Lodi Is the Largest, Most Diverse Wine Region in the Country.
It’s Also the Most Welcoming.
In a sun-kissed valley, winemakers tend to the vineyards. Gnarled, 100-plus-year-old vines sparkle in the afternoon light. Here, the soil changes from lot to lot, a leftover from ancient rivers that once flowed through the terroir. Nearby, off a quiet highway, a family-run winery opens its doors for a tasting. Travelers are just passing through, whiling away a perfect afternoon with friends, easy conversation, and a delicious bottle of wine.
This idyllic scene isn’t a fantasy, nor is it taking place in some faraway Mediterranean country; this is Lodi, Calif., one of the most popular wine regions that’s been producing diverse and sustainable wines for over a hundred years. Those in the know will let you in on a little secret about Lodi: If you’re looking for a wine-focused excursion, skip the crowds and hassle of the more touristy Bay Area wineries and head east to Lodi, the gem of the Sacramento River Delta Valley. With over 85 unique wineries, gourmet restaurants, award-winning lodging, and a laid-back vibe, Lodi is where the wine scene is still about wine, not being seen.
By StoryStudio on March 31, 2023 11:19 AM
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“In addition to producing world-class wines, Lodi is known for its amazing hospitality,” says Visit Lodi’s president and CEO, Nancy Beckman, an expert on all things Lodi. Beckman notes how visitors to Lodi tasting rooms are likely to be greeted by a winery family member—someone who is vested in their experience. Guests are encouraged to ask questions, share impressions, and engage with the tasting room team and other guests. No wine experience required. “Wine tasting is meant to be fun while growing a deeper appreciation and understanding of the wines being tasted.”
Lodi is just different, the locals will tell you, in a good way. As other wine regions cash in on our renewed wanderlust with exorbitant pricing on lodging and tasting experiences, Lodi is quite happy to keep things the way they were, with a few noticeable upgrades. Lodi is more conveniently located and offers a much larger selection of varietals—over 125 different grapes are produced in Lodi, making it the most diverse wine region in the United States. Lodi is about access and approachability, community and sustainability, friendly conversation, and welcoming strangers to what’s becoming a premier wine destination for romantic getaways, fun day trips, and corporate retreats alike.
“You’ll be hard-pressed to find another winegrowing region with such a tightknit, collaborative community,” says Stuart Spencer, executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. Spencer’s Winegrape Commission is in part responsible for LODI RULES, the nation’s first wine sustainability initiative. “In Lodi, growers and wineries work together to share ideas and equipment—all in the effort of moving the region forward in quality and recognition.”
Lodi is famous for its award-winning old-vine zins and other lush, fruit-forward varietals. These are feel-good, approachable wines, meant to be savored in the company of friends, old and new. Across the Lodi AVA, wineries welcome visitors to tastings that are often hosted by the affable winemakers themselves. Most require no reservation, cultivating a retro vibe that, along with the region’s natural beauty and warm climate, makes Lodi such a relaxing place to visit. Lodi hotels, B&Bs, and vacation home options keep it classy and welcoming, highlighting Lodi’s reputation as a feel-good community, while local restaurants pair local wines with organic cuisine from the region, highlighting Lodi’s leadership in sustainability.
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TWO MORE VERSIONS OF ICONS THAT WE CAN USE - ONE OF THEM BEING NUMBER STATS
85
100,000
40%
Lodi is home to
85 boutique wineries
Lodi has approximately 100,000 acres of premium winegrapes and more than 750 growers.
Lodi's vineyards produce about 40% of the premium Zinfandel in California.
“Whether visitors are looking for a resort property, extended stay, franchise favorite, or independently owned lodging property, Lodi has a place to suit every taste and budget,” says Beckman.
