Lodi's Zinfandel Problem

 Zinfandel has its ancestral home in southern Italy as Primitivo and before than in Croatia as Crljenak Kaštelanski (good luck pronouncing that one). Still, Zinfandel is called California's grape. It doesn't have the cachet of Cabernet, Pinot, or Chardonnay, but it's a favorite for many of us.

Lodi's fame for Zinfandel and its dependence on the grape is causing problems.

The best-known regions for Zinfandel are Sonoma and Amador Counties, though most is planted in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Lodi is in this area, sitting in the Central Valley between Sonoma and Amador. That area has hot summers, but Lodi is in a unique spot that gets cooling evening breezes off the Delta that feeds the San Francisco Bay. That cool down is required for premium wine grapes (higher acidity, more flavor development).

Click on map to enlarge

Lodi is home to a lot of old vine Zinfandel, something treasured by Zin lovers. Thousands of acres of Lodi's signature grape are being pulled out to plant other varieties or even nut crops that are worth more money. Much of the older vines are head pruned that take a lot of work compared to modern trellised vines. The older vines produce less fruit. So economic considerations go into determining what vines get replaced.

In Lodi, old head-trained Zinfandel (L)
and newer Cabernet vines on a horizontal trellis (R)

The increased cost of labor and labor shortages since the Pandemic have made the problem worse. So has the drop in White Zinfandel sales. How many people outside of California really know about Lodi Zinfandel? When is the last time you saw a Lodi Zin on a restaurant wine list?

Some old, outstanding Zinfandel vines are being lost forever, and that's a shame.

A Zinfandel vine in Jessie's Grove Royal Tee Vineyards
Planted 1889, Lodi's oldest

Source: lodiwine.com