Oak Farm Vineyards, Lodi, California
Oak Farm Vineyards is a family owned and operated estate winery located in Lodi California.
The property was originally home to William DeVries and his wife Cornelia Crowe, which William acquired in 1860. At the time, the area was called “Elkhorn Township”. DeVries was a wheat farmer, raised cattle, and even became Justice of the Peace. The beautiful colonial style home was built by William in 1876. The property has been largely renovated with great attention to its’ heritage. The ranch was known throughout the San Joaquin Valley as one of the most magnificent and beautiful pieces of property within the state. DeVries was an enthusiastic lover of trees, particularly of oaks, and on the home ranch, he never allowed a tree to be cut unless it was a menace. Today, many of the property’s enormous oaks still stand, along with the DeVries family burial plot.
The Panella family arrived in the region in 1936, and began an agricultural journey that ultimately culminated with the purchase of Oak Farm in 2004. As a third generation California Farmer, Dan reveled in undertaking the task of replanting the property’s 60 acres of vineyards in 2012 to fulfill the vast potential of Lodi. Dan leads a talented team to build a diverse portfolio of wines made from estate fruit, made up of 14 different grape varieties as well as selectively sourced grapes.
Oak Farm Vineyards – Chardonnay
Tasting Notes This Chardonnay presents aromas of red apple, pear, vanilla and hint of oak. It's a medium-full body wine with a soft and lingering finish.
Vineyards Notes The grapes sourced for this wine come from Elk Vineyard. This vineyard is certified sustainable following the Lodi Rules and it’s located a few miles northeast of Oak Farm Property. It has a vertical shoot position trellis system and minimal leaves were pulled to allow air throughout the vineyard and vines, but does not sunburn the berries. This vineyard is warm during the day to help develop and ripen the berries, but cools down at night which helps maintain balance and preserve acidity.
Winemaker Notes This Chardonnay was harvested early in the morning from Elk Vineyards in the Mokelumne River Sub AVA. The grapes were quickly whole-cluster pressed upon arrival to the winery. 48 hours later the juice was racked into a stainless-steel tank where the fermentation started. Towards the end of the fermentation, part of the wine was transferred into oak barrels for aging (to get more structure and complexity) , while the rest remained in tank (to maintain freshness and liveliness). With only 18% new oak and full malolactic fermentation, the wine was then blended and bottled after 10 months of aging.
Acid 5.4 g/L
pH 3.43
Aging French Oak (25% new) for 10 months
Residual Sugar 0.34%
Alcohol % 14.5
Oak Farm Vineyards – Fiano
Awards 94 Pts, Double Gold - 2024 Orange County Fair Wine Competition
93 Pts, Gold - 2024 Winemaker Challenge International Wine Comp
92 Pts - Wine Enthusiast (October 2024 issue)
91 Pts, Gold - 2024 Critic’s Challenge International Wine Competition
91 Pts - 2024 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition
Tasting Notes Our estate grown Fiano is bright yet delicate and balanced. On the nose it presents notes of white flowers and white peaches, while in the mounth it’s citrucy with a creamy mouthfeel and aromas of vanilla and smooth oak in the end.
Vineyard Notes Our Fiano grapes are Estate Grown. This varietal is particularly special to the owners (the Panella Family) because it originated in Avellino, Italy. Fiano seems to be a fantastic fit here on the Northwest side of our estate. The vines are trained on VSP (vertical shoot position) trellis system. Some leaf removal took place on the north side of the rows to help with air flow. A large amount of cropped was thinned (dropped on the ground) to help maintain a balance and increase flavor to the remaining fruit.
Winemaker Notes Grapes were hand-picked in the morning and gently whole cluster pressed to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank. Next, the juice was racked and split into two tanks. One was fermented naturally (native yeast) the other was inoculated with cultured yeast. After a long cool fermentation, the wine was transferred to neutral oak barrels for a 5 month aging period on light lees with no stirring.
