Randy Caparoso

California, Lodi

Freelance Wine Journalist and Photographer at The SOMM Journal

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Articles

Randy Caparoso Interview

1 week ago | thewww.wine | Randy Caparoso

The Wonderful World of Wine (WWW) Episode 287 Hosts Kim Simone and Mark Lenzi explore all things wine with you! Interview with Randy Caparoso The Wonderful World of Wine (WWW) - Episode Summary: Lodi CA Wine with Randy Caparoso Join hosts Kim and Mark as they welcome the esteemed Randy Caparoso, author of "Lodi! A definitive guide and history of Americas largest wine growing region." Randy, a seasoned wine journalist, photographer, sommelier, editor for the Somm Journal, and social media...
Is the Wine Industry Effectively Communicating with Young Consumers? (OpEd)

2 months ago | wineindustryadvisor.com | Randy Caparosso |Randy Caparoso

In Part 2 of his “Sobering Thoughts at the Start of 2025” thinkpiece, Randy Caparosso examines the generational shift that’s at the heart of wine’s current struggles. Since overall wine consumption began showing a statistical decline in 2022, all eyes have been on the youngest segment of demographic cohorts, identified as Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012.
Sobering Thoughts at the Start of 2025: The Wine Industry’s Generational Struggles are on Display in Lodi (OpEd)

2 months ago | wineindustryadvisor.com | Randy Caparosso |Randy Caparoso

No one is oblivious to the recent decline in wine consumption. But is it cause for outright panic or measured reevaluation? The business of Lodi is grapes. In fact, the region’s climate and soils are so ideal for the cultivation of grapevines, Lodi has become the largest winegrowing region in America. According to most recent USDA reports, the Lodi AVA (i.e., Crush District 11) crushes approximately 20.5% of all winegrapes grown in California.
Why short wine lists make sense

Jul 13, 2024 | randycaparoso.substack.com | Randy Caparoso

Why do restaurateurs feel compelled to put out wine lists of biblical proportions in order to find love and self-respect? Beats me. I’ve spent most of my professional life dedicated to the proposition that a small wine list—defined here as no more than 25 to 150 selections—is not only superior to a big wine list, but also just as appealing where it counts most: Meeting customers’ needs.
Red wine with fish revisited

Jul 10, 2024 | randycaparoso.substack.com | Randy Caparoso

The concept, red wine with fish, is now as firmly entrenched in culinary phraseology as red wine with meat and white wine with fish. Exactly how does this work, and why? To get a handle on this, you need to go back to the basic methodology first explicated in the 1989 book by David Rosengarten and Joshua Wesson called Red Wine with Fish. Rosengarten and Wesson proffered a premise that all wines and foods find their match in two basic ways, in terms of similarities and contrast.
OpEd: Do Not Talk About What Younger Consumers Think About Wine Unless You're Under 30

Jul 2, 2024 | wineindustryadvisor.com | Randy Caparoso

Want to learn about younger wine consumers? Watch and listen. By Randy Caparoso (with Anna Delgado)“When was the last time a wine writer sat down to have a glass with a young person?”Anna DelgadoI recently read that query in a Substack page called Wineshop Punk, which is penned by a 26-year-old named Anna Delgado. She herself is crazy about wine, having taken a job at a Lodi tasting room about two years ago.
The "Golden Rule": Communicating Stories of Old Vines

Apr 8, 2024 | wineindustryadvisor.com | Randy Caparoso |Tamlyn Currin

Old vines are an essence of why great wines have always had an enduring appeal. Currin peppered me with questions in preparation for her on-air introduction. I was presented to the international online audience by Currin as the winner of the Old Vine Hero Award for Communication, alongside five other recipients recognized for their old vine research, viticulture, winemaking, overall impact and commercial impact.
OpEd: They Did It All for the Love of Zin

Feb 8, 2024 | wineindustryadvisor.com | Randy Caparoso

AdvertisementAt 2024 ZAP, it became clear that California Zinfandel has finally grown upWhen ZAP first started back in the early 1990s, Zinfandel was on the ropes. Many of the bigger, higher profile brands were dropping the variety from their line-ups. Cabernet Sauvignon had become California’s most important varietal red. The popularity of Merlot was growing rapidly, and Pinot Noir was being aggressively planted in the cooler climate pockets of the state where it belonged.
OpEd: What Dylan Has to Do with Mondavi, the History of California Wine and Other Mysteries of Life

Jan 31, 2024 | wineindustryadvisor.com | Alexandra Russell |Randy Caparoso

When it comes to wine choice, consumers have always been more sophisticated than industry professionals. I started out on Burgundy but soon hit the harder stuff. Not really. But I always loved that line from Bob Dylan’s song, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.”As it were, after more than 45 years in the wine business, wines made from Pinot Noir, the black-skinned grape of Burgundy in France, remain some of my favorites. Why? Because Pinot Noir usually produces a soft, silky, fragrant, spiced red wine.
Explaining the Victor Book Club

Aug 29, 2023 | wineindustryadvisor.com | Randy Caparoso |Randy Caparosso

A legendary wine tasting experience discusses the merits of “natural wine.”By Randy CaparossoThe Lodi-based Victor Book Club has been around for less than five years (and during the first two years, it wasn’t called anything). It may not last much longer than that because, well, times change, people run out of steam or recalibrate, and all groups go through permutations.