I am a self-proclaimed Spanish Wine Snob. I just really LOVE Spanish wine. My wine cellar is almost exclusively (literally, 99%) Spanish; when I enjoy a dinner out I order Spanish wine from the international list. My friends ask me, “With all the great wine in the world (I live in California where some allegedly great wines are produced) why limit yourself to just one country?” My response to them? “With all the great wines in Spain why should I look anywhere else?” Does a happy-medium lie somewhere between Spain and California? Probably. Will that change my overall outlook on continuing to explore what a wine powerhouse like Spain has to offer? Probably not.
I recently did something that I thought I would never do – I joined a California wine club. Once my curiosity got the best of me, I decided to spend some time researching Spanish varietals that are grown in the U.S. My search took me first to Bokisch Vineyards, a small winery in Lodi, California (Northern CA). It was also my last stop. Markus and Liz Bokisch produce eight wines and ALL are from Spanish varietals. My search was over. So, I decided to take a huge leap of faith and join their wine club, Salut! in an attempt to see how they “matched up” with similar varietals in Spain. I was in luck as they were just getting ready to release their Spring 2010 line-up (two Albariños, a Garnacha Blanca, and a Grenache-based Rosado). Now a little about Bokisch…
“Markus Bokisch has a love for Spanish wines because of his family heritage. His mother is from Spain and his father was from Germany… Although Markus was raised in California, he and his brother spent every childhood summer in Spain with their relatives. In the Spanish tradition they were given wine with water at meals. As they grew older each year the wine & water started turning from a light pink to a deep purple as they reached adulthood. Little did Markus know, his taste buds from then on were programmed towards Spanish wines… After spending several years at Joseph Phelps Vineyards specializing in Rhone Varieties, he and his wife, Liz, moved to Spain where he worked in the Spanish wine industry. Upon their return, they purchased their property in the Lodi area and planted their first vineyard.”
I received my shipment and instantly placed all four wines in the refrigerator in anticipation of my “taste test.” My first wine was the 2009 Clement Hills Albariño (from their Terra Alta vineyard). By the wa
y, I was making paella that night in honor of opening this wine! I have to admit that I am always just a bit of a skeptic and that night was no different. I was in for a treat. I LOVED this wine! Of all the wines in the Spring shipment I have to say that this was my favorite. It was characteristically Spanish and I was now a believer (that you can grown Spanish varietals in California, not that I’m giving up Spanish wine). My second wine (the 2009 Mokelumne River Albariño from the Las Cerazas vineyard) was also very good. Later that week I opened the 2009 Garnacha Blanca. This was my second favorite wine. Over the past few months I have been slowly falling in love with Garnacha Blanca (from Spain) and has just finished one prior to opening this one. It was not as acidic, but it was excellent. Finally, I tried the 2009 Rosado (Grenache-based). Also, a very good wine. (Incidentally, they make four red wines which I have in the cellar and will be trying soon – stay tuned for “Part II”!) If you want these wines I recommend you contact them NOW to place an order as there are limited quantities (but well-worth seeking out).
The wines of Bokisch Vineyards have made a deep impression on me. Is it because I can actually enjoy a wine from California secretly feeling like I’m actually drinking something from Spain? Maybe. Is it because Markus and Liz bring Spain “home” to California for those countless individuals who drink nothing other than the cookie-cutter and mostly-overpriced wines from California? Quite Likely. Whatever the reason, I have to admit that I truly enjoyed my first (and not my last) romp through Spain in California; but don’t get me wrong, I will be a Spanish Wine Snob until my dying sip.
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