Lodi’s sustainability program celebrates 20 years
Talk about Lodi grape growing, and you’ll almost always end up discussing longevity.
Here, in these fertile soils, some vineyards date back more than 100 years, including the famed 25-acre Bechthold Vineyard planted in 1886 by German immigrant Joseph Spenker. As the oldest continuously farmed vineyard in Lodi, it’s even more noteworthy because it is believed to be the world’s oldest surviving vineyard for the uncommon French grape Cinsault.
Today, the Bechthold Vineyard is organically dry farmed, and the healthy, gnarly twisted vines are so thick-trunked that they resemble short trees. The luscious purple-blue grapes still feed notable Lodi wineries such as Jessie’s Grove Winery and Michael David Winery.
Part of the reason for Lodi grapes’ endurance is the growers’ long-standing respect for the earth and rejuvenation. The commitment to the environment is nearly law in Lodi, which launched its Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing thirdparty vineyard certification program back in 2005, originally working with six growers certifying 1,555 acres in Lodi.
Today, more than 75,000 acres of grapes managed by 1,200 vineyards are certified under the Lodi Rules program in not only San Joaquin County but Washington and Israel. The rules” cover more than 150 farming practices managing ecosystems, water, soil and pests, plus business and human resources administration.
In its 20th anniversary this year, Lodi Rules is even more significant with the Lodi Winegrape Commission honoring 26 local wineries that feature the program’s seal on one or more of their wines by including a certification icon on the Lodi Wine Trail Map.
The Lodi Rules project is credited as the brainchild of Clifford P. Ohmart, who was Lodi Winegrape Commission’s Sustainable Winegrowing Director for 14 years from 1996 to 2009. Ohmart was the primary author of the Lodi Winegrower’s Workbook released in 2000, one of the first books of its kind in the industry. It was based on hundreds of hours of input from the grower community.
Gathering the direct feedback was critical in a region where farmers have long incorporated organic and sustainable practices as part of their everyday philosophy.
“The program is built on a strong sense of community,” said Lodi Winegrape Commission Executive Director Stuart Spencer. “This core value led to the creation of the Lodi Winegrape Commission and later guided the establishment of Lodi Rules 20 years ago. From the beginning, it has been a
» “A program created by farmers, for farmers, it is founded on the belief that we thrive together, and for growers and vintners to be successful, the entire region must also be healthy and prosperous.”
Stuart Spencer, Lodi Winegrape Commission Executive Director
true grassroots effort, built from the ground up. A program created by farmers, for farmers, it is founded on the belief that we thrive together, and for growers and vintners to be successful, the entire region must also be healthy and prosperous.”
Markus Bokisch of Bokisch Vineyards was one of the initial authors in the group that gathered to create the workbook in 1999 and still considers Ohmart his mentor. Today, Bokisch focuses on growing Spanish grapes like Graciano and Albariño on his acclaimed property that is known for its earthfriendly practices like planting cover crops, nurturing owl habitats to control gophers and meadow voles, preserving native plants and maintaining
vernal pools.
“The Lodi Rules experience ensures that growers get to know their vineyards better by having to record what they do,” he said. “Through this introspective process, our first-of-akind program lets growers personally perceive how they can improve the land they are
arding.”
Peltier
&
Antoinette Santos Vice President of Retail 650-455-2742 Antoinette.Santos@ sfchronicle.com
Maggie Creamer Editor mcreamer@sfchronicle.com
stew-
Winery
Vineyards in Acampo was one of the first wineries to join Lodi Rules in 2000 and also one of the first to
PHOTOS BY LAURA MORTON
Mario Castañeda drives a tractor with a berm rotary tiller at Bokisch Vineyards. The winery uses the machine to control weeds underneath the grapevines without herbicides.
