A Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend one couple will never forget…

Lodi wine & chocolate lovers at Macchia Wines...

Some 5,000 Lodi wine lovers flocked to Lodi Wine Country during this past February 9-10’s Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend.

Among those thousands was Carrie Fleming of Stockton, who was enjoying her third consecutive Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend. To Miss Fleming, the combination of Lodi wines, chocolates, and the company of her longtime boyfriend, Dustin Winkler, has always been so special, she has been making a collage each year: having a picture of the two of them taken in front of each winery, then making a map of the Lodi wine region with the photos marking the spot of every place they visit.

And so at 3:30 last Saturday afternoon, the inevitable happened: Mr. Winkler interrupted the DJ at Van Ruiten Family Winery, who was playing their favorite song – Bruno Mars’ impassioned Just the Way You Are – grabbed a microphone, fell to his knees and proposed marriage:

It just so happened, of course, that he was able pull a diamond engagement ring out from his pocket; which, to the cheers of a dancing crowd all around them, Ms. Winkler – fighting back her surprise and flowing tears – happily accepted.

Jeremy Bowe, the manager of the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, is a friend of the now soon-to-be-married couple. According to Bowe, “That’s what this event (in 2013, its sixteenth annual) is all about. The atmosphere created at each location brings back thousands of couples every year. Their experience is driven not only by the wines, but also the great effort the wineries put into bringing Wine & Chocolate Weekend to life!”