Photo-reminiscings of 2012 ZinFest & Vintner’s Grille

ByRandy Caparoso
Two women enjoying wine at a Lodi Winegrape Commission event, surrounded by flowers and greenery.
No wine lovers like Lodi ZinFest wine lovers!

We’ll go dancing in the dark
Walking through the park and reminiscing…
– Little River Band

Enthusiasm was brimming during Lodi’s 2012 ZinFest, taking place under the gargantuan Weeping Willow trees of Lodi Lake Park.

Man tasting wine at Lodi Winegrape Commission event with others in the background.
Michael McCay, “big deal” Lodi grower

ZinFest weekend began this past Friday night with a sold-out Vintner’s Grille barbecue, attended by 500 people – a gathering of mostly consumers, gleefully rubbing elbows with Lodi vignerons, wearing blue buttons saying “Lodi Growers… we’re kind of a big deal.”

They have become very big deal indeed, judging by the number of wine glasses (3,876) handed out to incoming wine lovers at the entrance – flanked by two pillars of wine barrels piled up in Dr. Seussian fashion – of the following Saturday afternoon’s ZinFest Wine Festival, on May 19.

According to Lodi Winegrape Commission organizer Stuart Spencer, tickets for the festival were purchased by wine lovers from at least 19 states other than California. Kyle Lerner, owner of Harney Lane Winery, tells us, “the day before, we were visited by people who told us they came all the way from Pennsylvania, just to attend the ZinFest.” Ah, such good taste, spreading clear across the country!

Temperatures during the Saturday festivities were on the warm (mid-eighties) side, yet not too hot, thanks too skin balming Delta breezes gliding in over the Mokelumne River and Lodi Lake surrounding the park. Extremely civilized wine lovers – where else, except at ZinFest, do you actually see people politely waiting in self-organized lines, waiting patiently to sip wines! – were overheard, especially raving over some of the colder temperature offerings, like

  • The bone dry and strawberry fresh 2011 McCay Lodi Rosé ($18),
  • The equally dry, thirst slaking, fantastically priced 2011 Hybrid (by Peltier Station) Lodi Sauvignon Blanc ($9), and
  • The delectably lithe and limber 2011 Bokisch Terra Alta Vineyard Clements Hills-Lodi Albariño ($16).
Visitors at Lodi Winegrape Commission outdoor art installation with stacked wine barrels.
Dr. Seussian pillar of barrels

Of course, there was food, including this supreme combination: at a table right next to the epic wines of LangeTwins Family Winery, John Fiscalini of Modesto’s Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese encouraged ZinFesters to taste his luxuriously deep flavored Fiscalini Vintage Bandage Wrapped Cheddar – a highly acclaimed, raw milk artisanal cheese, aged an astounding 24 months – with the seamlessly textured, deep and meaty 2008 LangeTwins Lodi Midnight Reserve ($30; blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec). Sheer ecstasy!

Then there was the ZinFest Wine School seminar entitled “Taste of Terroir in Lodi,” where Tracey Berkner (owner/sommelier of Restaurant Taste in Plymouth) actually encouraged her audience to smell (and if they dared, even taste) soil samples collected from some of Lodi’s greatest vineyards. Talk about connecting with the earth! The achingly beautiful wines proffered by Ms. Berkner:

  • A subtle, silky, honeyed nut toned 2008 Lucas Estate Lodi Chardonnay ($33),
  • The sleek, slinky, Morello cherry perfumed 2010 Sorelle Troppo Bella Lodi Sangiovese ($23)
  • The bright, loam and Italian leather nuanced 2010 St. Amant Leventini Vineyard Jahant-Lodi Barbera ($18),
  • The lusciously plump, wild berryish, subtly earth toned (faint whiffs of mushrooms and compost) 2009 m2 Soucie Vineyard Lodi Zinfandel ($28), and
  • The insanely concentrated, big, crushed-velvet textured 2010 Macchia Outrageous Noma Ranch Lodi Zinfandel ($24).