Above left: A plastic wire with pheromones is tied near a vine at Bokisch Vineyards. It is used to confuse male vine mealybugs and prevent them from multiplying instead of using insecticides. Above right: Dana Herrera, left, and Carly Hunter cheers at a table setting created by Pomp Picnics as they participate in a photo shoot to advertise the luxury picnic business at Bokisch. Below: Winemaker
Markus Bokisch, left, stands for a portrait with assistant vineyard manager Pedro Tellez, who has worked at Bokisch since the ’90s. The winery is a dedicated member of Lodi Rules, a sustainable winegrowing program that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
By Carey Sweet
Cover photo: Winemaker Gerardo Espinosa poses for a portrait on top of some barrels in Lodi Crush’s barrel room. Espinosa has his own wine label, Anaya Vineyards, and owns Lodi Crush, which is a custom crush winery for small, independent winemakers who don’t have their own winemaking facilities. S8
Photo by Laura Morton
LODI
certify 100% of the vineyards the family owns. Owned and operated by third generation Lodi grower Rod Schatz and his wife, Gayla, the company farms more than 1,000 acres of estategrown grapes in the Lodi Appellation.
The couple’s daughter Faryn Schatz is the winery’s marketing manager and oversees the Lodi Rules commitment.
It really didn’t bring much extra work. We were already farming in a way that uses the least amount of inputs as possible,” she said. “The big difference is the certification just made us document everything and inspired us to further challenge ourselves to do better.”
The program encourages accountability, much like the meticulously monitored California Certified Organic Farmers structure.
“All of my vineyards are certified by Lodi Rules but also certified organic, so I can speak to the strictness of both entities,” Bokisch said. “Lodi Rules is actually more stringent and specific on all aspects of land management. It’s six chapters, and the Pesticide Risk Model covers land stewardship, which includes your target farm crop as well as the entire ecology of the farm.”
At Peltier, the program has inspired innovations that aren’t even required. The vineyards
a
are farmed sustainably with standard practices like cover crops, drip irrigation for water conservation, a solar water heater and solar panels for the winery operations, but also a curious extra: a worm farm.
Winemaking requires lots of water for cleaning equipment, and that grape-waste water goes directly to an enormous pond. There, worms feast on the grape residue to create clean water plus worm castings, which are rich fertilizer for the vineyards.
Ultimately, many winemakers believe that following Lodi Rules improves their finished wine.
Wine quality is directly correlated to wine grape uniformity,” Bokisch said. “If every
cluster is similar to the next, the quality of phenological ripeness is maximized. Lodi Rules creates incentives for growers to remain in their vineyards so that they can dial in quality grapes much more successfully than a standard wine grape contract.”
Faryn Schatz thinks the program simply makes sense.
Fewer inputs means the quality of our wine is reliant on the quality of our fruit,” she said. “It’s also what gives our wines personality and a sense of place.”
Displaying the seal can also help wine sales, Spencer has found.
More than ever, consumers want to support brands that are genuinely invested in their communities,” he said. “With thou-
with a berm
the gopher and meadow voles population.
Lodi wine recognized with coveted award
The Lodi American Viticulture Area is one of the largest in California, spanning some 550,000 acres. And the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest of its kind in North America.
This year, the competition included more than 5,500 wines submitted from over 910 wineries throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Lodi’s Rippey Family Vineyards grabbed the spotlight by winning the coveted Red Sweepstake award for its 2023 Grenache.
Winning a Sweepstake award is a significant achievement, designating the very best sparkling, white, rosé, red and specialty wines. It’s given when all of the competition’s five dozen judges decide on the most impressive of all wines selected as “Best of Class,” and there is only one to two annual winners in each category.
The Spanish-style Grenache was the first vintage for the Rippey family, who got their start with Lodi Vintners, a custom crush facility and tasting room in the oldest functioning winery in the city. The wine comes from Abba Vineyard in Acampo in the Mokelumne River appellation of Lodi.
The win came as a little bit of a surprise to Rippey Family owner Tyson Rippey and winemaker Joseph Smith. But he and Smith said they both knew it was an impressive wine the moment it went into the bottle. As Mike Dunne, a former Sacramento Bee wine columnist and now the official wine reviewer for the competition noted, “the wine is husky with oak and sunny with fresh fruit suggestive of strawberries and pomegranates.”
sands of wine labels on the shelves, today’s consumers are drawn to wineries that authentically engage with their world.
— Carey Sweet
They want to hear the stories behind your vineyard practices what you’re doing and why it matters.”
Who’dhavethought TheSecretGardenwould bediscoveredinLodi?
(Or,whysippingwineinastorybook settingisgoodforyoursoul.)
