Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/732978
October 2016 WINES&VINES 27 WINEMAKING October 2016 WINES&VINES 27 family comes from the Spanish region of Cata- lonia. As a child, he spent most every summer in his family's Catalonian village, a tradition that continues with Liz Bokisch and their chil- dren. They have cultivated their Spanish roots. Markus Bokisch states, "On the surface we make Spanish varietal wines, but we've taken it a few steps further by creating a social experience around Spain—music, tapas and wine. When you come to a Bokisch wine club event, for an afternoon you are taken away to Spain." The Bokisches are building on their story as the winery grows. They have added authen- tic Spanish cooking classes taught by a Catalo- nian friend. They recently added a tasting room with a Spanish theme. For wine club members, they are now planning a trip to the family's Catalan village. Being different has helped with distributors and on-premise trade. Bokisch finds that offer- ing wines by the glass in restaurants is ideal for hand-selling unusual varietals. The winery added a kegging program to support this. They work closely with their distributor, who has a strong restaurant-focused book and under- stands Spanish varietals. Unexpectedly, the Lodi region itself has become part of the differentiation. Markus Bokisch explains, "Back in 2001, Lodi was not known for any specific varietals, but now it's known for Iberian varietals, which has helped both the winery and the appellation's reputation." Bokisch notes that being different with Iberian varietals can create challenges as well. They are more vulnerable to in crop size variations and frosts. The varieties also have growth constraints, as additional Ibe- rian grapes are not likely to be available. In short, going down this path requires a lot more planning. He offers this advice to small winery own- ers: "Be prepared to be 100% dedicated, be- c a u s e i t ' s a l o t o f w o r k . Pe o p l e w a n t authenticity and history in the founders' story." He noted an authentic story is more important than varieties or the vinification method details. He advises others to "stay focused on your core wines, on what works. Experimenting with new varietals can be a The problem is your mission wasn't focused enough on creating a differentiated business. Bokisch Vineyards set itself apart through its dedication to Spanish grape varieties.