A good weekend starts in Lodi. And from there, the weekend writes itself. Summer in Lodi doesn’t really announce itself; it just settles in. The berries are sizing up on the vine, the light lingers well into the evening, and the Delta Breeze rolls through most nights to take the edge off the afternoon heat….
Where should you go to experience California’s top award-winning wines? The 2026 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition results point to Lodi. The competition’s top honors, Best of Show Red and Best of Show White, went to Lodi-grown wines. Add in multiple “Best Of California” varietal awards and 182 medals to wines from across the…
Lodi’s tasting rooms reflect a region that has grown far beyond a single defining grape. Alongside its historic Zinfandel plantings, growers have spent decades working with Mediterranean and Iberian varieties that thrive in the same warm days and cool nights. Albariño from cuttings brought directly from Spain, Cinsaut from century-old vineyards, and Tempranillo that reflects…
Have you ever picked up a bottle of wine and looked closely at the label? If you’re tasting in Lodi, chances are you’ve noticed a small green seal on the back of the bottle. It reads CERTIFIED GREEN, and it tells a story that starts long before the wine enters the bottle, one that reaches…
Here in Lodi, we’re all about welcoming you however you arrive. Walk-ins are always invited, and many of our tasting rooms are ready with a pour whenever you show up. And for those times when you want to go a little deeper – celebrate something, learn something, or just spend an afternoon fully immersed –…
Sometimes the best plans are no plans at all. If you find yourself in downtown Lodi on a Saturday afternoon with some time and a thirst for good wine, you’re in luck. These seven tasting rooms prove that exceptional wine experiences don’t require reservations – just show up and let the day unfold. Cellardoor Cellardoor,…
Planning a wine country escape but can’t bear to leave your dog behind? In Lodi, you don’t have to choose between great wine and quality time with your furry friend. Lodi’s welcoming, come-as-you-are spirit extends to well-behaved pets. With spacious outdoor patios, sprawling vineyard grounds, and genuinely hospitable tasting room teams, these seven wineries prove…
When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, most people reach for Champagne. But here’s a sparkling secret: some of the best bubbles for your celebration are being made right here in Lodi. Using traditional sparkling wine production methods, Lodi winemakers are crafting wines that reflect the region’s terroir and inventive spirit. These Méthode Champenoise–style…
Your sister just flew in with the kids. Your parents want to “do something fun as a family.” Your cousin’s bringing the dog. And somehow, you’re in charge of entertaining everyone from ages 4 to 74 for an entire afternoon. Welcome to the holidays. Here’s the good news: You don’t need an elaborate plan or…
There’s something happening in Lodi, and we want you to be a part of it. Wine country has changed. Over the past few years, visiting wineries has become increasingly expensive, exclusive, and (let’s be honest) a little intimidating. Average tasting fees have more than doubled since 2012. Walk-in visits and wine bar tastings have nearly…
As we conclude our California Wine Month journey through Lodi’s wine history, we explore the three remaining sub-appellations that complete the region’s diverse tapestry: Jahant, Cosumnes River, and Alta Mesa AVAs. Located between the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to the west and the eastern hillside appellations, these three regions share a unique common denominator: variations…
Continuing our California Wine Month journey through Lodi’s wine history, we venture east from the flat, sandy land of the Mokelumne River AVA into dramatically different terrain. Rising into rolling hills of 150 to 590 feet elevation, three distinct sub-appellations showcase how Lodi’s expansion over the past 25 years has been driven by the discovery…
Classic plus-100-year-old Zinfandel growing on its own natural roots in deep, rich yet porous, sand dune-like soil typifying much of the east side of the Mokelumne River-Lodi AVA As we continue our journey through Lodi’s wine history during California Wine Month, we turn our focus to the largest and most historic of the region’s seven…
As we celebrate California Wine Month this September, there’s no better time to dive into the rich history of grape growing and wine production in one of the state’s most significant appellations. The Lodi American Viticultural Area stands as a testament to the evolution of California winemaking, transforming from a single designation in 1986 to…
Summer in Lodi delivers classic California sunshine – those bright, warm days that ripen grapes to perfection and send wine lovers seeking shade. But here’s Lodi’s secret weapon: the Delta Breeze. Every day beginning in the late afternoon, cool air travels inland from the San Francisco Bay, following a vast network of waterways that play…
Farewell by Randy Caparoso Oh lord, a blog from Lodi was the title of the very first blog posted on the Lodi Wine page in August 2010, written by yours truly. Over 1,200 posts later, I think it is fitting that this should be the title of my very last post, as I will departing…
Sugar and spice and all that’s nice, as the old nursery rhyme goes. There are lots of nice things in wine, although there are very few wineries that actually print “Ingredients”—that is, additions dropped on top of natural components of wines during the winemaking process—on back labels; ostensibly, because it is felt by most of…
Last week, Dr. Stephanie Bolton—Lodi Winegrape Commission’s Director of Grower Education and Sustainability—organized what she called a “Light, Chillable Red Wine Rendezvous,” attended by a dozen an a half local vintners and growers. Why? Because Bolton truly believes this style of wine is the wave of the future, thus calling for serious discussion. In fact,…
Let’s start with two questions: 1. What is an AVA? 2. Why are AVAs important? AVA stands for American Viticultural Area; a concept first established in 1980 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, to recognize places of origins of American wines, which appear on wine labels. At that time, the ATF—an…
When wine buffs talk about the great wines of the world, they often talk about terroir, an important term of French origin that entails the natural environmental factors—such as climate, soil, topography, aspect, elevation, latitude, etc.—that have a direct effect on grapevine growth, and ultimately on the taste of wines. While terroir is more than…
Let’s talk about minerality, something a growing number of consumers look for in their wines. But why? Because many wine lovers have grown tired of the very qualities which have made American wines—particularly those of predominantly warm Mediterranean climate regions such as California (over 80% of wines produced in the U.S. are from California)—so popular…
Ancient vine Lodi Carignan, 2.0 Lorenza Wine—owned and operated by the mother/daughter team of Melinda Kearney and Michèle Ouellet—has recently released their first red wine sourced from Rauser Vineyard, an own-rooted, east side Lodi vineyard planted in 1909 primarily to Carignan, with small amounts of interplanted Alicante Bouschet and Zinfandel. The 2023 Lorenza Rauser Vineyard…
Once upon the time there were two career chefs who met in a super-fine big city restaurant, got married, worked their fingers to the bone. Some would say it was a perfect combination since she was a pastry chef and he an executive chef, so it was match made in culinary heaven. Dishes and dessert,…
At the Historic Vineyard Society In the City tasting in San Francisco this past May 10, 2025, 42 wineries or brands presented a surprising variety of wines (not just Zinfandel!) sourced from some 65 vineyards certified by the non-profit organization known as the Historic Vineyard Society (a.k.a., HVS). Since its founding in 2011, HVS has…