Rightnow,intheshadowofaDeodarcedar,amidstcool fernsandfloweringshrubs,adollopofsunlightiscatching aglassofcrispAlbariño,andagroupoffriendsistoasting theirgoodfortune.Findingyourselfhere,inwhatthefamily callsTheForest,isanexperiencewithrootsgoingallthe waybackto1900,whenafirst-generationLodigrape growerdecidedtoplantafewshadetrees.Four generationslater,thesettingaroundHarneyLaneWinery istrulyasighttobehold.Andaplacetolingerandenjoy. Butthen,thesameholdstrueatanyoftheover85 wineries,spreadoversevendistinctappellations— placeslikeKlinkerBrick,Jessie’sGrove,MichaelDavid, OakFarm,oroveratBokischinClementsHills.Each differentinitsownuniqueway.Yetallwelcomingjust thesame.It’swhatmakesLodi,Lodi.Friendlynotstuffy; approachablenotpretentious.Infact,thatperson sittingnexttoyouinthetastingroomisverylikelytobe thegrowerorthewinemaker.Haveyourquestionsready.
There’ssomething happeninghere.
Planyourvisit LodiWine.com
Above left: Winemaker Markus Bokisch stands for a portrait under a blue oak tree that is named La Rapita at Bokisch Vineyards. The winery has kept the oak groves throughout the vineyard, and they are named after locations where Bokisch’s family is from in Spain. Above right: Mario Castañeda drives
tractor
rotary tiller, which is a labor intensive way to control weeds without using herbicides. Below right: Bokisch has boxes for barn owls to help control
By Marlene Goldman
From Lodi’s modest beginnings as a stop between Stockton and Sacramento on the Central Pacific Railroad to its stance as Winegrape Capital of the World,” the city has myriad stories to tell.
Visitors can discover its colorful Prohibition-era tales, women’s rights history and details about its secret tunnels on a variety of tours. They can also sign up for tours of some of Lodi’s more than 85 wineries or its culinary offerings.
Explore Lodioffers guided and self-guided tours of Lodi’s historic downtown.
The tours recount stories of Lodi’s opium dens, brothels and gambling houses, the big fire of 1887 and the city’s prosperity during Prohibition. Participants also learn to read the patterns of bricks used on Lodi’s buildings and how that reveals parts of the area’s history.
The two-hour walking tours start at the old train depot, which was built in 1907 and relocated to its current location and restored in 1999. Across from the train tracks is a section of old buildings that was once a vibrant Japantown. It was home to a Buddhist Church, social organizations, multiple general stores, restaurants, a tofu maker, a fish market, a pool hall and five hotels.
Other highlights on the tour include a stop at the Lodi Arch, constructed in 1907 as an entrance to the Tokay Carnival, Lodi’s first grape festival, held just a year after Lodi was incorporated.
The “grand finale,” according to tour guide Alane Dashner, is on the marble steps of the Woman’s Club of Lodi, where Dashner, in costume, impersonates Laura de Force Gordon, a nationally known suffragist and Lodi’s most famous
resident. Gordon and her friend Clara Foltz were the first two female lawyers in California. Thanks to their efforts, Dashner said, it was written into the California constitution of 1879, that no Californian will be denied lawful employment on the basis of sex.
Tours are free and can accommodate from two to six people. While Explore Lodi highlights the history of the wine region, the Lodi Wine Trolley offers its signature Taste of Lodi Wine Tour, which includes stops at three wineries from its list of 11 partners. Guests can sip award-
winning wines without having to worry about driving.
Our goal is to create an experience where every guest can relax, explore and
fall in love with Lodi Wine Country,” said Ann Luke, vice president of marketing and business development. Some of the wineries on the tour include Bokisch Vineyards, Calivines Winery & Olive Mill, Durst Winery & Estate, GoodMills Family Winery, Jessie’s Grove Winery, Klinker Brick Winery, m2 Wines, Peltier Winery & Vineyards, St. Jorge Winery, Stama Winery and Rippey Family Vineyards at
PHOTOS BY LAURA MORTON
Clockwise from top left: Guests board the Lodi Wine Trolley at Scotto’s Wine & Cider in downtown Lodi for
Lodi Wine Tour that takes participants to three wineries; dressed as a suffragist, Alane Dashner stands for a portrait under the Lodi
Lodi history tour in downtown Lodi; Jennifer Poblete, left, and Vira Ney enjoy
Above: Guests of the Lodi Wine Trolley listen to their guide at the start of their Taste of Lodi Wine Tour in downtown Lodi. Below left: Alane Dashner holds a photo of Bertha DeAlmado, who was the 1907 Tokay Carnival’s Queen Zinfandel, while giving a history tour under the Lodi Arch. Below right: Lodi Wine Trolley tour guide and driver Beth Portsheller takes photos for guests at Klinker Brick Winery in Lodi.
with
company debuted in 2021 and primarily works with about 30 local wineries, though also visits others upon request.
