Summer White Wines: Bokisch Vineyards Garnacha Blanca, Lodi

Another virtual wine tasting event took hold of Twitter for an hour recently, and a large contingent of Lodites took to their favorite social media platform to swirl, sip and spill the beans about the amazing white wines of the Lodi AVA.  The comments put forth by the participants can be found under the hashtag #LodiLive, while full details of the event and the Twitter stream is found here.

I met Markus and Liz Bokisch once when they poured their wines in Los Angeles. They are wonderful, nice people who share a passion for wine - in particular the grapes of the Iberian Peninsula.  Markus spent childhood summers with relatives in Spain, hence the love of Spanish grapes.

The 2013 Bokisch Vineyards Garnacha Blanca Vista Luna Vineyard is primarily Grenache Blanc - in its Spanish depiction, Garnacha Blanca - with a 10% splash of Albariño.  Fermentation and aging was done all in steel.  The Vista Luna Vineyard is in the Borden Ranch appellation of Lodi, carries a 13.2% alcohol content and it retails for $18.

During the virtual event on Twitter, @cellarmistress commented, “This is a gorgeous wine, voluptuous mouthfeel, yum!"  @Luscious_Lushes tweeted, “Mouthfeel is rich & unctuous. I like it cold but even a bit warm its just a lovely wine.”  I always like to taste whites without a chill.  @pullthatcork posted, “Nice to see the lower ABV (13.2) What you want in a summer sipping wine."

@WineJulia thought, “It's amazing how clear the Grenache Blanc is! What a tropical beauty. Delicious” while @ChasingJen went for some food pairings: “imagine with apricots/blue cheese/honey on walnut crackers.”  @WINEormous liked it “with a smoked cheddar. It's so food friendly!”  @myvinespot offered some thoughtful tasting notes: “Stone & tree fruit, delightfully textured, fine acid structure. Very food-friendly."

This gorgeous white wine sits very pale in the glass while aromas of peaches, nectarines and lime peel waft upward.  The minerals are an olfactory treat, too.  The flavors are peachy and citrusy enough, and a strong current of minerals is in play on the palate as it is on the nose.  The acidity is razor sharp and refreshing.  It's an amazingly food-friendly wine, as the Twitter users were quick to point out.  This is a white wine that can be paired with a number of meat dishes, even red meat.  It can also refresh on a warm day, but its strong suit is accompanying food.


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