If I could make a red wine that was good for your heartA spicy wine worthy of ageWould it be enough for your point-scoring lust?Would it help to ease the pain? Make a stain?… I said, I know it’s only Zinfandel, but I like itI said, I know it’s only Zinfandel but I like it, like it,yes, I doOh, well, I like it… I like it… I like it…
Good photography is like good poetry, or verse set to music: so much contained in so little, like Blake’s worlds gleaned through grains of sand.
Good wine is like this, too: capable of conjuring images you can smell, taste, feel, even hear — like bodies in untold positions, from innocent to obscene, seductive to careening. Far more than just juice of grapes transformed into a drink with alcohol. No wonder Catholics still speak of it in terms of blood; or like Joni Mitchell’s holy wine — a lover tasting so bitter, so sweet.
Dee Yates was born in Lodi, grew up in Lockeford, and matriculated from Lodi High and Consumnes River College before starting up Dee Yates Photography in 2000. Her work appears in numerous places — hotels, ads, restaurants, wineries, etc. — and her “eye” and technique are exquisite. So much more contained therein.
Today she lives with her burgeoning family in the foothills of Valley Springs, east of Lockeford and Clements, whence is contributed these snapshots of wine country life, to which we have attached snippets of verse or song inspired by each image…
Little glass of wine, a good thing you are hereYou’re warm on my lips, warm as a tearA comfort to the fool who’s restless in his mindThe lover’s trusty potion, little glass of wine…Greensleeves was all my joyGreensleeves was my delightGreensleeves was my heart of goldAnd who but my Ladie Greensleeves…Ich bin von Kopf bis FußAuf Liebe eingestellt,Denn das ist meine Welt.Und sonst gar nichts.Das ist, was soll ich machen,Meine Natur,Ich kann halt lieben nurUnd sonst gar nichts…I hid the love within my heart,And lit the laughter in my eyes,That when we meet he may not knowMy love that never dies…Come live with me and be my love,And we will all the pleasures proveThat valleys, groves, hills, and fields,Woods or steepy mountain yields…In a green, muddy, web-foot, unutterably songless worldThe vine was rose of all roses…God how I love you! — or, as I say,a plunge into the ditch. The End. I sitexamining my red handful. Balancing— this — in and out — agh…O my Luve is like a red, red roseThat’s newly sprung in June;O my Luve is like the melodyThat’s sweetly played in tune…I grow old… I grow old…I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.I do not think that they will sing to me…Without going out of my doorI can know all things on earthWithout looking out of my windowI could know the ways of heaven…We just lay there by the juniperWhile the moon is brightWatch those jugs a’fillingIn the pale moonlight….Please don’t wake me, nodon’t shake meLeave me where I amI’m only sleeping…My heart is drenched in wineYou’ll be on my mindForever…
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,…