The business can tailor tours around the specific interests of the guests, whether it is focusing on boutique wineries such as Sorelle Winery, Estate Crush and Block 21 Winery; sparkling wines at LVVR Sparkling Cellars and Nostra Vita Winery; or white wines at Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards, Intercoastal Vineyards, and Calivines Winery & Olive Mill. Lodi also features wineries offering ports or dessert wines, including one with sangria on tap and several with wine slushies.
Tours can be fully customized for one person, couples, groups and work events. Most packages are for just tastings, but there is an elevated tour package that includes tours, barrel tastings and one-on-one time with the owners and winemakers. All packages include an individual charcuterie spread and water while some packages also add in a catered lunch of pasta, salad and pita bread from a local restaurant.
Tour packages start at $70 to $90 per person for pay-your-own tasting fees. All-inclusive packages are
Details
Explore Lodi: www.explorelodi.weebly.com
Lodi Wine Trolley: 209-900-WINE, www.lodiwine trolley.com/wine-tours
Coche Vino: 209-663-3008, www.cochevino winetours.com
Beyond the Vine: 209-645-0544, www.beyondthe vinelodi.com
$140 to $160 per person. The elevated package is $250 per person. For foodies who love to explore local fare, Beyond the Vine food tours launched this February and samples downtown Lodi’s culinary highlights. Tours also include stories and insights about the chefs, brewers and artisans visited, said owner and tour guide Mishell Wolff.
Participants will not only enjoy unique and delicious food items but get to learn the story of the businesses we sample and history of Lodi,” she said.
The tours visit six locations for food sampling, including Nash + Tender, a Nashville hot chicken eatery. Wolff switches up ordering her guests either the Tender Taco made with chicken and a special Nashville hot sauce, or the Nashrito, a burrito stuffed with chicken, fries, cheese, mac n’ cheese,
coleslaw and a fried egg.
Another favorite stop on the tour is the Oxford Kitchen, which specializes in flavors from London’s famous street markets.
“When you walk in, it’s very much an English vibe, but they offer amazing food, like bangers and mash,” Wolff said. “Their shepherd’s pie is amazing.”
Other stops include Five Window Beer Company and Double Dip Gallery for dessert. Double Dip has paired up with Michael David Winery to offer an exclusive Petite Petit Sirah Sorbet.
Tours are at noon Saturdays starting at City Hall and can host from two to 12 people. It is $75 per person and lasts from two and a half to three hours. Wolff is working on adding a 3 p.m. tour and has also started offering the Downtown Lodi Beer Tour at 4 p.m. on Saturdays for $95.
Karla Ayala, center, snaps photos of wine glasses lined up at Bokisch Vineyards while celebrating her bachelorette party with a Lodi Wine Trolley tour.
Above: Alane Dashner, left, holds up a historic photo to compare the difference
the modern-day view while leading an Explore Lodi history tour. Below: The Lodi Wine Trolley pulls up at Klinker Brick Winery, one of three wineries it stopped at on the tour.
and market is part of a new partnership between Wine & Roses and Appellation Hotels, which will also include hotel room renovations and a new upscale restaurant.
Michelin-starred chef transforms renowned hotel
By
After debuting as a hospitality destination more than a quarter century ago, Lodi’s legendary Wine & Roses hotel is moving into the statewide spotlight under a partnership with Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chef Charlie Palmer.
The legendary hotel is being rebranded and will soon have a new name: Appellation LodiWine & Roses Resort and Spa. Over the next few months, visitors will find even more sparkle at the elegant 7-acre, 66-room retreat on the edge of town. Already, Palmer has opened Maison Lodi, an artisan café, coffee house, bakery and market, and renovations have started on the hotel rooms.
Coming next: Americana House, an upscale operation taking over the longstanding Towne House Restaurant.
