Due of Markus’s familial ancestry, Liz and Markus Bokisch love Spain. As the proportion of wine to water matched his age, Markus spent many a summer as a child watching his water glass turn from a light shade of pink to eventually a dark red. Markus got his start in the wine business at Joseph Phelps Vineyards as their viticulturist from 1989 to 1992 after receiving his degree from UC Davis. Shortly after getting married, the newlyweds were lured to move to Catalonia by the allure of Spain, where they found inspiration for cultivating and making Spanish varietal wines in California.
In 1995, not long after they had returned to the Napa Valley, they bought their first plot of vineyard land in Lodi’s Clements Hills. Lodi: why? While working at Joseph Phelps, Markus had gotten to know Lodi while investigating old vine Rhone varieties like Carignane, Mourvedre, and Grenache.
They relocated to Lodi in 1998, and in 1999 they planted their first block of Albarino, Tempranillo, and Graciano Spanish Varietals. They kept experimenting with new Iberian grape varieties, and now they also have Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Tinta, and Monastrell in their wine lineup. Their winery produces 2,000 cases in total. They have established a novel wine club called “Salut!” that specializes on eating Spanish cuisine matched with Spanish wines. In addition to managing 1,000 acres of wine grapes that are 100% Certified Green under the Lodi Rules Program for Sustainable Winegrowing, Markus and Liz are committed to sustainable farming.