Our cup runneth over with many more memorable wines and moments at this year’s Lodi ZinFest. Just a few pictures telling their own stories:

Wine lovers gearing up for Friday night’s Vintner’s Grille
Lodi Grower badge with slogan 'We're kind of a big deal' for wine industry promotion.
Da badge
People enjoying wine tasting at a Lodi Winegrape Commission outdoor event.
d’Art’s Wines’ Helen Dart (left) with friends at Vintner’s Grille
Selection of Lodi wines displayed on a table during a wine tasting event in Lodi, California.
Vintner’s Grille goodies
Two men enjoying wine at a Lodi Winegrape Commission event outdoors with trees and other attendees in the background.
Two big deals: Macchia’s Tim Holdener & Klinker Brick’s Steve Felten
People enjoying a barbecue with a large plate of ribs at a Lodi Winegrape Commission event.
Vintner’s Grille fare
Group of people enjoying wine at an outdoor event, smiling and holding wine glasses, with trees and a rustic structure in the.
Good times at Vintner’s Grille
People enjoying wine and food at an outdoor event, showcasing Lodi wine culture and community.
Nothing like grilled veggies at Vintner’s Grille
Group of people enjoying wine tasting at a Lodi wine event outdoors.
Real deals: Mark Chandler (former Executive D., Lodi Winegrape Commission), LoCA folks Molly & Jon Bjork, and Jan Chandler (San Joaquin Sulphur Co.)
Two young servers at a Lodi wine event holding plates of food, with a crowd and trees in the background.
Vintner’s Grille servers in their LoCA shirts
People enjoying wine at a Lodi Winegrape Commission outdoor event in sunny weather.
Harney Lane’s Courtney Thommen & Ripken Vineyards’ Susan Ripken
Musicians performing live on stage at a Lodi wine event, featuring a saxophonist and other band members with wine barrels in.
In Lodi, even the bands are big deal growers: the Ben Kolber Project at Vintner’s Grille
Two women enjoying wine at a Lodi Winegrape Commission event, smiling and holding glasses of red wine.
Vicarmont’s Carrie Mettler (right), enjoying the Delta air at Vintner’s Grille
Two women enjoying wine tasting at a Lodi wine event, wearing sun hats and summer dresses.
Saturday ZinFesters doing what they do best
Bottles of wine in an ice bucket at a wine tasting event, showcasing Lodi wine region.
Michael McCay (face in background) keeping it chill at ZinFest
Man pouring wine at a Lodi wine event, showcasing local wine culture and vineyards.
Harney Lane’s Kyle Lerner, chillin’ with his dry rose
Musicians playing string instruments outdoors near a vineyard in Lodi, California.
Snap Jackson welcoming ZinFest wine lubbers to the Delta
Person pouring red wine into a glass at a wine tasting event, with wine bottles and a table in the background.
Incoming: m2’s marvelous “Artist” zin
People enjoying wine tasting outdoors at a Lodi Winegrape Commission event.
*Real* good times at Saturday ZinFest
People tasting wine at a Lodi Winegrape Commission outdoor event in a park setting.
Macchia table keeping good times rollin’
Woman pouring red wine at a Lodi wine tasting event with others in the background.
Gotta luv Macchia’s Lani Holdener
Two women smiling at an outdoor event, representing Lodi Winegrape Commission activities.
Credit where due: ZinFest key organizers, Lodi Winegrape Commission’s Jenny Heitman & Sherri Cascaden
Two women at a wine tasting booth with bottles of wine and a caricature artist banner in the background.
Perfection: Lodi Lake backdrop & LangeTwins wines poured by Charlene Lange (right)
Person baking pizza in a wood-fired oven at a Lodi wine event, wearing a large sun hat and white chef coat.
Wood oven pizza at Saturday ZinFest
Vintage-style Jubilee wine label featuring a pin-up girl with grapes in the background.
Now, that’s a wine label (by Lodi grower Bob Lauchland)
Dog wearing a blue backpack standing on pavement at Lodi Wine event, with people in the background.
Water dog at Saturday ZinFest
People enjoying wine tasting outdoors at a Lodi Winegrape Commission event by the lake.
Wine lovers attending ZinFest Wine School
Woman celebrating with two glasses of red wine at a Lodi wine event.
Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis, following her ZinFest Wine School seminar on wine & chocolate matching
Audience attending a Lodi Winegrape Commission event outdoors under a large tent.
Packed crowd at Grape Goddess’s wine & chocolate class
Soils from great Lodi vineyards at Tracey Berkner’s “terroir” class
Man examining soil and grapevine soil sample at Lodi wine event for winegrape research.
ZinFester sampling wine as “soil”
People enjoying wine tasting with glasses and bottles at Lodi Winegrape Commission event.
What it’s all about: da juiice at Lodi ZinFest!

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