As Lodi’s reputation for approachable luxury grows, the vibrant wine community is also quickly becoming a prime destination for small meetings and corporate retreats. With meeting and event venues of all shapes and sizes—from outdoor group venues, to meeting places with vineyard backdrops, to restaurant and hotel meeting halls, to traditional reception halls—Lodi is the place to host your next corporate event.
While most travelers rightly visit Lodi for the wine, there’s plenty to see and do in this charming region. As part of the lower Sacramento River Delta, activities on the water—especially at Lodi Lake—are popular. It’s totally normal to rent a stand-up paddleboard and cruise around Lodi Lake before enjoying a gourmet picnic lunch on the sand, then attending a wine tasting or two later in the afternoon. Mix in a beer tasting or olive oil tasting and expand your palette. Soak in the sun and the relaxing, traffic-free atmosphere. Lodi isn’t the snooty blue-blood wine towns of yore. Here, spending an evening getting to know the locals at one of the many watering holes open late is just an everyday activity.
Lodi’s event scene has been hopping. Lodi Wine Festival, Lodi Beer Fest and State BBQ Championship, Comic Con, Lodi Street Faire and the region’s signature event, the Lodi Wine Experience at beautiful Lodi Lake Park, are keeping visitors busy. Formerly the Lodi Zinfest, the Lodi Wine Experience—returning May 19 and 20—is a weekend of world-class wines featuring the friendly faces behind the craft. Set along the Mokelumne River and Lodi Lake, this weekend-long event celebrates the region’s winegrowers, showcasing more than 200 wines from the Lodi appellation, delicious food, and live music and offering food demonstrations and interactive wine education sessions.
With so much to do in Lodi, it may be helpful to make a plan before you visit. For inspiration, here’s what a weekend in Lodi could look like:
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NO CAPTIONS? USE THIS GALLERY
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For any Lodi visit, whether with your significant other or your business team, your first stop should be the Downtown Lodi Visitor Center. There, you’ll get the lowdown from the knowledgeable staff and learn all the points of interest in the region. Don’t forget to pick up some Lodi merchandise while you get acclimated to the region.
Hungry? Pop into the nearby Brick House or the Dancing Fox and fuel up on culinary creativity and a diversity of chef creations.
Next, head up the road for a day of wine tasting. Recommendations include Peltier Winery & Vineyards, Bokisch, Oak Farm Vineyards, Macchia, Viaggio Estate, and Berghold Winery to start.
For dinner, begin with a craft pint at local hangout Lodi Beer Company, Lodi’s place for specialty beers, delicious apps, and friendly hangs. After you’ve whetted your appetite, check out neighborhood favorite Guantonio’s Wood Fired for fresh, seasonal dishes and wood-fired pizza. Be sure to save room for the double vanilla and salted caramel swirl cone or sundae. Other great dining options include Papapavlo’s Bistro and Bar for light Mediterranean fair or M Sushi Bistro, both perfect cuisines to enjoy after a day in the sun.
After dinner, hit 20 North or the Oxford Kitchen, Lodi’s spot for sophisticated cocktails and lounge vibes.
That evening, rest up at the Spa at Wine & Roses, an upscale resort and spa offering spa treatments, comfortable rooms, and the Towne House Restaurant on-site, or choose the iconic Hill House, a historical gem of classic California Victorian turn-of-the-20th-Century architecture that now serves as a B&B and event venue.
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SPONSORED BY Visit Lodi
SPONSORED BY VISIT LODI
The next morning, get up early and head over to Headwaters Kayak at nearby Lodi Lake. Rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard and experience true tranquility while cruising the calm waters of the lake and Mokelumne River. If kayaking is not your thing, all good! There’s so much beauty to see on land. Take a stroll through riparian habitat on the lake’s nature trail.
Following your morning excursion, grab a late breakfast at the Farm Café at Michael David Winery. Because you’re already there, after breakfast, walk over to the winery’s tasting room to sample the delicious wines. Before leaving, grab a handful of artisanal snacks—cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit, and bread—from the on-site market to nosh on throughout the day.
