LODI WINE / “A RISING TIDE” / FILM SERIES > Eight-part grower-based series reflecting the region’s strong sense of community and the emphasis placed on shared values of unity, sustainability, heritage, innovation, and leadership. > Client: Lodi Winegrape Comission, Agency: Rindal & Co., Creative Direction: Eric Rindal, Writer: Dave O’Hare, Gaffers: Tony George and Jackson Patrick, Remote Sound Engineer: Jon Gerdemann, Voiceover Talent: Paul Kandarian, Director, DP, Editor, Music Composition & Performance: Mitch Tobias

Episode 1, My Father, the Mother of Invention > This episode features Bruce and Jerry Fry (Mohr-Fry Ranches): If there’s a consistency to be found among Lodi growers, it’s that knowledge and a love for the land gets passed down from one generation to the next. It’s the way work gets done, harvest after harvest. It’s how an old Model A duster still stands (and runs) on the Mohr-Fry ranch, serving as a powerful reminder that a farmer is, among many things, resourceful.

Episode 2, El Homenaje (The Honoring) > This episode features Gerardo Espinosa, Victor Anaya, and Gerardo Anaya (Anaya Vineyards): Heritage is everything to winemaker Gerardo Espinosa. His story begins with his grandfather who – in the 1940s – came to Lodi from Mexico as part of the Bracero program. Today, Gerardo works alongside his family, including his two uncles – wine growers Victor and Gerardo – to create a sense of heritage in every bottle.

Episode 3, Eastside / Westside > This episode features Larry Mettler, Kim Mettler-Eells, and Jason Eells (Mettler Family Vineyards), and John Shinn and Bill Shinn (Shinn & Son Vineyard Management): Between the eastside Mettlers and the westside Shinns, there’s a generational family thing happening here and it starts with a land deed signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. How important is it to keep tradition alive and the love of farming all in the family?

Episode 4, Made on the Vine > This episode features Tom Hoffman (Heritage Oak Winery): Good wine isn’t made, it’s grown; at least to Tom Hoffman’s way of thinking – a way learned from Lodi-born Robert Mondavi who spurred premiumization in the region. Ever since Tom made the leap from teacher to grower and winemaker, he’s focused first on farming, knowing full well that the quality in the vineyard will translate to quality in the bottle – each one hand-corked and served with pride.

Epsisode 5: Hello, Plan B > This episode features Ben Kolber and Madelyn Kolber (KG Vineyard Management): Ben Kolber was going to be a musician. But like a lot of plans, life has a way of changing them. As life would have it, Ben found Madelyn. Together with business partner Kris Gutierrez, Ben and Madelyn found themselves setting the tempo for a successful farm management company. Today, KG Vineyard Management helps farmers, friends, and family harvest after harvest, proving that sometimes Plan B is the dream come true after all.

Episode 6, Family is Forever > This episode features John Ledbetter, Kim Ledbetter-Bronson, and Craig Ledbetter (Vino Farms): Will Rogers once said, “A farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” Throw in a layer of pragmatism and you’ve got the Ledbetters. It’s taken some soul-searching and succession planning but now that multiple generations of Ledbetters are committed to the success of the family business, it’s full steam ahead into the future of farming with solar, autonomous tractors, and more. Welcome to next-gen farming.

Episode 7, The Gnarly Brothers > This episode features Jeff and John Perlegos (Perlegos Family Wine Co.): As boys growing up, Jeff and John Perlegos were inseparable; they fought, laughed, played hoops, and dreamed about their futures. They also dreamed about leaving Lodi and farming and not returning. So, it came as a bit of a surprise when both brothers decided to return to Lodi to farm. Together. What they discovered was a shared love of old vines and a passion to preserve history.

Episode 8, Everything Old is New Again > This episode features Jeremy Trettevik (Jeremy Wine Co.): In the middle of an old vine vineyard sits a modern winery. For grower and winemaker Jeremy Trettevik, ushering in a new generation of wine drinkers takes a keen understanding of their taste preferences, as well as their social habits. The irony is he’s accomplishing both using vines planted over a century ago to serve up modern wines and an innovative experience.