Wine Along The 101
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    • 2022 Articles >
      • The Wines of Abruzzo Undergo a Renaissance of Quality
      • Ketcham Estate, Exceptional Wines From The Heart of the Russian River Valley
      • La Rioja Alta, S.A., Innovation and Tradition That Stands the Test of Time
      • Vega Sicilia Celebrates 40 Years of Winemaking Excellence
      • Planeta of Sicily Embraces the Past While Reaching For the Future
      • The Spirit of Renaissance is Alive and Well in “South of Somewhere”
      • Gambero Rosso Returns to LA, With the Best of Italian Wines
      • Falanghina and Aglianico del Taburno, Sannio's Ancient Wine Stars
      • Tablas Creek Vineyard Embraces Regenerative Organic Farming
    • 2021 Articles >
      • Make Merry With Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Wines
      • Discover These Enchanting Italian Wines, From the Fog of Piedmont to the Island Breezes of Sardinia
      • Rodney Strong Vineyards and Winery, Revitalizing an Iconic Brand
      • Thanksgiving Tips for the Best Wine and Food Pairing
      • Escape to Paso Robles, a Wine Country Oasis
      • Escape to Paso Robles, a Wonderland of Wine
      • Smith-Madrone Wines, a Napa Valley Pioneer Celebrates Fifty Years of Excellence
      • Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Land of Pinot Noir
      • Irvine & Roberts Vineyards, Exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Southern Oregon
      • BARRA of Mendocino Wines, an Original Organic Wine Play
      • The Opulent and Thrilling Wines of Denner Vineyards
      • L’Ecole No. 41, Expressive Wines That Pass the Test of Time With Flying Colors
      • France's Loire Valley, a Fairytale Land of Storybook Castles and Magical Wines
      • Craft Wine, Shining the Spotlight on America’s Small Wine Producers
    • 2020 Articles >
      • Margerum Wine Company, the Nexus of Sublime Santa Barbara County Wines
      • Catena Zapata, Malbec on High
      • Long Meadow Ranch, the Circle of Life in a Glass of Wine
      • Fontanafredda Barolo Forges a New Future
      • Bordeaux Wine 2017, Surprises in a Challenging Vintage
    • 2019 Articles >
      • The Rising Wine Country of Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley
      • Discover Ashland and the Rogue Valley, Southern Oregon's Serenade to the Good Life
      • Napa Valley Grille, New Fall Menu Paired with European Wines
      • Embrace Your Wine Geek with PRIE Winery & Vineyards
      • Castello di Albola, Chianti Classico on High
      • Nicolas-Jay Wines, the Journey of a Lifetime
      • The Expanding Complexity of New Zealand Wine
      • Prosecco DOC, Splendor in the Glass
      • On the Oregon Wine Trail
      • Albariño and Rioja Star in Spain’s Great Match
      • Exciting and Eclectic, the Wines of Alentejo
      • Blaufränkisch Propels the Red Wines of Austria Into the Spotlight
      • Fascinating Greek Wines of the Cava Spiliadis Collection
      • Revolution In Rioja Wine
    • 2018 Articles >
      • Temecula Valley Celebrates 50 Years of Winemaking
      • The Stellar Wines of Sardinia
      • Italian Wines Prescribed by Doctor Wine
      • The Alluring Wines of Tunisia
      • Gambero Rosso’s Top Italian Wines for 2018
      • Velenosi Wines, From Le Marche to the World
      • Sauvignon Blanc, a Rising Star in Napa Valley
      • Frank Family Vineyards Celebrates 25 Years
      • Markus Wine Co., Sleek New Red Wines Up the Ante for Lodi Reds
      • Lodi Wine, Over 100 Varieties Strong
      • Ramona Valley Wine Country, an Up and Coming Wine Region
      • Hertelendy Vineyards, the Pursuit of Excellence
      • Napa Valley Wine, Nirvana in a Bottle
      • Wine Stroll: Explore Downtown Paso Robles Wineries
      • The Beautiful Shades of Lodi Rosé Wines
      • Doubling Down on Gold Medal Wines: The San Francisco International Wine Competition
      • The Exotic Wines of Lebanon
      • Australian Wines, Rediscover the New Frontier
      • New Zealand Wines, Expanding beyond Sauvignon Blanc
      • Visit France in 2018, a Feast of Food, Wine, Culture and History
      • Bordeaux Wine 2015, A Very Good Year
      • Portugal's Treasure Chest of Wines
      • Livermore Valley, California’s Original Wine Country Reborn
      • Concannon and Wente Vineyards, California’s Pioneers of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