Leave Michael David and head out for another splendid day of wine tasting. Recommendations in this area include d’Art, Jessie’s Grove, Lucas Winery, m2 Wines, Van Ruiten Family Winery, Stama, and Rippey at Lodi Vintners. After another idyllic day tasting among the vines, recharge with the sauna or spa services at the Perfect Balance Day Spa.
Before you turn in, finish like the locals with dinner at family-owned Pietro’s Trattoria.
Even as Lodi grows in popularity as California’s easily accessible, relaxing, diverse wine destination, it’s sticking to its community roots and welcoming vibes. The next time you’re thinking of a weekend wine getaway, planning a corporate event, or considering a storybook destination wedding, give Lodi a look. With great wine and great people, Lodi is the place to be.
For more on all Lodi has to offer, check out visitlodi.com.
Sunday
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“In addition to producing world-class wines, Lodi is known for its amazing hospitality,” says Visit Lodi’s president and CEO, Nancy Beckman, an expert on all things Lodi. Beckman notes how visitors to Lodi tasting rooms are likely to be greeted by a winery family member—someone who is vested in their experience. Guests are encouraged to ask questions, share impressions, and engage with the tasting room team and other guests. No wine experience required. “Wine tasting is meant to be fun while growing a deeper appreciation and understanding of the wines being tasted.”
Lodi is just different, the locals will tell you, in a good way. As other wine regions cash in on our renewed wanderlust with exorbitant pricing on lodging and tasting experiences, Lodi is quite happy to keep things the way they were, with a few noticeable upgrades. Lodi is more conveniently located and offers a much larger selection of varietals—over 125 different grapes are produced in Lodi, making it the most diverse wine region in the United States. Lodi is about access and approachability, community and sustainability, friendly conversation, and welcoming strangers to what’s becoming a premier wine destination for romantic getaways, fun day trips, and corporate retreats alike.
“You’ll be hard-pressed to find another winegrowing region with such a tightknit, collaborative community,” says Stuart Spencer, executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. Spencer’s Winegrape Commission is in part responsible for LODI RULES, the nation’s first wine sustainability initiative. “In Lodi, growers and wineries work together to share ideas and equipment—all in the effort of moving the region forward in quality and recognition.”
Lodi is famous for its award-winning old-vine zins and other lush, fruit-forward varietals. These are feel-good, approachable wines, meant to be savored in the company of friends, old and new. Across the Lodi AVA, wineries welcome visitors to tastings that are often hosted by the affable winemakers themselves. Most require no reservation, cultivating a retro vibe that, along with the region’s natural beauty and warm climate, makes Lodi such a relaxing place to visit. Lodi hotels, B&Bs, and vacation home options keep it classy and welcoming, highlighting Lodi’s reputation as a feel-good community, while local restaurants pair local wines with organic cuisine from the region, highlighting Lodi’s leadership in sustainability.
“Whether visitors are looking for a resort property, extended stay, franchise favorite, or independently owned lodging property, Lodi has a place to suit every taste and budget,” says Beckman.
As Lodi’s reputation for approachable luxury grows, the vibrant wine community is also quickly becoming a prime destination for small meetings and corporate retreats. With meeting and event venues of all shapes and sizes—from outdoor group venues, to meeting places with vineyard backdrops, to restaurant and hotel meeting halls, to traditional reception halls—Lodi is the place to host your next corporate event.
While most travelers rightly visit Lodi for the wine, there’s plenty to see and do in this charming region. As part of the lower Sacramento River Delta, activities on the water—especially at Lodi Lake—are popular. It’s totally normal to rent a stand-up paddleboard and cruise around Lodi Lake before enjoying a gourmet picnic lunch on the sand, then attending a wine tasting or two later in the afternoon. Mix in a beer tasting or olive oil tasting and expand your palette. Soak in the sun and the relaxing, traffic-free atmosphere. Lodi isn’t the snooty blue-blood wine towns of yore. Here, spending an evening getting to know the locals at one of the many watering holes open late is just an everyday activity.