Varietal: Fiano
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Fermentation: Both native and Inoculated
Aging: Neutral oak barrels
TA: 6.8 g/L
pH: 3.22
Alcohol: 14.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.14%
Cases Produced: 578
Oak Farm Vineyards – Sauvignon Blanc
Awards 92 Pts, Best Buy - Wine Enthusiast (June/July 2024 issue) - Featured on Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Best Buys of 2024
93 Pts - 2024 California State Fair Wine Competition
93 Pts, Gold - 2024 International Women’s Wine Competition
91 Pts - 2024 New York International Wine Competition
Tasting Notes Aromas of stone fruit such as peach and apricot and tropical notes of pineapple and passion fruit. It is dry and bright in the mouth with a finish that lingers.
Vineyard Notes 46% Oak Farm Estate Vineyard, 54% Mohr-Fry Vineyard. This Sauvignon Blanc grapes comes from two vineyards in the Lodi Appellation (Mokelumne River AVA). They are both Lodi Rules Certified and the soil is sandy loam. The first vineyard is farmed by Bruce Fry and it’s part of Mohr-Fry Ranches, Block 706. The vines are oriented east to west and the training system is a non-positioned GDC (Geneva Double Curtain) trellis. The second vineyard instead is part of the Oak Farm Estate Property. It’s located on the northeastern side and it’s the only one oriented at an angle, to provide as much evenly balanced sunlight as possible. The trellis system is VSP (Vertical Shoot Position).
Winemaker Notes These grapes were harvested on the same day, pressed and combined together after the settling process. The juice was fermented cold for 18 days until dry, then racked off fermentation lees. The wine was then aged in a stainless steel tank and held cold until the early bottling in December to maintain freshness and liveliness.
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Vineyard Sites: 46% Oak Farm Estate Vineyard, 54% Mohr-Fry Vineyard
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: Stainless Steel
TA: 5.8 g/L
pH:3.4
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.13%
Cases Produced: 6,515
Oak Farm Vineyards – Albarino
Awards Best of Show, Gold - 2024 New Orleans Wine and Food Experience Competition
95 Pts, Gold - 2024 California State Fair Wine Competition
Tasting Notes This vintage of Albariño is rich and fruity. It presents aromas of citrus fruits, peach and pineapple that lead to a bright and long finish.
Vineyard Notes The grapes that went into our 2023 vintage came from our estate grown vineyard, off to the northeast side of our tasting room and it’s located in the Mokelumne River Sub AVA. The grapes are sustainably farmed, certified green under Lodi Rules. Trained on VSP trellis system, leaves were pulled and fruit was thinned to maintain quality.
Winemaker Notes Grapes were hand-picked in the morning and after being brought into the winery, they were gently whole cluster pressed to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank. Later, the juice was racked and fermented cold in a stainless steel tank. After a long cool fermentation, the wine was aged on light lees in stainless steel drums. Prior to bottling it was gently racked and filtered, then held cold until an early bottling in February to maintain freshness and liveliness.
Varietal: Albariño
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: Stainless Steel
TA: 6.7 g/L
pH: 3.24
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.05%
Cases Produced: 1,165
Oak Farm Vineyards – Barbera
Tasting Notes Oak Farm Barbera is a complex and balanced wine. It presents notes of vanilla, anise, dark fruits, leather and spices. 19 months barrel aging help with the structure and the mouthfeel, which make this wine dry and rich in flavor, but not heavy.
Vineyard Notes Grapes were sourced from estate vineyards to make this wine. The vineyards are certified green and are sustainably farmed. Cultural practices in the vineyards are consistent in that they are all shoot thinned, crop thinned, leaves pulled on the north side of the vine and are trained on a vertical shoot position trellis system. The Barbera in this bottle comes from our estate vineyard located to the northwest of our tasting room and production facility in the Mokelumne river sub AVA of Lodi. In addition to Barbera, we include a small amount of Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, Merlot also from our estate, which adds color and structure.
Winemaker Notes Grapes were hand-picked in the morning and gently sorted and transferred to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank for cold soak. Fermentation was managed with regular pump overs approximately 3 times per day. Aged in French, American, and Caucus (23% new) oak barrels for approximately 20 months. As mentioned above, a small percentage of Petite Sirah was blended in for color and structure.
