08/28/2026
PICPOUL BLANC | FERNOW RANCH VINEYARD
Pick-pool.
If the name is unfamiliar, the grape probably is too and that’s part of what makes growing Picpoul Blanc in Lodi so interesting.
Picpoul is an ancient white grape from southern France, most famously associated with the Mediterranean coast. Its name roughly translates to “lip stinger,” a fitting description for a grape known for holding onto an almost electric amount of natural acidity.
Think lemon, green apple, citrus blossom, subtle herbs and a distinctly saline, mineral edge. Light on its feet, incredibly refreshing and made for the table.
But what interests us most is what happens when Picpoul is grown here.
Lodi is warm. That isn’t something we need to hide from when talking about white wine, we just need varieties that understand how to live in it.
Mediterranean grapes like Picpoul have spent centuries adapting to warm, dry growing conditions. Even as the fruit ripens, Picpoul has a remarkable ability to retain acidity. In Lodi, that can mean a little more generosity of fruit while still keeping the freshness and tension that define the variety.
Our Picpoul comes from Fernow Ranch Vineyard on Lodi’s east side, near the Mokelumne River corridor. It’s a fascinating vineyard planted to an equally fascinating collection of Mediterranean varieties, including Picpoul Blanc, Fiano, Clairette Blanche, Vermentino, Mourvèdre and Nero d’Avola.
The site’s gravel-to-sandy-loam soils, warm days and cooling airflow create a compelling home for varieties like these.
And perhaps that’s the bigger story.
Lodi will always have an extraordinary history with Zinfandel, but its future doesn’t have to be defined by a handful of familiar grapes. More than 100 varieties are planted throughout the region, and grapes like Picpoul give us an opportunity to look at Lodi through a different lens.
Not as a warm region trying to imitate somewhere cooler.
But as a Mediterranean climate discovering which grapes truly belong here.
Picpoul Blanc might just be one of them.