      • Livermore Valley Wine Country, the Future Looks Bright
    • 2017 Articles >
      • Viña Ardanza Rioja Turns 75, an Enchanting Wine Gets Even Better
      • The VIP Sparkle of Prosecco Superiore
      • Lodi Wine Country, Seriously Good Wine From A to Z
      • Lodi Wine Country, Old Vines and Great Wines
      • Lodi Wine Country, Winegrowers and Winemakers Focused on the Future
      • Lugana White Wine, Better With Age
      • Santa Barbara Winemakers Road Trip to LA
      • Sweetzer Cellars, a Life Changing Journey of Wine
      • Lugana and Valpolicella, the Yin and Yang of the Veneto
      • Three R’s of Summer Wine, Rosé, Riesling, and Ramato
      • Familia Martínez Bujanda, Wines Without Borders
      • Codorníu Cava, the Ars and Anna Collection
      • New and Exciting Wines from the 2017 Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend Celebration
      • Sensual Delights on Display at Savor Italy Los Angeles
      • Pizza and Franco Pepe, Italy’s Best Comes to LA
      • Montes Wines, Wisdom in Wine From Father to Son
      • Passionate Pinot Noir Lovers Unite at the 2017 World of Pinot
      • Vignalta, Wines of the Highest Order
      • Santa Lucia Highlands Sensational Wines
      • Gambero Rosso’s Top Italian Wines for 2017
      • Law Estate Wines: Quality by Design
      • Taittinger and Calvisius: Champagne and Caviar Dreams
      • Riding High on American Rhone Wines, The Rhone Rangers LA Tasting
      • Discover Monterey Wine Country, wine and so much more
      • Wines of Portugal, the Perfect Dinner Companion
      • Gruet's Enchanting Sparkling Wines
    • 2016 Articles >
      • The Art of Italian Living, SoCal Style
      • Wines of Alsace: Perfect for the Holidays
      • Oso Libre Winery; Vines, Wines, and Angus Beef
      • Best Wines for Thanksgiving
      • Simply Italian Great Wines US Tour Sweeps Through Los Angeles
      • Santa Barbara Winemakers Road Trip: Chardonnay
      • Santa Barbara Winemakers Road Trip: Pinot Noir
      • Santa Barbara Winemakers Road Trip: Rhône Varietals
      • Santa Barbara Winemakers Road Trip: Bordeaux Varietals
      • Achaval-Ferrer, Exceptional Wines from Argentina
      • Celebration of Harvest Grand Tasting 2016 Highlights
      • The Celebrity Sparkle of Ferrari Trento Wines
      • Santa Barbara Wine Country’s Celebration of Harvest 2016
      • The Garagiste Festival, Off the Beaten Path Wines
      • Explore SLO Wine Country, Central California’s Hidden Gem
      • Byron Winery, The Grand Pinot Noir Experiment
      • Crocker & Starr Wines, Organically Elegant
      • Escape to Santa Maria Wine Country
      • The Elegant White Wines of Domäne Wachau
      • Champagne Palmer: The New Champagne on the Block
      • Holman Ranch & Vineyards: Making Memories & Wine at Romantic California Hideaway
      • Luminous Wines of France's Loire Valley
    • Examiner.com Articles >
      • Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards: Wines Without Compromise
      • All Stars of Pinot Noir Rock the 2016 World of Pinot
      • Ampelos Wines' Biodynamic Brilliance
      • Artisan Uprising: Blood Into Wine
      • Bodegas Beronia Rioja: The Magic of Oak
      • Crawford Family Wines: Unlocking Varietal Flavor
      • Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards' Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs Shine Bright
      • Hahn Family Wines: Santa Lucia Highlands' Sweet Spot
      • Kimmel Vineyards: Good Wine Flows from Challenging Times
      • Larner Vineyard: Sweet Spot for Syrah and Grenache
      • LOCA for Lodi Wine
      • Lompoc Wine Ghetto
      • Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Delicious Wines That Tell a Tale
      • The Diverse and Divine Wines of Santa Barbara County
      • Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail
      • The Stellar Wines of California's Sta. Rita Hills
      • Skinner Vineyards, Destiny and Determination
      • Wines of Portugal, The Art of the Blend
  • Wine Reviews
    • Lucky Rock Wine Co. 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, in Can and Bottle
    • Coen Malbec Reserve 2019, a New World Wine with Old World Sensibilities
    • Sangre de Toro Rosé, A Light and Bright Summer Thirst Quencher
    • Summer and Sauvignon Blanc, Lucky Rock Wine Co. Style
    • Lucky Rock Wine Co. County Cuvée Pinot Noir 2019
