At Neyers Vineyards, we have studied several vineyards in these regions, and in our search to produce Zinfandel with both lower than normal alcohol levels, and greater complexity, we now actively work with one Zinfandel vineyard in each AVA. The new AVA’s are Borden Ranch, east of Lodi on the way to the Sierra Nevada Range; Clements Hills, to the south, an area that takes in both Bear Creek and the Calaveras River; and the Mokelumne River AVA, west of Clements Hills and almost bisected by the River after which it is named. All three regions fall within the triangle bounded by Stockton to the south, Sacramento to the north, and the Sierra Nevadas to the east. They enjoy a range of soil types, weather that is sufficiently warm to ripen grapes, but mitigated by cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean that slow the ripening process, allowing us to harvest the fruit at ideal sugar and acid balance. We do a long skin contact maceration – normally 45 days or so – fermenting the must with native, wild yeast. After the tanks are drained and pressed, the wine is aged for one year in neutral 60-gallon French oak barrels, then bottled without fining or filtration. The result is Zinfandel of enormous charm, a wine with the flavor of freshly squeezed wild berries, and the additional complexity of a bright mineral earthiness. Few bottles of red wine seem to be as enjoyable, or as compatible with such a wide range of food.