Winegrapes

Updated December 12, 2023. Next update will be in late winter 2024. Scroll down for harvest logistics information and vineyard sources.

On October 11, 2023, we completed our final pick of the season and no longer have any grapes available. We have sold out of 2023 juice, and are in the usual process of getting all our 2023 lots through fermentation and stabilized. We will be making some lots available as bulk next year.

For the past 10 years, we have managed the vineyards, hand-picked, whole-cluster-packed, or crushed and packed, these special winegrapes and arranged shipment to many other wineries located in North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, California and elsewhere. The winegrapes are first chilled and packed with dry ice to preserve quality for long-haul shipping.

We whole-cluster press most whites and ship them as juice in 275-gallon totes.

If you’re interested in a future 2024 winegrape or juice lot, please let us know through the inquiry form below, give us a call on our main line 209-437-3859, or call Markus on his cell phone if you have the number.

We look forward to working with you!

Markus Niggli, Winemaker
Jon Bjork, Compliance

P.S. We also sell bulk and shiners. Click here: MarkusWine.com/Bulk

WINEGRAPE INQUIRY FORM







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    Map of the City of Lodi and surrounding area showing the seven main vineyard sources for Markus Wine Co.

    HARVEST LOGISTICS INFORMATION

    VINEYARDS

    Bechthold Vineyard Cinsaut – 1886, Chardonnay – 1996
    Berghold Vineyards Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon/Carignane/Grenache/Merlot/Mourvèdre/Petite Sirah/Sangiovese/Syrah/Viognier/Zinfandel – planted late 1986
    Steve Borra’s Church Block Alicante Bouschet/Carignane/Petite Sirah – 1938
    Mokelumne Glen Vineyards Bacchus – 2006, Kerner – 2004
    Nicolini Ranch Carignane – 1936
    Spenker Ranch Chardonnay – 1996, Petit Verdot – 2005, Petite Sirah – 1998

    PRICING

    Contact us for per-ton pricing.

    Per-ton pricing includes cost of grapes and hand-picking. We offer crushing of all grapes at additional charge. Because Syrah and Zinfandel are usually harvested in late August through September, we highly recommend they be crushed before shipping due to the early-season heat. Due to extra required local transportation, fruit from Church Block, Nicolini Ranch, and Spenker Ranch are only offered as crushed before shipping.

    COOLING & TRUCKING

    Due to high energy costs, we charge a cooling fee of $25/bin to prepare all grapes for refrigerated container shipping. This fee also allows us to accumulate full grape bins in a cooling facility and/or our own cooling units in order to fill trucks for full loads as now required by some long-haul shipping companies. This also allows us to minimize shipping charges.

    PAYMENTS & INVOICING

    We pre-pay for all shipping containers and materials. We also pay for all shipping charges within 7 days of shipment, then add them to your invoice. As a courtesy to help us with this high cash flow, we ask that payment for fruit and shipping be mailed to us or sent electronically shortly after bins arrive to your winery.

    Grapes sourced from Berghold Vineyards will be invoiced directly from Berghold, and all other shipping, services and materials to ship those grapes will be invoiced separately from Markus Wine Co.

    Bin almost full of blue-ish grape clusters with a white plastic tube in the center of the grapes and a worker with orange gloves leaning over to pull a pile of the grapes into a section that is not as full.
    Hand picking 2023 Berghold Vineyards Shiraz directly into a lined cardboard shipping bin. The white tube allows dry ice to be inserted into the core of the full bin.