(Wines&Vines) - A small vineyard started in 1994 by the Koth family at their Mokelumne Glen property in Lodi as an experiment with German varieties is now a sought-after source of grapes for the boutique production of rare, premium wines—not only by Lodi winemakers, but also by several innovative North Coast producers.

Mokelumne Glen vineyard manager Brett Koth organized a producers’ day wine showcase at the vineyard in early June, attended by seven of the eight producers who source grapes from the vineyard. Winemakers and winery owners brought their wines to share and compare, and exchanged information about their respective winemaking practices and styles. 

Developing the German field collection

Located near Victor, Calif., in the Mokelumne River American Viticultural Area (a sub-AVA of Lodi), the 26-acre Mokelumne Glen property has been in the Koth family since 1962. Retired teachers Bob and Mary Lou Koth previously produced Chardonnay and Zinfandel from the property. Their daughter, Ann-Marie Koth, a German language teacher at Lodi High School, introduced them to German wines in 1990, during a visit to Germany, where she was studying at the time.

Bob’s interest in German wines led to development of a 1-acre “German Collection“ trial block starting in 1994; it now has 45 different varieties in production. Larger production blocks of the most promising varieties were planted and managed by son Brett Koth, and 8 acres are devoted to German varieties. White varieties that proved successful for commercial production and winemaking are: Kerner, a cross of Riesling and Trollinger; Bacchus, a cross between a Riesling/Sylvaner hybrid and Muller-Thurgau; Rieslaner; Schonberger; Weisser Burgunder (Pinot Blanc), and the more common Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The main commercial red varieties are Lemberger (also called Blaufrankisch), Zweigelt (a cross of Blaufrankisch with St. Laurent), Dornfelder and Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir).

Lodi may be perceived as a warm climate for such varieties compared with Germany and Austria, but unlike those locations, Lodi’s climate ripens these grapes each vintage and provides more stylistic choices to harvest at different ripeness levels. Mokelumne Glen, near the banks of the Mokelumne River, offers cooler conditions compared with much of the Lodi appellation.