WTN: Lodi Petit Verdot by way of Emeryville

Emeryville is a former industrial suburb, well, let's be honest, "slum" located near the eastern foot of the Bay Bridge. The tiny town was where all the "undesirable" industries camped out, attracted by cheap land and a very willing local government.

Well, since the United States decided to deindustrialize itself a few decades ago, there was plenty of surplus industrial land ready for our newer industries, including big box commerce which could take advantage of populations right next door in Oakland and Berkeley (and the bridge traffic). As a City Planner, Emeryville is a fascinating melange of old industrial buildings housing bohemian businesses and live work, chic new construction, developer-designed infill, and remaining industry. So, I was doing one of my city hikes the other month, and I saw signs for a WINERY.

One of the older industrial buildings houses two wineries: Periscope Cellars and Urbano Cellars. Periscope makes quite bizarre, creative, not necessarily successful blends like Pinot Noire/Zinfandel at 15% abv and the like. Urbano, however, makes a more restrained style of wine. We tried their 2006 Lodi Petit Verdot last night, and I really liked this!

Alcohol: 14% abv and I tasted no heat.
Oak was lightly handled and balanced.
Nose was extremely peppery and more to the red fruit side.
Palate shared this character: White pepper, raspberry, earth. If I had tasted this blind, I might guess a lighter Northern Rhone Syrah, say a St. Joseph. A very bright and lively wine...not what I would "expect" from Lodi grapes. Bravo! 88 points.

There are of course few bottled Petit Verdot wines, so I am not real familiar with what the grape "should" taste like. I think I've had Heitz Cellars and a wine from Mathew Rorick, the winemaker at Elizabeth Spencer. What is the Board's experience with varietal bottlings of Petit Verdot? Or...should it be primarily a blending grape except as a curiosity.

I will only speak for Virginia (and Maryland seems to be following) but out here it is often bottled by itself or as the majority grape. Even when blended in a supporting role it is often more than the <10% often seen in other parts of the world. PV does extremely well out here showing well at both higher and lower sugar ranges while retaining both tannin and acidity. It is relatively thick skinned and often has really small berries. Is used to boost color when blended with other color deficient grapes. Can be very primary even grapey.

Emeryville is a former industrial suburb, well, let's be honest, "slum" located near the eastern foot of the Bay Bridge. The tiny town was where all the "undesirable" industries camped out, attracted by cheap land and a very willing local government.

Well, since the United States decided to deindustrialize itself a few decades ago, there was plenty of surplus industrial land ready for our newer industries, including big box commerce which could take advantage of populations right next door in Oakland and Berkeley (and the bridge traffic). As a City Planner, Emeryville is a fascinating melange of old industrial buildings housing bohemian businesses and live work, chic new construction, developer-designed infill, and remaining industry. So, I was doing one of my city hikes the other month, and I saw signs for a WINERY.

Brian,
You capture the essence of E'ville (as it appears on the license plate of a car in Pixar's "Cars") quite effectively. In the '60s it was home to the corporate HQ of Clorox, Westinghouse and Shell, among others. At that time, E'ville had the highest per capita spending on education in the state and the lowest per capita student performance and its school district was rife with cronyism, corruption and incompetence (my mother taught in that district for over 30 years). And, of course, its most prominent features were the huge auto junkyard visible to the E of I-80 and the driftwood artwork decorating the mudflats to the W of I-80. I've watched the gentrification of E'ville with a mixture of relief and nostalgia, believe it or not.

One of the older industrial buildings houses two wineries: Periscope Cellars and Urbano Cellars. Periscope makes quite bizarre, creative, not necessarily successful blends like Pinot Noire/Zinfandel at 15% abv and the like. Urbano, however, makes a more restrained style of wine. We tried their 2006 Lodi Petit Verdot last night, and I really liked this!

Most interesting. I might have to pay them a visit when I next return to the Bay Area.

Mark Lipton
p.s. I have no idea what a varietal PV should taste like, either.