The story of Lodi’s wine industry isn’t as romantic as some other areas of California. In fact, it’s more of a practical story…but one that reflects what this region has to offer. When settlers first entered the area, they found wild grapes growing, but no one rushed into the streets yelling “thare’s gold in them thare hills!”. That’s because settlers were more concerned with growing wheat crops rather than grapes. In the mid 1800s some Lodi landowners had planted vines, but it was more of an added perk for themselves.
Lodi has a rich history of wine production.
According to the Lodi Wine Commission, because Lodi has such fertile soil, it went through several agricultural “booms and busts” in the late 1800s. At one point it was the nation’s leader in watermelon crops. It wasn’t until the about the turn of the century that the Lodi region began to grow grapes in mass quantities. But oddly enough, the demand wasn’t for wine grapes…it was for table grapes (and a little bit of Zinfindel). People didn’t want grapes for wine…they wanted grapes to eat.
This all changed when the Prohibition period hit the United States. As alcohol became sparse, people started to look for other ways to get it. It turns out there was a loophole in the prohibition law that allowed people to make a certain amount of wine at home. So as the country dried up…folks figured out that they just needed some grapes and they could make their own wine. This is where Lodi saved the day and found its niche. With fertile soil and a great climate, the region began supplying and shipping grapes across the country for people to make their own wine. Even when the prohibition laws were repealed, growers continued to supply grapes to wine makers as a lucrative business.
Fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s when the Lodi region was focusing on high-volume grape growing. It was producing a tremendous amount of grapes for making dessert and jug wines. It was about this time that interest grew in higher quality table wines, so Lodi growers began replacing high volume grapes with higher quality grapes. And with it…small craft wineries began to showcase these wines. According to the Lodi Wine Commission, today there are over 90 wineries in the area and over 113,000 acres of high quality grapes growing in the Lodi region. The days of raisin grapes and table grapes are gone.
When you visit Lodi, you’ll find miles and miles of vineyards.
If you take a look at your store bought wines, especially Zinfandel, you’ll see that many of them come from the Lodi region. It is amazing to see how many times you see “Lodi” on the label. When you visit the Lodi region you definitely get a feel for the mass production of the area.
Driving through the relatively flat land, you’ll see miles and miles of vines all around. You get the feeling of driving through America’s wine heartland. Because we love the rolling hills of vines so much, this was a bit of a drawback. Although you are in a rural area surrounded by vineyards, there’s not much of a view…and we love a view! It is more of an agricultural area with a bit more of a production feel to it. However, many of the wineries have created great little courtyard areas that provide a nice atmosphere to improve the ambiance.
We found the area to be fairly affordable, and very welcoming. Because Lodi is building its reputation for producing quality wines, it behaves more like an emerging wine region. It hasn’t yet tried to be too overpriced or “high-falootin” and we like that. A few things to note…be sure to research the wineries ahead of time as tasting prices can be all across the board. Also, Lodi is known for having very dry hot summers so be sure to check the weather if you plan to enjoy tastings outdoors. And finally, be aware that most lodging is in town and will NOT give you a wine country or quaint feel (although Lodi has a charming downtown area that has potential.)
Overall, we think that Lodi is an area that is worth seeing (even if its just to experience the mass amounts of grape growing all around and to taste amazing Zinfandel). Here are a few places we went during our visit and a summary of what we experienced in Lodi.
Michael David Winery
Seven Deadly Zins…Freakshow…we’re pretty sure you’ve seen these wines in the store. These are high production wines that are made by Michael David Winery in Lodi. We were excited to go to the place where so many retail wines are produced. What we found was a bit of a “mixed bag” for us winos.
Michael David Winery features a tasting room, cafe and market.
When we pulled in to the winery we found a rather large tasting room that was very impressive. Not only did it offer a huge area for wine tasting, but it also had a rather large outdoor area with plenty of tables, a pond, and even a bocce ball area. But the big surprise for us was the rather large and busy cafe and retail area that greets you right when you come in. It was a bit startling for us because it was so busy…and a bit confusing on how to get around all of it to the tasting area.
