Bokisch Vineyards offers Taste of Spain in new educational series
LODI — Liz and Markus Bokisch want to share their passion for the Spanish grape varieties they have grown and the delicious wines they have crafted from them.
In February, the visionary principals behind Bokisch Vineyards will offer their first Virtual Taste of Spain Educational Series, an opportunity for curious wine enthusiasts to learn more about Spanish wine grape varieties grown in California.
Liz, Markus and their engaging winemaker Elyse Perry will host the two-part, hour-long virtual series from the winery located on Atkins Road in Lodi’s Clements Hills micro-American Viticultural Area. The series will feature four limited quantity, award-winning wines:
Week 1 will focus on the coastal Spanish varieties Albariño and Monastrell, also known as Mourvedre. Week 2 will focus on the mountainous Spanish varieties Garnacha blanca and Tempranillo.
Markus Bokisch, whose family on his mother’s side hails from the Catalan region, will provide an indepth explanation of the variety’s history, the vineyard practices employed in California’s soil, and the vintage and winemaking techniques, plus more.
“This series is perfect for all wine lovers and connoisseurs who want to grow in their appreciation of Spanis varieties and Bokisch wines,” Liz Bokisch said.
For $125, the Virtual Taste of Spain Educational Series includes:
Exclusive access to the two-week virtual educational series. One bottle of Bokisch Vineyards 2019 Garnacha Blanca, 2019 Terra Alta Albariño, 2017 Tempranillo Liberty Oaks, and 2018 Monastrell Sheldon Hills. In-depth wine and vineyard fact sheets for each wine. A Bokisch corkscrew.
For reservations, visit www.bokischvineyards.com or call 209-642-8880. Wines will be available for pickup and shipping. The series will start at 6 p.m. on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24.
In 1999, Markus Bokisch chose Lodi for its Mediterranean climate to see his vision to build a Spanish winery come to fruition. He planted wine grape cuttings imported from Spain and he and Liz started their own winery more than 20 years ago in the Clements Hills micro-American Viticultural Area.
The couple and their team have been driven to craft exceptional expressions of Spanish varieties that Markus has farmed using organic and sustainable practices.
Liz and Markus lived and worked in the Spanish wine business in the early 1990s due to Markus’ family roots. When they returned home, they purchased a Lodi vineyard property in 1995 and produced their first wine in 2000.
Bokisch Vineyards produces nine Iberian varietal wines: Albariño, Rosado, Garnacha Blanca, Verdejo, Garnacha, Verdelho, Tempranillo, Graciano and Monastrell.
In 2014, they produced their first vintage of Gran Reserva of Tempranillo which was barrel-aged for three years and bottle-aged for another three years before it was released in 2020.
In 2015, they introduced a new label, Tizona by Bokisch, which now carries limited-production wines in unique styles such as Petit Verdot, Malbec, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Late Harvest Graciano. This week, Bokisch Vineyards will release under the Tizona label their first Picpoul Blanc, a French white grape grown in the Rhone Valley and Languedoc regions. In English, “picpoul” translates to “lip stinger” for its high acidity and zippy citrus flavors.
In 2018, they introduced Bokisch Family Estate to highlight the Las Cerezas Vineyard, their mother block of their Spanish varietal collection: Albariño, Tempranillo and Graciano. Bokisch Vineyards wines are all Certified Green under the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing, the California leader in sustainable viticulture certification. For more information: www.bokischvineyards.com/trade.
Bokisch Vineyards winery is located at 18921 Atkins Rd. in Lodi. The tasting room is open for curbside pickup from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday. For information, contact Kristine DeBock at
or 209-6428880.
“This series is perfect for all wine lovers and connoisseurs who want to grow in their appreciation of Spanis varieties and Bokisch wines.”
LIZ BOKISCH, BOKISCH VINEYARDS