Lodi, California is a town just south of Sacramento with a unique farming community. It is the home to many crops, including cherries, almonds, olives, and pears, but the largest planted crop by acres is wine grapes. The Lodi AVA accounts for nearly twenty-percent of California wine grapes. Everywhere you look there are stunning vineyards. Even the local police cars have a bunch of grapes on their doors! In 1991, farmers came together to form an organization - still going strong today - called the Lodi Winegrape Commission. The Lodi Winegrape Commission was created by putting all egos aside to improve farming for everyone in the community. Their motto is JFK’s famous quote: “The rising tide lifts all the boats.” Incredibly, Lodi farmers vote every five years on a self-imposed grape tax which funds their Commission, whose mission is to promote the region and provide education and research. In 1992, the Commission launched a grassroots farmer education program aiming to reduce the amount of pesticides used by learning about the entire vineyard ecosystem (called integrated pest management). They wanted to farm more responsibly to ensure that farming could carry on for future generations. This grassroots educational program later turned into the formal LODI
Summer/Fall 2020
RULES sustainable certification program in 2005 after more than a decade of input from farmers, viticulturists, and leading environmentalists. The “RULES” are a set of over 120 farming standard practices which help farmers manage their vineyards sustainably. They are divided into six categories: ecosystem management, water management, soil management, pest management, business management, and human resources. Today, there are over 1,000 vineyards certified under the LODI RULES program all over California and in Israel. In fact, two new seals were created for wineries outside of Lodi to use on their wine bottles. All three seals - LODI RULES, CALIFORNIA RULES, and a universal rules seal - carry the same rigorous meaning of verified, scientifically sound sustainable farming which emphasizes environmentally and socially responsible practices, while keeping economic feasibility in mind for long-term business success. If you want to learn more about LODI RULES or how you can purchase wine or grapes that adhere to the LODI RULES certified green seal, visit www.lodirules. org which was the primary resource for this article. You can also order wine from a number of our own Knights of the Vine member wineries that practice LODI RULES including Harney Lane Winery, Klinker Brick Winery, Mettler Family Vineyards, Oak Farm Vineyards, and The Lucas Winery.
By Ken Levy
17
Lodi
LODI RULES is America’s original Sustainable Winegrowing Program, and is the culmination of decades of viticulture research and input from scientists, farmers and environmentalists. When you drink a glass of wine made from LODI RULES certified grapes, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and an entire agricultural community that embraces their responsibility to care for the environment and the people.