Varietal: 78% Barbera, 12% Sangiovese, 6% Petite Sirah, 4% Merlot
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: Oak Barrels (23% new, French, American, Caucus)
TA: 6.3 g/L
pH: 3.54
Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: 0.43%
Cases Produced: 671
Oak Farm Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon
Awards Best of Show - 2024 Texas International Wine Competition
91 Pts - Wine Enthusiast (July 2024 issue)
Tasting Notes Intense on the nose and deep and dark in color, this Cabernet Sauvignon presents aromas of dark chocolate, black tea, black cherry and tobacco. It is dry, with a full body and a long and textured finish.
Vineyard Notes This Cabernet Sauvignon is made with grapes coming from 2 different Lodi AVA Vineyards. Oak Farm Estate Vineyards and the Shinn Vineyard. Both are trellised and the soil is primarily sandy loam. The blending varieties also come from Oak Farm Estate Vineyard. All of the grapes are sustainably farmed and certified green under the Lodi Rules certification.
Winemaker Notes The grapes were hand harvested at night, brought to the winery and destemmed to tank early in the morning. After a 24-hour cold soak, the must was inoculated and fermented for 10 days with daily pump-overs. The wine was then racked into French and American oak barrels (38% new) for about 10 months, then blended and aged in barrels for another 4 months before being bottled. Composition: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot, 4% Sangiovese, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: French & American Oak Barrels (38% new)
TA: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.76
Alcohol: 15%
Residual Sugar: 0.13 %
Cases Produced: 2,978
Oak Farm Vineyards – Rose Grenache
Tasting Notes Presents notes of bright cherry and bubblegum on the nose. Aromas of strawberry, grapefruit and watermelon are found in the mouth, leading to a vibrant and mouthwatering finish.
Vineyard Notes A single vineyard of Grenache Noir was utilized to create this Rosé. The Lott Vineyard has vines planted in 2019 and the vines are spaced out 8ft by 7ft. The vineyard is orientated from east to west. Trellis system is a VSP (vertical shoot position) . The entire vineyard is sustainably farmed and certified green under Lodi Rules.
Winemaker Notes Grapes were picked early in the morning and brought into the winery and were immediately pressed. The juice had a cold soak and then was inoculated and had a cold and long fermentation. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was racked and held cold until an early bottling in January to maintain freshness and liveliness.
Varietal: Grenache Noir
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: Stainless Steel
TA: 5.5 g/L
pH:3.36
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.17 %
Cases Produced: 468
Oak Farm Vineyards – The Corset 2022
Tasting Notes Bright, juicy and balanced, the Corset blend presents aromas of black berry cobbler and plum. There’s also a hint of spices and other dark ripe berries. This wine is medium in tannin and in body, with a silky and smooth finish.
Vineyard Notes Primarily the grapes are sourced from the Davis Rd vineyard grown by the Panella Family. It is certified sustainable vineyard under Lodi rules located in the Mokelumne river sub AVA. These vines are oriented east to west in flat sandy loam soil. This vineyard is trellised in a VSP (Vertial Shoot Position) trellis system. Pruning and shoot thinning were done to keep cluster counts in balance, leaves were pulled on the north side of the vine. The vines are relatively young and vigorous, so there’s a lot of work done to keep the crop load down. Also, because of it’s orientation next to the Mokelumne River, there had to be a large agricultural fence put up to keep the local deer population away from destroying the vines.
Winemaker Notes Grapes were hand-picked and then delivered to Oak Farm Vineyards.. Upon receiving the grapes, they were hand sorted at the winery and then de-stemmed to tank where they received a cold soak. The must was inoculated and fermentation was done in tank with regular timed pump overs. This wine was aged in 26% New French oak and the rest was aged in neutral oak for approximately 10 months.
Varietal: 47% Grenache Noir, 26% Malbec, 22% Syrah, 5% Zinfandel
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: Oak Barrels, 26% New French (for 10 months)
TA: 5.4 g/L
pH: 3.71 Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: 0.46%
Cases Produced: 1,139
Oak Farm Vineyards – Genevieve Meritage 2019
Tasting Notes This Bordeaux style red blend is an elegant and full-bodied wine, with aromas of black tea, black currant and cherry cola. Dark fruits flavors lead to a savory, dry and long finish.
Branding Note This wine was named “Genevieve” in honor of Co-Owner Dorothy Panella’s French mother, her name was Genevieve. A French style wine named after a wonderful French born woman.
