First Sip of 2009

The most awkward time to taste new wines is when they are still fermenting. They just don’t know what they want to be yet.

In Lodi wineries, white wines have mostly finished the first round of cold-fermentation of sugars by yeast, and bacteria is now making wines bubble as acids are softened.

Reds, fermented at warmer temperatures, are about in the same stage of development.

What you get when trying a fermenting wine is a strong appreciation for the entire winemaking process, particularly the effect of oak barrels and aging. The wine goes from disjointed and “grapey” to balanced and “respectable” over the next several months.

That’s what makes this weekend’s 3rd Annual First Sip, being held at over 40 Lodi wineries, so much fun.

Tickets good for Saturday and Sunday are $45 at the door of any participating winery, but if you purchase them before Friday night at www.firstsiplodi.com, you’ll save $10 per ticket. Better yet, if you are a wine club member, call the winery and see if you can get tickets for $25 each.

By the way, those kind designated drivers get to listen to live music, take tours, and munch the appetizers and small plates most wineries will be offering for free.