Meza Wine Club: May 2026
Enthusiast White / White
Wine 1: Lioco Albarino
Green melon, lime blossom and Thai basil. White grapefruit, nectarine pit, and notes of sea spray on the palate. Pair with fish tacos, ceviche, Spanakopita!
Our first trip to Lost Slough Vineyard felt like a mission. After a long drive toward Sacramento, we reached District 17, deep in the inner Delta, then crossed four bridges and the Sacramento River by ferry, winding for miles along levee roads into the outer Delta. This vast landscape of historic farms and small towns dates back to the Gold Rush and railroad era. Lost Slough sits on McCormack Tract, established in the 1930s, and—remarkably—lies below sea level, protected by an intricate levee system. The soils are Egbert series: rich, alluvial deposits washed down from the Sierra. Long devoted to pears, cherries, watermelon, garlic, and olives, the ranch welcomed grapes in 2000. The McCormacks planted varieties suited to heat yet capable of retaining acidity—Grüner, Orange Muscat, Verdejo, Loureiro, Falanghina, Cortese, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Albariño. They agreed to farm our section organically. Bay breezes bring dramatic diurnal swings. Farming here demands balance: broad canopies and moderated yields to preserve freshness without dilution. It’s a wild place, unmistakably Californian
Wine 2: Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc
We planted the first 2-acre block of Sauvignon Blanc on our estate’s Limestone soils back in 1999. After selling the grapes to other winemakers for a few years, Stolpman bottled its first Sauvignon Blanc from the 2008 vintage. We fell in love with the wine and have since grafted and own-rooted 8 more acres. We now augment the Estate’s fruit with neighboring vineyards farmed by Ruben Solorzano for low yields.
Healthy winter rain, almost mirroring 2023 precipitation pattern, set us off on a relatively late bud break. The vines naturally set a lighter crop than 2023, and minimal cluster thinning was needed as the vines had already balanced themselves. Summer proved beautifully moderate and weather didn’t warm up until the second week of September. We harvested Sauvignon Blanc over a span of 4 weeks from Ruben’s warmer Happy Canyon sites through Santa Ynez Valley and finally the coolest, windiest sites near Los Alamos.
Lemon preserve spread on toast. Cucumber and freshly cubed mango. The crispness of pressed linen in the sunshine, smooth sheets of texture from the front palate through the finish. Lightly charred cedar plank sprinkled with citrus brings savory nuance and a backbone to the tropical fruit flesh.
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