Though Lodi’s Russ and Kathryn Munson still own the business, the partnership with Appellation founders Palmer and Chris Hunsberger, the former president of the Americas for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, marks a dramatic evolution for the laid-back Lodi area.
The Appellation collection is a nascent hotel, resort and restaurant group that’s recently been making headlines across California wine country with several other projects underway in hot spot areas, including Healdsburg, Pacific Grove, Morgan Hill, Petaluma and Sun Valley, Idaho.
For Lodi, the partnership is significant, as the Central Valley town has continued to gain more national attention for its burgeoning high-quality wine production. The Wine & Roses property was originally founded by the Towne family as a farm in 1902 then opened to the public in 1984 as a 10-room bed and breakfast. After purchasing the property in 1999, the Munsons expanded it to a 66-room hotel.
Over the years, Wine & Roses became known for its posh spa, lush botanical gardens and its farm-to-table Towne House restaurant that was led by notable chefs including Bradley Ogden, previously of several celebrated restaurants in the Bay Area, including One Market Restaurant in San Francisco. Interestingly, well-traveled chef and wine aficionado Palmer knew little about Lodi until recently.
A couple of years ago, I was introduced to Russ and Kathryn Munson, and I’ll admit, I’d never been to Lodi,” he said. “The first time I stepped foot here, it reminded me of Healdsburg 20 years ago. It’s an emerging wine country destination with more than 85 wineries, from boutique to large-scale, and an agricultural richness that goes far beyond grapes — stone fruits, citrus,
» “Lodi produces wines that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best from Napa, Sonoma, France and Italy.”
Charlie Palmer, Michelin-starred chef and co-founder of Appellation Hotel
melons, tomatoes, herbs, you name it. The San Joaquin Valley is also one of California’s top olive oil-producing regions.”
That bounty is part of what drew the Appellation team to the city of 66,348 that is known as the Zinfandel Capital of the World. Appellation promotes itself as a culinary-first hotel brand,” meaning food and drink are infused into every aspect of the guest experience, including the restaurants, room amenities, on-site botanical and culinary gardens and events like hands-on workshops with local makers and artisans.
Maison Lodi opened in February, replacing the hotel’s Towne Corner Café & Market. Designed to look like a high-end, modern farmhouse, the open kitchen and bakery space celebrates Frenchstyle cuisine. Highlights include rotisserie-roasted chickens, quiche, croissant sandwiches and classics such as chicken salad tartine on country levain plus a jambon beurre and fromage sandwich stuffed with Parisianstyle ham, aged Comté cheese, Straus organic butter and cornichons on a baguette.
As a particular highlight, artisanal breads, croissants and pastries are all crafted in collaboration with Healdsburg’s acclaimed Quail & Condor Bakery. “Quail & Condor’s Melissa
(McGaughey) Yanc has been involved in shaping our bakery program at Maison Lodi since day one, working alongside our pastry chef, Anne Rosete, who’s a rising star in her own right,” Palmer said. Anne leads the baking and pastry operations on-site, incorporating elements of Melissa’s expertise and approach.”
The market also features house-made selections such as estate preserves, fresh pastas, pickled vegetables, private-label olive oil, pates and terrines, alongside local wine and craft beer curated by the Lodi Winegrape Commission, which also operates the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center next to the hotel.
Regular customers and locals in the general community loved Towne Corner Café and are telling me they’re excited about Maison Lodi,” Wine & Roses General Manager Brent Kitsu said. “When we started with our pop-up Maison café, many of our guests were so happy with it that when we finally opened, they came back all weekend.”
Later this summer, visitors will get to experience Americana House, which is retaining part of the restaurant’s original name to honor its legacy as the hotel’s first building. Working with chef Thomas Bellec, Appellation’s chief culinary director, and Marco Fossati, the restaurant’s executive chef and food and beverage director, Palmer will offer his signature “Progressive American” menus, emphasizing seasonal produce and local ingredients. In an uncommon touch, Americana House will showcase a dedicated cheese aging cabinet, allowing the restaurant to mature both its own house-made cheese curds and ricotta alongside cheese selections from Lodi and across Northern California. For extra theater, a decanter station will keep wine front and center. Lodi produces wines that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best from Napa, Sonoma, France and Italy,” Palmer said. