Seeing double in Lodi? You must be at LangeTwins Winery

The weather had been perfect all week.  Mid 80s,  a cool evening breeze and I was lovin' every minute of it!   Unlike many Sacramentans, I don't look forward to the summer sizzle that inevitably arrives much earlier than I deem proper. The days of sweltering car cabins and melting  flesh on aluminum little league bleachers do nothing to entice me from my air conditioned comfort into the great outdoors.  With  the weatherman predicting high pressure and a toasty 106 degrees for the weekend, lets just say that I was less than thrilled with the forecast.  Ugh.   Where did I put my misty-fan hot flash bottle thing?   

So despite a forecast that most certainly guaranteed heatstroke, I ignored my better judgment  and instead heeded the siren call of the open road, which grew stronger as the weekend drew near.  There were several wine and food events going on this weekend, and I was feeling a chick road trip coming on.

I had attended Saturday's tasting at the ZinFest last year under strikingly similar conditions, with temps hovering around the 105 degree mark.   As a confirmed oenophiliac (uncontrolled red wine drinker), I can tell you that drinking 95 degree red wine in 105 degree weather almost did me in.  God help me, but by mid-day, I was craving a.....a.......WINE COOLER! 

What many Saturday attendees don't know is that the ZinFest is actually a three day affair.  The Friday night kick-off is a dinner and premier tasting at Lodi Lake; Saturday is the big daddy, so to speak, the grand tasting.  The Sunday finale is a more relaxed pace, when the wineries have open house events.  The idea of air conditioned tasting rooms, little noshes, some live music, discounts, and best of all, more diminutive crowds sounded much more appealing than waiting in lines with 5,000 other hot and shweaty zin lovers for a pour.  So, with no definitive plan for our Sunday other than 'DrinkGoodWine',  3 ZinBabes loaded the cooler with water, broke out the Lodi wine map, and merged onto Hwy 99 South at 11am, the truck thermometer registering an eye-popping 96 degrees.

I'd read of the LangeTwins Winery by a wine blogger I'd been following on Twitter.  The reviewer had given their Petit/Petite high marks in price point, flavor and style, so of course,  I was anxious to give it a try.  Their location allowed quick access off the freeway, so despite the 'appointment only' designation on the map, we decided to pop by and see if they were open.  

We pulled off the main road and saw flags near a gate of what looked like a water treatment plant.  We pulled in and began looking for signs for the tasting room.  It was then we realized this monster facility was the winery......holy smokes! 

The facility grounds, despite it's rural location and surrounding fields was pristine.  The concrete gleamed, even the gravel  looked washed an polished. We parked and stepped out of the truck.  The heat hit us like a ton 'o bricks---

Must.....find.....tasting....room......

We stepped into the giant barrel room, which was at least 30 degrees cooler than the temperature outdoors----ahhhhh.  Almost immediately we were greeted by one of the Mrs. Langes. We chatted briefly on what had brought us to the winery, then she quickly directed us towards an empty counter where son Joe was pouring.... 

Lined up on the bar were 3 whites and 6 reds---this would take a while. Good. I was in no hurry to step back  into the Kalahari. 

There are scant few wineries where I walk away from a tasting and say that I liked all of the wines I was poured.  Schug in Carneros is one.   Runquist of Amador County is another.  And now LangeTwins. All the wines were well-balanced, palate pleasing and true to their varietal characteristics.  The whites tasted were an '07 Pinot Grigio, $18, an '07 Sauvignon Blanc, $13, and an '07 Chardonnay, $15.  Of the whites, my favorite was the '07 Sauv Blanc. The grapes are grown less than a mile from the winery using 100% sustainable growing techniques.  With notes of citrus and melon and a lovely finish, I could almost taste the sauteed shrimp, asparagus and herbed rice I was going to serve with it.  Then it was on to the reds.

In our line up was an '06 Merlot, $15, a blend of 70% Clarksburg and 30% Lodi fruit, smooth and ripe with light  tannins and a nice touch of oak; an '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, $15,  ripe, round and balanced, with  smooth tannins and soft berry fruit; the '07 "Petit/Petite", $20,  a 66/34 blend of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah, the wine that brought us here; a barrel sample of their newly released '07 Zinfandel;  their '05 Midnight Reserve, $32,  a wonderful Bordeaux style blend;  and the '06 Single Barrel Petit Verdot. $45. 

The Petit/Petite was terrific, each blueberry-scented, tooth-staining sip better than the last;  the barrel sample of the Zinfandel was jammy perfection---bring on the ribs!  the Midnight reserve was a lovely, sophisticated wine, with elements of dark fruits and chocolate and a long finish;  the '06 Petit Verdot was an elegant example of the Bordeaux varietal, with heady aromas of blueberry and violets on the nose and on the finish. 

Fantastic wines and the nicest people you're likely to run into, the folks at LangeTwins know an awful lot about growing grapes, making wine and the forgotten art of hospitality.   I'll be bahck....for additional info, visit their website:  www.langetwins.com/