Lost in Lodi

One of the appealing things about wine is reading the label and letting one's mind wander to that particular village, whether it's in France, Argentinia, or California. The wines that are made from grapes all on one vineyard are especially intriguing. They seem more pure and genuine, as if one vintner has welcomed you to his or her home and shared centuries of a family's work with you, a stranger.

The other day in Costco, the wine lady suggested I try a Cameron Hughes Zinfandel. The deal with Cameron Hughes is that his wines are not from a particular vineyard. Mr. Hughes buys wines from an area and bottles it. He's not a vintner, but a negociant. For the customer that means you can get a better wine for a lower price, you just don't know exactly what it is you're drinking. Last night I tried his Lot 160 Zinfandel, Lodi, 2008. The nose was dirt and cherries. The taste was a raisin cherry with spice. The finish was long and tannic. It's a rich wine with lots of flavors mingling in and out of each sip. Drinking this wine was like being lost in a lush viney forest filled with berries and wet earth. It was rich and delicious. Even though I don't know exactly where this wine came from, nor where exactly this wine took me, it was a lovely place to be.