Although I’ve tried many of the Fields Family Wines, I was hard pressed to choose just one wine to showcase. Their wines are all pretty darn amazing. Nevertheless, I did love their Tempranillo 2010 and 2011.
Fields Family Wines Tempranillo
I met the Fields Family Wines vintners through a mutual friend from Sip California. She had called asking if I would offer them a hand at their members event. It was a beautiful Saturday, and I thought why not. I had a great time and then set up a time I could do an interview and photo shoot of the winery as well as talk about their amazing wines.
Two friends, Russ Fields and Ryan Sherman started Fields Family Wines. Russ Fields, lawyer by day – winemaker by night, initially started his winery in his garage. He quickly outgrew that space. To his wife’s relief, Russ started looking to buy a vineyard to provide him the space he needed to explore his passion. Russ’s search for the perfect location brought him to Ryan Sherman, real-estate developer by day and budding winemaker. The two became fast friends. It took a few years, but they finally found what they were looking for in 2005, and the two entered into a partnership and started Fields Family Wines.
When talking to them, they both laughed about the early years, some of their first attempts and how they had to throw out a good bit of what they had created. It was pretty awful wine in their estimation. Then through a little luck and a lot of hard work they won an Amateur Wine Making Award with their 2007 Zinfandel. The game was on with their first commercial wine release in 2008. Since that time, they have never looked back and continue to gain much recognition and numerous awards for their amazing wines.
Fields Family Wine uses sustainable growing practices in their grape production. What this means in layman’s terms is they are completely at the mercy of Mother Nature.
Russ Fields – “To be a sustainable practitioner, I had to learn to relax and let the vines do what they’re meant to do, to grow.”
That said some growing years are obviously going to be better than others.
They only produce their wine varietals in small lots with a strong commitment to producing the highest quality wine possible.
Ryan Sherman – “We are all about from the vine to the barrel to the bottle. Generally speaking the wine spends 2 years in barrels then 2 years in bottles before it’s release to the public.”
Fields Family Wines and Tasting Rooms are located in the Lodi Wine Region just south of Sacramento California. The Lodi Wine region’s claim to fame in the winemaking world is its classic Mediterranean climate and its deep, fertile sandy loam soils, the perfect environment for the production of world-class wines. Cooling Delta breezes that flow through the area in the evenings moderates the high daytime temperatures. This creates an ideal growing condition for many varieties of grapes. Because of this, the area provides a great opportunity to craft this award winning Fields Family Wines Tempranillo.
This is what the winemakers have to say about their Fields Family Wines Tempranillo:
“Tempranillo is the heart and soul of Spain. Who knows, Lodi, California could be next. This is a gorgeous well round wine with dark fruit and silky tannins. You can hold on to this wine for years or even a decade. But then again, why not enjoy it now.”
You can find this wine on their website. For those of you who order a bottle or three, mention this code, FOWN-FFW, and they will give you a 10% discount off of your purchase. If you happen by one of their two wine tasting rooms, mention this post and the same code for a free complimentary wine tasting.
I so enjoyed meeting the two vintners and tasting and learning more about their amazing wine. If you’re in the Lodi Region, you must make a point to stop by one of their two wine tasting rooms and enjoy their offerings. You will not be disappointed.
Time for a glass…
If you enjoyed reading this, check out Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc, Yorba Wines Zinfandel and Cycles Gladiator Pinot Grigio 2011.