Mokelumne River AVA: Exploring Lodi's Largest and Most Historic Viticultural Area

Classic plus-100-year-old Zinfandel growing on its own natural roots in deep, rich yet porous, sand dune-like soil typifying much of the east side of the Mokelumne River-Lodi AVA As we continue our journey through Lodi's wine history during California Wine Month, we turn our focus to the largest and most historic of the region's seven nested sub-appellations: the Mokelumne River AVA. Spanning an impressive 85,700 acres with over 40,000 acres of planted wine grapes, this viticultural area represents the historic heart of Lodi winemaking and houses nearly all of the region's wine production facilities. Named for the river that flows from the Sierra Nevada through the appellation—originally derived from the Miwok phrase meaning "the place of the fish net"—the Mokelumne River AVA tells the story of California viticulture itself. From century-old, own-rooted Zinfandel vines planted in the 1880s to modern plantings of over 100 different grape varieties, this appellation showcases

by Lodi Wine · source ↗