Vineyard Notes All the varietals that make up this blend are grown on our estate which is located in the Mokelumne River Sub AVA of the Lodi Appellation. The vineyard is sustainable farmed and certified green under Lodi Rules. All of varietals in this blend were planted in 2014 using a vertical shoot position trellis system. The soil is a well drained, sandy loam. The crop load was thinned prior to veraison and leaves were pull on the north side of the vine to promote healthy clusters.
Winemaker Notes Grapes for all these lots were hand-picked in the morning and gently sorted and transferred to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank for cold soak. Must was inoculated with some carefully selected yeast strains and fermentation was done in tank. Aged 20 months in oak barrels, approximately 54% new French oak.
Varietals: 30% Petit Verdot, 29% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec
Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)
Aging: French Oak Barrels (54% new)
TA: 6.0 g/L
pH: 3.66
Alcohol: 14.7%
Residual Sugar: 0.02%
Cases Produced: 636
Oak Farm Vineyards – Tievoli Cabernet Sauvignon
Awards 92 Pts - Wine Enthusiast (May 2024 issue)
Double Gold - 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Tasting Notes Aromas of black pepper and bell peppers, with vanilla and black cherry notes too. It’s a medium bodied wine with a nice smooth finish.
Vineyard Notes These Cabernet Sauvignon grapes come from the Lodi AVA. Soil type is primary a sandy loam. These vines are sustainable farmed and certified green under the Lodi Rules certification program. The Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot and Merlot were also from the same soil type within the Lodi AVA. They are also certified green/ sustainable under Lodi Rules.
Winemaker Notes These grapes were hand-picked in the morning and then gently hand sorted and de-stemmed. They were then transferred to individual temperature controlled stainless steel tank for 2 days of cold soak. The must was inoculated with yeast and fermentation was done in tank with regularly timed pump overs. The lots were then combined and aged for 14 months in approximately 14% new French Oak.
Varietal: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petite Sirah, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Lodi
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: 14 months with 14% French Oak
TA: 6.3 g/L
pH: 3.68
Alcohol: 14.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.45%
Cases Produced: 9,600
Oak Farm Vineyards – Tievoli Red Blend
Tasting Notes Oak Farm Vineyards signature Tievoli Red Blend presents aromas of dark ripe fruits and bright red fruits, along with notes of vanilla and black tea. It is rich in flavors with a medium-full body and a balanced and persistent finish.
Vineyard Notes This unique blend contains different grape varietals, all grown in Lodi. Zinfandel is the backbone of this blend, followed by Barbera, Sangiovese and more bleding varieties. The Zinfandel comes from two different vineyards, Hohenrieder and Lobaugh Vineyard, both Lodi Rules and Lodi Appellation. These Zinfandels bring the fruitiness to this wine with aromas of blackberry jam and fresh strawberries. The Barbera is from our Estate Property and is on a vertical shoot position trellis system. The Barbera is a key variety to this wine because it adds the acidity backbone. It helps brighten the wine and smooths it out. The Sangiovese (from our Estate Property too) helps the balance of the blend with its acidity, fruitiness and dryness. Lastly, all the other blending varieties, such as Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, improve the color and give some structure on the back of the palate.
Winemaker Notes All of these varieties were hand picked and destemmed into different tanks. They were inoculated separately to ferment. Upon completion of primary and secondary fermentation, the varieties were combined and aged in 25% new French and American Oak for 17 months before being bottled.
Varietal: 54% Zinfandel, 18% Barbera, 14% Sangiovese, 14% Blending Reds (4% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 3% Grenache Noir, 3% Petite Sirah
Appellation: Lodi
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: French & American Oak
TA: 6.6 g/L
pH: 3.62
Alcohol: 15%
Residual Sugar: 0.26%
Oak Farm Vineyards – Il Padrone 2019 (500 ml)
About the name...
This dessert wine (made in a ruby port style), is named after Bob Panella Sr's iconic 1951 Ford Anglia drag racing car.
For those that don't know, Il Padrone means 'the boss' in Italian. The car was a dominating force in it's division in the late 60's and early 70's. Driven by Ken Dondero, Il Padrone won Bakersfield Division 7 champion two years in a row, won the Winternationals once, was runner-up once, and won the Spring Nationals in Dallas.
For more info on the car, check out this article in Motor Trend.
