Markus Bokisch was born in Mainz in 1964 to a Czech and German father and a Catalan mother, and spent his childhood summers in La Rapita. Liz Tahti was born in Roseville, California in 1965. They met at UC Davis in 1983, studying agriculture and languages, and started making wine at home together.
After Markus spent time at Joseph Phelps in Napa, the newlyweds moved to Spain in 1992 in a 1967 VW bus. He worked in the Cava houses of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia while she taught English. They came back wanting to make Spanish wine in California rather than imitate it, bought Terra Alta Vineyard in Lodi’s Clements Hills in 1995, imported Spanish budwood in 1998, and planted an acre each of Albariño, Tempranillo and Graciano at Las Cerezas. The winery was established in 2000 and the first vintage was released in 2001.
They were among the first in the country to make a Gran Reserva style Tempranillo, and among the first anywhere in California to grow the Catalan trio of Xarel·lo, Macabeo and Parellada. Those three are what goes into Lo Xalet, their traditional-method sparkling. The estate vineyards are farmed organically and sustainably under CCOF and Lodi Rules, and the tasting room sits on top of Terra Alta looking out over them.
The story behind the labels
Short films from Bokisch Vineyards's own vineyard footage. When they go live on Vesper this is the same conversation, except you can ask questions and buy the bottle while it is still in their hand.
One cut in January decides the whole harvest
Two buds to a spur, five or six spur positions to an arm, two arms to a vine. That is twelve spurs, twenty-four buds, roughly two clusters a bud, so forty-five to forty-eight clusters. The entire year of that vine is settled in the middle of winter by one person with hand shears, and then it is done again on every vine in the block. The grape is Albariño, which really belongs in Rías Baixas and almost nowhere else.
Wines
A tasting room Bokisch Vineyards can open from the cellar.
Vesper is live video and a checkout in the same window. Independent wineries broadcast from where the wine is actually made, talk through what is in the glass, and sell it direct without you leaving the stream. Most bottles worth knowing about never reach a shelf near you. This is how you meet them, and the people who made them, anyway.
- 1Follow, and get the call
Following Bokisch Vineyards means a notification the moment they switch the camera on. Tastings are announced here, not buried in an email list.
- 2Watch and ask
The winemaker pours what is in front of them and talks through it. Chat is open, so the thing you actually wanted to know gets answered on camera.
- 3Buy direct, mid-pour
The wines being poured are purchasable on the spot. Bokisch Vineyards is the seller of record and ships the order themselves. Vesper only earns a commission when a bottle sells.
Frequently asked
What is Vesper?
Vesper is a live tasting room for independent wineries. Wineries broadcast live video from the cellar or the vineyard, talk through what they are pouring, take questions in chat, and sell those wines direct in the same window. Bokisch Vineyards is the seller of record and ships orders itself. Vesper takes a commission only when a bottle sells.
Where is Bokisch Vineyards located?
Bokisch Vineyards is based in Lodi, CA.
What wines does Bokisch Vineyards make?
Bokisch Vineyards produces Sparkling, Red Blend, Graciano, Bordeaux Blend, Malbec, Merlot, Carignane, Petit Verdot, Albariño, Grenache, Monastrell, Picpoul Blanc, Grenache Blanc, White Blend, Rosé, with vintages spanning 2019–2025.
Can I buy Bokisch Vineyards wine online?
Yes. You can buy Bokisch Vineyards's wines directly on Vesper, ranging from $26.00 to $60.00. The winery ships your order directly.
Does Bokisch Vineyards host live tastings?
Bokisch Vineyards can host live tastings on Vesper where you watch the winemaker pour and buy featured wines as they're presented.
Do I need a ticket or a reservation to join a tasting?
No. Live tastings on Vesper are free to watch and open to anyone. Follow Bokisch Vineyards and you are notified when they go on camera. You only pay if you decide to buy a wine.
Can I learn how Bokisch Vineyards makes its wine before buying?
Yes. This storefront carries a short film from Bokisch Vineyards's own vineyard footage, covering one cut in january decides the whole harvest. They are free to watch, no account required.
Who ships my order, and who am I buying from?
Bokisch Vineyards. On Vesper the winery is the merchant of record: it sets the price, takes the order, and ships the wine directly to you. Vesper handles the video, the checkout, and the payment, and earns a commission on the sale.
Be in the room when Bokisch Vineyards pours
Following puts you on the list for their next live tasting. Watch from wherever you are, ask the winemaker anything while the bottle is open, and buy direct from the winery in the same window.