiest access to Northern California’s world-class wine regions of any major U.S. airport Sacramento International Airport offers a travel experience worth toasting.

Heather Atherton is a travel, food and lifestyle writer based near Sacramento, California. Heather is also a PR consultant to the Sacramento International Airport.

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