Tasting Notes
This fortified dessert Zinfandel (Ruby Port Style Wine) is a powerful wine, with notes of toasted bread and graham crackers. There are notes of mixed berries intertwined with chocolate, caramel and honey aromas. It’s a full body wine, sweet and bold, that ends with a long and persistent finish.
Vineyards Notes
The grapes that went into this wine came from the Vista Cecila vineyard in Amador County and were farmed by Josh Lyman. The vines are head trained and the soil is ‘Sierra loam’. Elevation is approximately 1,430 ft. Soil is red, clay, loamy and slightly rocky. Warm days and cool nights are typical of this region during the growing season.
Winemaker Notes
Grapes were brought into the winery from our estate vineyard. They were then put on the vibratory sorting table where undesirable grapes, stems, and leaves were discarded. Grapes were then transferred to ferment and have a short cold soak before yeast was added to start fermentation. Part way through fermentation, high proof grape spirits were added to the fermenting juice to “arrest” or stop the fermentation. In doing this, we end up with a sweeter, dessert style wine with a 19.5% alcohol content. The wine was subsequently transferred to neutral oak barrels (no new oak was used) were it rested for until it was time to bottle it in July of 2022.
Varietal Zinfandel
Appellation Sierra Foothills
Acid 6.6 g/L
pH 3.68
Aging Neutral Oak Barrels
Residual Sugar 13.8%
Alcohol % 19.5
Oak Farm Vineyards – Tievoli Zinfandel
Tasting Notes Dark in color and intense on the nose, this Zinfandel presents aromas of red fruits such as raspberries, spices and mint. It is a rich wine, with a full body and a smooth finish.
Vineyard Notes This Zinfandel comes from two different vineyards. The first one, Hohenrieder Vineyard, is located east of Highway 99 and it belongs to the Jahant sub AVA. It was planted in 1964 and has sandy loam soils. This vineyard is responsible for the eucalyptus and fruity characteristics in this wine. The second one, Mohr-Fry Vineyard, was planted in 1944, it is head trained and situated in the Mokelumne River sub AVA. It is responsible for the earthy notes in this Zinfandel. The Petite Sirah and Primitivo come from the Oak Farm Estate Vineyard. These varieties help to increase the color, mouthfeel and structure of the Zinfandel.
Winemaker Notes All of these grapes were hand picked in the morning and then gently hand sorted and de-stemmed. They were then transferred to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank to cold soak for 2 days. The must was then inoculated and fermentation was done in tank with regular timed pump overs. The wine was then pressed and blended into oak barrels where it received 14 months of aging. It was aged in 20% new French and American Oak and the remaining barrels were neutral oak.
Varietal: 93% Zinfandel (6% of which is Primitivo), 7% Petite Sirah
Appellation: Lodi
Fermentation: Inoculated
Aging: 16 months with 20% new American and French Oak
TA: 6.2 g/L
pH: 3.75
Alcohol: 15%
Residual Sugar: 0.67%
Cases Produced: 2,268
Oak Farm Vineyards – Falanghina
Tasting Notes
First vintage of this Italian variety at Oak Farm. Very bright, lively and fresh, this Falanghina present aromas of white peach, dry apricot and citrusy notes.
Vineyards Notes
These grapes were sourced from Lost Slough Vineyards in Courtland, CA, which lies within the Clarksburg Appellation, approximately 2.2 miles northeast of the town of Walnut Grove. The vines are trellised from east to west and the dirt is a dark brown and is heavy with clay. Very minimal irrigation is needed because of the high water table and it's close proximity to the Snodgrass Slough. Grapes are farmed organic and will be certified as such in 2023.
Winemaker Notes
Grapes were hand-picked in the morning and gently whole cluster pressed to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank. Next, the juice was racked and split into two tanks. One was fermented naturally (native yeast) the other was inoculated with cultured yeast. After a long cool fermentation, the wine was transferred to neutral oak barrels for a 10 month aging period on light lees with no stirring.
Varietal Falanghina
Appellation Clarksburg
Acid 7.3 g/L
pH 3.37
Aging 10 months, all neutral oak
Fermentation 35% natural fermentation/ 65% Inoculated
Residual Sugar 0.04%
Alcohol % 14.0