In a region famous for Zinfandel, Acquiesce Winery has made a name for itself by specializing in rare white varietals you’ve probably never heard of – but will never forget. 

Acquiesce (v.):  to surrender, submit or comply quietly. 

Acquiesce is a boutique winery in Lodi specializing in Rhone-style white and rosé wines. The name is a fitting nod to owner Sue Tipton’s winemaking philosophy and the story of how she became a winemaker in the first place. Long before Sue and Rodney Tipton even dreamed of founding a winery, they knew they wanted to settle down on a tranquil piece of land eventually. In fact, they even had the name of their future property picked out: Acquiesce.

Sue recalls, “We were sitting having a glass of wine, and KD Lang was on the stereo. The song was Acquiesce; it’s a song about surrendering to a higher power or surrendering to a person. Rodney turned to me and said, ‘We’re gonna have a place one day and call it acquiesce.’ And I said, ‘Really? What’s it gonna be like?’ And he said, ‘ I’m not sure, but we’re gonna see the sunrise and the sunset, and we’re gonna have a lot of land and we’re gonna really enjoy it there.”

Surrendering to her winemaking destiny

Sue and Rodney’s vision came to life in the early 2000s, when they found the perfect piece of land-  sprawling, peaceful acreage in Acampo, just outside of Lodi. As you might have guessed, they christened their new home, “Acquiesce.” The property included a vineyard (Zinfandel, of course), and Sue began to dabble in winemaking.

About five years later, one incredible glass of wine transformed Sue’s new interest into a full-fledged passion. “I fell in love with a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. I was already almost 50 years old, and I had been a white wine drinker my whole life – but this was an amazing, beautiful white wine I’d never tried before. My first instinct was to go back to the store where I bought this wine and say, I’d like two cases, please. It’s amazing. And that’s when I realized, this is rare – which is why I hadn’t tried it. So, we decided to plant a half acre of Grenache Blanc, just to give it a try. And we were thrilled with the results and continued to plant more varietals.”

Surrendering to the grapes

Acquiesce is known for its white (and more recently, rosé) Rhône-style varietals, including Picpoul Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc, Viognier and Roussanne. These unique varietals have developed quite the cult following and are sold exclusively in the tasting room or online and are served at select local restaurants. 

So what exactly makes Acquiesce wines so special? “We have really unique varietals here; they’re super rare.” Many of Sue’s vines are direct descendants of the same Châteauneuf-du-Pape grapes that she first fell in love with almost 20 years ago. She sourced cuttings from Tablas Creek, a Paso winery who planted Châteauneuf-du-Pape clones back in 1993. Sue explains that because the grapes themselves are so special, a low-intervention approach ensures the most unmarred expression. Here, grapes are hand-picked and sorted, ensuring that only the best of the best make their way into a bottle of Acquiesce wines. Sue smiles, “We acquiesce to the grapes here at Acquiesce. We try to have minimal contact with them and bring what’s in the vineyard into your wine glass.” 

Surrendering to Mother Earth

Lodi wineries are famous for their commitment to sustainability, and Acquiesce is no exception. 

Crop selection is an important part of sustainable agriculture. When growers plant crops (or varieties) that are well suited to their environment, they require less inputs to thrive. In a stroke of luck, the Rhône varietals that Sue fell in love with are an ideal match for Lodi’s temperate Mediterranean climate and sandy soils. Sue elaborates, “We’ve done studies on temperature and it’s about the same temperature year-round here as it is in the south of France. We also have beautiful granite, sandy Tokay loam soils. It’s actually perfect for the grapes we’ve planted.”

Beyond choosing the right type of grapes, certified sustainable winegrape growers and wineries must adhere to a strict set of rules designed to protect and preserve the land, natural resources, and the people involved. Acquiesce Winery is certified by Lodi Rules, one of California’s original sustainable certification programs.

Sue explains, “At Acquiesce, we follow the Lodi Rules. It’s 120 different standards that you have to meet each year. You are focused on your water usage in the vineyard and your crop and soil. So, we plant a cover crop to help maintain the soil and give it the nutrients it needs and encourage beneficial insects. We apply approved inputs when needed and make sure that the pesticides don’t harm humans or the animal life in the vineyard. Also, it’s about the farm workers and making sure that they’re treated responsibly. So, it’s a many-pronged approach, and in order to get a certification each year, you have to follow all of these different rules.”

Surrendering to diversity

Sue champions many programs that encourage inclusivity and diversity in the wine industry. When Sue first moved to Lodi, she was embraced by a welcoming community. When she decided to pursue winemaking, she was encouraged by other local families that had been there for generations. Now, she’s doing her part to return the favor. She and Rodney work closely with the Roots Fund and Rodney also helped found the Lodi Appellation Inclusion Collective (LAIC). The two organizations aim to increase diversity in the Lodi wine region through mentorship programs and scholarships. Sue comments, “Lodi is an inclusive place. We want to share what we know to help them build their careers in the industry.”

Surrendering to the wines

There’s no arguing that Lodi is known for its red wines. Connoisseurs flock to the region to taste old-vine Zinfandel and the world’s oldest Cinsault. So, when Sue decided on an all-white line-up with nary a Zinfandel in sight, she got a little side-eye from more established Lodi winemakers. There were plenty of folks that thought it would be a tough sell. Sue laughs, “A few, well-meaning people early on said to me, ‘You know, you are probably not gonna make it without a red in your lineup.’ And I said, ‘Well, if I don’t sell the wine, I’ll just drink it.” Sue never doubted herself, and turns out, her instincts were right. Acquiesce was an instant and enduring success. “The first year we sold out – and then every year since then,” she says with a mischievous smile. 

If you’re intrigued, head to Acampo and visit Acquiesce Winery. It might seem like an overstatement to call a glass of wine life-changing, but Sue will testify that one amazing glass of wine really can change your life. 

Visit the tasting room

Acquiesce Winery

22353 N. Thretheway Road

Acampo, CA 95220

209-333-6102

Thursday -Sunday from 11am-5pm. 

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Article by Hilary Rance. Photography by Alycia Moreno and James Collier.