Lodi’s event scene has been hopping. Lodi Wine Festival, Lodi Beer Fest and State BBQ Championship, Comic Con, Lodi Street Faire and the region’s signature event, the Lodi Wine Experience at beautiful Lodi Lake Park, are keeping visitors busy. Formerly the Lodi Zinfest, the Lodi Wine Experience—returning May 19 and 20—is a weekend of world-class wines featuring the friendly faces behind the craft. Set along the Mokelumne River and Lodi Lake, this weekend-long event celebrates the region’s winegrowers, showcasing more than 200 wines from the Lodi appellation, delicious food, and live music and offering food demonstrations and interactive wine education sessions.
With so much to do in Lodi, it may be helpful to make a plan before you visit. For inspiration, here’s what a weekend in Lodi could look like:
For any Lodi visit, whether with your significant other or your business team, your first stop should be the Downtown Lodi Visitor Center. There, you’ll get the lowdown from the knowledgeable staff and learn all the points of interest in the region. Don’t forget to pick up some Lodi merchandise while you get acclimated to the region.
Hungry? Pop into the nearby Brick House or the Dancing Fox and fuel up on culinary creativity and a diversity of chef creations.
Next, head up the road for a day of wine tasting. Recommendations include Peltier Winery & Vineyards, Bokisch, Oak Farm Vineyards, Macchia, Viaggio Estate, and Berghold Winery to start.
For dinner, begin with a craft pint at local hangout Lodi Beer Company, Lodi’s place for specialty beers, delicious apps, and friendly hangs. After you’ve whetted your appetite, check out neighborhood favorite Guantonio’s Wood Fired for fresh, seasonal dishes and wood-fired pizza. Be sure to save room for the double vanilla and salted caramel swirl cone or sundae. Other great dining options include Papapavlo’s Bistro and Bar for light Mediterranean fair or M Sushi Bistro, both perfect cuisines to enjoy after a day in the sun.
After dinner, hit 20 North or the Oxford Kitchen, Lodi’s spot for sophisticated cocktails and lounge vibes.
That evening, rest up at the Spa at Wine & Roses, an upscale resort and spa offering spa treatments, comfortable rooms, and the Towne House Restaurant on-site, or choose the iconic Hill House, a historical gem of classic California Victorian turn-of-the-20th-Century architecture that now serves as a B&B and event venue.
Sunday
The next morning, get up early and head over to Headwaters Kayak at nearby Lodi Lake. Rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard and experience true tranquility while cruising the calm waters of the lake and Mokelumne River. If kayaking is not your thing, all good! There’s so much beauty to see on land. Take a stroll through riparian habitat on the lake’s nature trail.
Following your morning excursion, grab a late breakfast at the Farm Café at Michael David Winery. Because you’re already there, after breakfast, walk over to the winery’s tasting room to sample the delicious wines. Before leaving, grab a handful of artisanal snacks—cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit, and bread—from the on-site market to nosh on throughout the day.
Leave Michael David and head out for another splendid day of wine tasting. Recommendations in this area include d’Art, Jessie’s Grove, Lucas Winery, m2 Wines, Van Ruiten Family Winery, Stama, and Rippey at Lodi Vintners. After another idyllic day tasting among the vines, recharge with the sauna or spa services at the Perfect Balance Day Spa.
Before you turn in, finish like the locals with dinner at family-owned Pietro’s Trattoria.
Even as Lodi grows in popularity as California’s easily accessible, relaxing, diverse wine destination, it’s sticking to its community roots and welcoming vibes. The next time you’re thinking of a weekend wine getaway, planning a corporate event, or considering a storybook destination wedding, give Lodi a look. With great wine and great people, Lodi is the place to be.
For more on all Lodi has to offer, check out visitlodi.com.