    • Monte Velho, Fascinating Wines and Value-Priced
    • Grassl Glasses Add Depth to Wine Enjoyment
    • Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rosé Brut Makes Everyday a Holiday
    • Festive Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wines For All Occasions
    • Bodegas CARO, the Best of Both Worlds
    • Kosher Wines For the Jewish High Holidays Are Highly Recommended Anytime of Year
    • Oak Farm Vineyards, a Rainbow of Delicious Lodi Wines
    • Lucky Rock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc 2019
    • Ron Rubin Wines, The Dream Series
    • Lucky Rock Wine Co. County Cuvée Pinot Noir 2018
    • Lucky Rock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc 2018
    • Crus Bourgeois Bordeaux, Expressive Wines at Everyday Prices
    • Légende Collection of Bordeaux Wines
    • Five Contemporary California Wines To Try
    • Alternative Sparkling Wines For a Celebration
    • A Toast to Prosecco Superiore
    • Celebrate with this Pair of Spanish Red Wines
    • A Quartet of Summer Red Wines
    • Spanish Albariño, a Wine For All Seasons
    • Ciù Ciù Wines, Quality That Shines Through
    • A Trio of Red Wines for Holiday Merrymaking
    • Terre de la Custodia Montefalco Rosso 2012
    • The Sultry Arnaldo Caprai Collepiano Montefalco Sagrantino
    • Pop the Cork on Charles Heidsieck Champagne and Bisol Prosecco
    • Garnacha Wines from DOP Cariñena, Beautiful Bang for the Buck
    • A Pair of Greek Wines for a Spring Feast
    • A Dynamic Duo of Sassy Spanish White Wines
    • Anderra Carménere
    • Artesa Chardonnay/Pinot Noir
    • Avignonesi Grandi Annate
    • Château Saint-Maur Rosé
    • La Miranda de Secastilla, Old Vine Garnacha Gems
    • Intriguing Israeli Wines
    • Leviathan
    • Domaines Paul Mas Wines Trio
    • Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, intensely refreshing and delicious
    • Perticaia Trebbiano Spoletino
    • Stay Cool With These Two Charming White Wines
  • Events
    • Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival 2019
    • World of Pinot Noir 2019, A Magical Mystery Tour
    • Journey to Planet Pinot at the 2018 World of Pinot Noir
    • Great Wines of Italy Comes to LA
    • Wine Along the Beach at Garagiste Wine Festival 2017
    • Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend Celebration 2017
    • Orbit the World of Pinot Noir at the 2017 World of Pinot
    • Rhone Rangers Los Angeles 2016
  • Wine Travel
  • Videos
    • Celebration of Harvest
    • Feliz Noche Wines
    • Terravant Custom Crush
    • Que Syrah, Shiraz!
    • Paso Robles Wine Festival
    • L'Aventure Syrah Harvest
    • Clos Pepe's Prince of Pinot
  • Photos
  • Who We Are
    • About Patricia Decker
    • About Fabian Rodriguez
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Dornfelder, Mencia, and Picpoul Blanc are not the usual wines produced by a California winery.  PRIE Winery & Vineyards expresses their wine geek through their boutique wines, made from unique varietals, with single vineyard and small production bottlings.  Taking pride in what Mother Nature gives each year, PRIE doesn’t have a style, rather they make what is found in the winegrapes that year.  That leads to the wines often having a different expression from year to year, since PRIE doesn’t manipulate the grapes to achieve a consistent flavor profile.
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John Gash at the "Lodi in Los Angeles: Lodi Wines Rule" event Feb 2018
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Courtesy of PRIE Winery & Vineyards
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Courtesy of PRIE Winery & Vineyards
PRIE Winery & Vineyards is a dream incarnate, a passion project of John and Lisa Gash.  The couple, living and working in Livermore Valley, became enamored with wine.  Lisa started making wine for friends and family in 2005, a hobby that took on a life of its own.  As praise started rolling in, John took notice, and the couple developed into self-taught home winemakers.  In 2010, they turned more serious, buying fruit from Lodi’s Soucie Vineyard, and jumping into commercial production.  By this time, they were all in, purchasing the Cliff Mettler house and vineyard in Lodi in 2012, building a winery the following year. and opening a tasting room in 2015.
