New Lodi winery focuses on white wine

In a region dominated by red wine, Acquiesce Winery and Vineyards is a welcome addition to the Lodi tasting room scene.  Acquiesce Winery is the first Lodi winery to offer nothing but white wines.  They do have a rose on their tasting menu, but rose wine is in a class by iteself, and often treated like a white wine.  They just opened on Friday, January sixth, on Trethaway Road, just a couple of miles east of zinfandel dominant Macchia.

Acquiesce Winery is located at 22353 North Trethaway Road, just off Peltier Road.  From Highway 99, take the Peltier Road exit and drive eastbound.  Keep driving.  Pass Macchia on your left, and keep driving.  Just when you feel like you've missed Trethaway Road, there it is.  Turn right, and another quick right into the parking lot, a chalk-lined rocky patch right outside the brightly colored converted barn, surrounded by vineyards.

The double doors with the ornate iron work welcome you into a colorful, spacious tasting room, with a beautiful wood tasting bar right in the middle, comfortable seating on the right, and open retail space on the left.  Sue Tipton, owner and grower, is behind the bar, greeting you with a smile and a welcoming attitude.  The initial offering is small - three wines - with a five dollar tasting fee that will gladly be refunded with a bottle purchase.

The white wines are made in an Old World French style, vibrant and fruit-focused.  Don't come here expecting to find chardonnay.  Acquiesce yourself to something different...a grenache blanc, the Belle Blanc blend, and a dry rose made with a blend of zinfandel and grenache.  Nothing is aged in oak.  None of it is sweet, though a dessert wine may be made available later.  All of it is well-made and made in small lots (sixty cases or less of each).  Each taste is paired with a small plate of suggested food pairings, which may change seasonally.

Besides the wines, take in the artwork of Mardie Dalzell Driftmeier hanging on the walls and peruse the jewelry selection from serendipitybynatalie from Natalie Hansen.  Last, but by no means least, take a look at the big chalkboard hanging to the right of the tasting bar.  Based on a project from artist Candy Chang that began in New Orleans, is the "Before I Die" chalkboard.  It will make you ponder how to fill in the blank, "Before I die, I want to _______________."  Go ahead.  Pick up a piece of chalk and fill in the blank however you want to.  Sue will take take a picture of it when it's full, wipe the slate clean and start the pondering all over again.

Though the initial offering is a small selection and the winery is slightly off the beaten path, Acquiesce Winery should be a stop on your wine tasting journey.  Even if white wines are not what you usually go for, it's still worth the drive to explore what just might become a white wine you like!  Be bold! Be brave! Before you die...!