Early morning harvest morning in Lodi’s historic Church Block Vineyard.
At the break of dawn this past Monday, September 23, Markus Wine Co. owner/grower/winemaker Markus Niggli and his veteran crew of field hands picked the landmark Church Block Vineyard.
Church Block is located just south of the City of Lodi, and is just a postage stamp-sized block (1.5 acres) located just east of the old Borra Vineyards winery and estate, which shuttered in 2019, the year before the death of owner/grower and founder Steve Borra.
The late, great, legendary Steve Borra.
These are, for the Lodi AVA, extremely historical places and faces. Borra was the very first of the modern day, independent wineries established in Lodi, bonded in 1975. Mr. Borra will be long remembered as a breaker of barriers; his wines, all the way to the end, always among the most innovative in the appellation.
The Historic Vineyard Society certified Church Block Vineyard, flanked by old olive trees and owl boxes, during the 2024 harvest morning.
Hence, after Niggli registered Church Block in the rolls of California’s Historic Vineyard Society, he had the HVS sign planted alongside the vineyard on Armstrong Rd. marked with the words, “In honor of Steve Borra Sr.”. The vineyard is also among the global listing of historic growths established this past year by the UK-based Old Vine Registry.
The vineyard is still owned by the late Mr. Borra’s daughter, Gina Granlees, and is cultivated year-round by Niggli, literally by own hands.