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(L-R) Forest, Lisa, Paige, and John Gash/Courtesy of PRIE Winery
Today their operation has grown, producing eighteen different wines, the majority of which are red.  Their current selection includes three whites, one Carignane rosé, ten reds, and one late harvest Zinfandel, that meets PRIE’s goal of producing wines that best express the grape and the region.  It’s a family winery, the word “Prie”, Old Middle English for the number 3, encapsulates three generations working together.  John and Lisa work alongside their two children, Forest and Paige, and Lisa’s father, Gordy, who also pitches in for a salary of cookies.
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Phil Silver in Lodi September 2017
PRIE Winery & Vineyards was featured at an LA Wine Writers lunch this past February.  Phil Silver, PRIE’s marketing and distribution representative, poured five of their wines, paired with Napa Valley Grille’s excellent food.  As Silver pointed out, “There is no Prie style, that’s one of the goals we have, there is a surprise in every bottle you uncork.  Our wines are very vintage driven, you won’t taste the same thing year after year.  That’s the difference between the winemaker manipulating the wine into what they want it to be, versus what the wine actually tastes like.”
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First course
The 2017 PRIE Grenache Clair PRIE Vineyard Lodi (SRP $23) is fascinating in that it is not a Grenache Blanc, but the actual red varietal Grenache that is processed as a white wine.  The fruit pulp is almost colorless, so the secret to making a white wine from red grapes is to destem and crush the fruit, then immediately press it, draining the juice off the skins right away, not allowing the juice to rest on the skins, where it could absorb color.  What this technique actually accomplishes is the mouthfeel, texture and subtle structure of a red wine swirling inside the body of a white wine.  A perfumed nose of pear, melon, and white flowers (honeysuckle and jasmine) opens up to a dry, higher acid wine, with flavors of stone fruit, dried herbs, and mineral notes, making for a refreshing wine.  Chef Kenny Spost crafted a home run pairing, a B & B Salad made of butter lettuce, fresh berries, Nueske bacon, and buttermilk dressing,  This wine would also work well with sushi and shellfish.
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Second Course
The 2017 PRIE Vermentino Delu Vineyard Lodi (SRP $21) is fragrant, a medium bodied, mineral wine with citrus peel and floral (violet and lavender) aromas.  Lighter in alcohol, it’s refreshing with lemony citrus, pear and dried herb flavors, a perfect pair for seafood pastas and vegetables such as asparagus, peas, fennel, fava beans, and artichokes.  Our dish was a Linguini Vongole, made with littleneck clams, tossed with white wine, red chili flakes, and chopped parsley, perfect with the Vermentino.
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Third Course
The 2017 PRIE Mencia Silvaspoons Vineyard Lodi (SRP $33) is the first vintage of the first California harvest for this grape.  A Spanish varietal, it has a meaty, fruity nose with herbal accents, a juicy, savory wine, well-balanced and exhibiting black tea and currant flavors, very delicious!
The 2016 PRIE Incorrigible PRIE/Phelps Vineyards Lodi (SRP $29), an unusual blend of Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel, brings out the best of both varietals.  Definitely considered a “wine geek” wine, the estate Cabernet Franc portion presents green pepper, anise, cassis, and spice notes within the Zinfandel blackberry, herbal and white pepper character, as well as a smoky, briary personality.  Served with Braised Pork Tacos, with a ginger cilantro sauce, queso fresco, and pickled red onion, it would also pair well with roast chicken, pork chops, sausages and lamb.
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Fourth Course
The 2016 PRIE Old Vine Zinfandel Soucie Vineyard Lodi (SRP $35) is smooth and robust, with blackberry and blueberry fruit, briary and smoky with herbal and spice notes, an elegant, well-balanced wine, made from the fruit of 100-year-old vines.  Paired with Lamb Two Ways, a braised lamb shoulder and rack, with baby kale, San Andreas goat cheese and a mint-pomegranate reduction, it was perfect, but could also work with BBQ and pulled pork.
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PRIE wines are elegant and balanced, alive and vibrant in the glass, great on their own or even better with food.  So affordably-priced, every bottle testifies to the incredible terroir that the Lodi region encompasses.  PRIE colors outside the lines, crafting amazing wines that are vintage-driven, and which truly embrace the wine geek inside of us all.