Once we got to the bar, we were happy to find that the wine tasting was extremely affordable – $5 for a pick of 5 wines and $10 for five reserve wines. Either tasting fee is refundable with the purchase of a bottle. Despite the rather commercial feel of the place, they hit the mark on our price point.
Michael David Winery in Lodi has a very large outdoor area.
The wine tasting was pretty good. The wines were fair, and our server was very friendly. This is where we were a bit torn on how we felt about the place. Because everything was good, we liked Michael David Winery. However, it was very busy and very commercial, so we felt a little out of our element. We generally like quaint wineries that offer a more personal experience, and this was far from that. It was a “hot spot” with a lot of stuff going on…and a lot of people. It felt a little like shopping the day after Thanksgiving…you are happy to get a good deal, but you have to navigate the crowds to get it.
Despite that, we also saw a wonderful potential to escape to the patio area. It’s spacious and has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, we were there during hotter weather so enjoying the outdoors was not ideal.
Overall, we had a good time at Michael David Winery…not a great time…but a good time. We recognize that this might be a great place for many other people though. We admit…we are a little particular about our space and atmosphere, so crowds don’t rank too high with us. But Michael David Winery is affordable, and friendly so we would visit again…just maybe early before the lunch crowd 😉
Winery Overview
Information current as of January 2018
Tasting Cost: $5 for a pick of 5 wines or $10 for 5 reserve wines
Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (a secondary tasting room is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday same hours); Cafe open 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In town/Rural/Remote: Rural, but next to many other tasting rooms
Location: 4580 West Highway 12, Lodi CA
Quality of Wines (1-5 smiley faces): 🙂 🙂 🙂
Winery Style: Fun & Friendly
Space for Weddings & Events: Yes, large outdoor patio/garden area
Website: michaeldavidwinery.com
Abundance Vineyard
Summary: We found Abundance Vineyard to be a great representation of what Lodi has to offer. You can tell they have put a lot of love and effort into making the tasting room comfortable with a touch of elegance…yet down-to-earth and rustic all at the same time.
The grand entrance at Lodi’s Abundance Winery.
I believe this is where the region is at. They want you to have the classiness of some of the more popular neighbors such as Napa Valley and Sonoma, but they still want to keep the roots they were built on by maintaining many of the rustic qualities that an agricultural region like Lodi has to offer. They are proud of this and we love how approachable it is.
The exterior of Abundance Vineyards is quite elegant and the tasting room is quaint but classy as well with huge vaulted ceilings and an “old world Tuscan” feel. We chose the red flight which only cost $5 for five tastes and its refundable with the purchase of a bottle. (UPDATE: As of January 2018, we saw that this price has gone up to $10 for five tastes) The wine was good and we were happy to see that the cost of bottles ranged from about $20 with the highest price bottle still no more than $30. We loved how affordable Abundance was for us!
The back patio area and fire pits at Abundance Winery in Lodi.
What we liked best about Abundance Winery though was how friendly everyone was. The servers seem to love their jobs (who wouldn’t…right?) and they are knowlegable about the wines and willing to share it with you. We also found out during our visit that the winery offers some great special events like Fire Pit Friday and wine and cheese pairings as well as concerts during the summer and many other gatherings for their members.
Overall, we enjoyed Abundance Winery and found it to be a fun and friendly place to visit. With an affordable cost, delicious wine, and friendly staff, we feel like this is perfect for us winos.
Winery Overview
Information current as of January 2018
Tasting Cost: $10 per flight of five wines (your choice of red or white/sparkling flight); fee waived with purchase of bottle.
Hours: Thursday through Monday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (groups of 8-10 require reservations ahead of time)
In town/Rural/Remote: Rural, but next to many other tasting rooms
Location: 1150 W Turner Road, Lodi, CA
Quality of Wines (1-5 smiley faces): 🙂 🙂 🙂
Winery Style: Fun & Friendly
Space for Weddings & Events: No, but back area might accommodate small events.
Website: http://www.abundancevineyards.com/
Jessie’s Grove Vineyards
Summary: This is our top favorite Lodi winery we visited. Jessie’s Grove Winery had so many things to offer that we love as winos. First, even though it was located near other wineries, it felt so remote. The grounds were expansive and felt like we were miles away from anything else.
