Red Blend, 2018. Trivia

Herman Walker established his farm in Lodi back in 1936. His goal was to use sustainable practices long before it was fashionable to do so. He instilled that sense of responsibility to the next four generations who today farm more than 500 acres and make wines under 20 different labels. Trivia is one of those labels, but it is not trivial. If you glance towards the back of the bottle, it becomes clear that the name quite literally means trivia-guessing the blend in the bottle! A fun little challenge you're granted once the bottle is finished. You are then able to use a blue light near the bottom to see if you are wine wise and guessed correctly. It is an intriguing idea to have an interactive label on a bottle of wine.

Other than the literal meaning, one can also take the name in the irony it implies. Too many wineries consider what they do as too important. The Walker family looks at farming in a much simpler, almost trivial manner. There are things you do to make great wine and it is quite simple, and they prefer it that way. Lodi is an incredibly unique area located between the Sierra Nevada foothills and the San Francisco Bay. Warm days and cool marine influences at night create a uniquely Mediterranean climate. It is perfectly suited for cultivating California's varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and especially Zinfandel. While all these grapes thrive here, Zinfandel is a singular phenomenon. Vines as much as 120 years old yield small amounts of grapes to create the ultimate expression of the soil in which they are grown in.

The blend here is, of course, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, and it shows itself proudly. From the dense, opaque color to the bramble and strawberries in the aroma, to the rich extraction on the palate, it screams at every turn. A slow roasted pork leg or charred top sirloin would do nicely.

The complete blend breakdown is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and Teroldego

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