The picnic area at Lodi’s Jessie’s Grove is amazing! Vast lawns, picnic tables and even a barn.
There were beautiful flowers and trees that lined the outdoor area of the tasting room. And it felt like the tasting room was surrounded by a massive park complete with grass and a huge barn. It was the epitome of rustic.
In addition to giving us the fantastic rural atmosphere we love, the tasting fees were very low! For just $5 we had five tastes of wine that ranged from whites to reds to desert wines. The price of bottles ranged from $30 to $40. Although the tasting room was smaller and intimate, the servers were skilled at making sure everyone had space enough to taste. They were friendly, knowledgable, and definitely made us feel like part of the family.
The icing on the cake of this wonderfully welcoming place was Wanda. She is the owner and granddaughter of the original namesake of the winery – Jessie. The winery is one of the oldest in the Lodi region with vines dating back to the late 1800s.
The back patio where Jessie’s grand daughter Wanda tells tales of the family history.
Wanda sits in the back patio arbor area with a book of pictures and clippings and happily tells stories to the guests about the winery’s history. She is a wealth of knowledge and has the storytelling personality to make the whole experience fun. We truly enjoyed learning all about the winery, the region and her family. It was fun!
We would definitely return to Jessie’s Grove anytime we are in the area. It truly embodies a family-owned, down-home, affordable and best of all…friendly winery.
Winery Overview
Information current as of January 2018
Tasting Cost: $5 for five tastings, refundable with bottle purchase
Hours: Daily, Noon – 5:00 p.m.
In town/Rural/Remote: Rural but next to many other wineries
Location: 1973 West Turner Road, Lodi, CA
Quality of Wines (1-5 smiley faces): 🙂 🙂 🙂
Winery Style: Fun & Friendly, Rustic & Low-key, Educational
Space for Weddings & Events: Yes, but uncertain if they book events
Website: http://www.jessiesgrovewinery.com/
Pondl Vineyards
Summary: This winery is small but packs a giant wino punch! This was truly a highlight of our Lodi winery tour. When you pull up to Pondl you might be surprised to see a modest two-story purple “house” that might make you think you are visiting a neighbor. This is somewhat correct.
Pondl Winery welcomes visitors at the “big purple house” tasting room.
The “house” is actually a tasting room down stairs with offices upstairs. But inside, the owners welcome you just like a neighbor. Owned by Patrick O’Neil and David Lujan, Jr. Pondl represents the initials of both owners. And they infuse their personalities into it all the way.
The Pondl tasting room is small but the owners are there personally to pour the wine. David infuses tons of personality, entertainment and knowledge about the wines he and Patrick make. You can tell he is a real “people-person” and enjoys mingling with guests.
In addition to having such a great welcoming atmosphere, Pondl is also very affordable. Tasting is just $5 for five tastes with the fees waived with the purchase of a bottle. And that is affordable too! Bottles ranged from $18 to under $30. The wine is good and certainly a bang for the buck.
Pondl also offers a small outdoor area to enjoy your wine. As with any Lodi experience, you should be mindful of the time of year as the area gets very hot in the summer. So if you enjoy an outdoor experience best, just be sure to check the weather.
The outdoor picnic area at Pondl Winery in Lodi.
We discovered during our visit that the winery also offers special events throughout the year, so this is a special bonus especially if you become a wine club member.
One thing to note: even with such a big personality, the tasting room is small and can get crowded. If you like less crowded places, be sure to stop there earlier in the day to avoid the crowd. Overall, this place really provided the type of experience we love…super friendly and entertaining, super affordable…and very welcoming. We highly recommend this as a “must visit” stop in Lodi.
Winery Overview
Information current as of January 2018
Tasting Cost: $5 for five tastes, refundable with bottle purchase
Hours: (Winter) Friday – Sunday, Noon – 5:00 p.m.; (Summer) Friday – Monday Noon – 6:00 p.m.
In town/Rural/Remote: Rural, but near other wineries
Location: 665 West Turner Road, Lodi, CA
Quality of Wines (1-5 smiley faces): 🙂 🙂 🙂
Winery Style: Fun & Friendly, Rustic & Low-key
Space for Weddings & Events: No. Small boutique winery.
Website: http://pondlwine.com/
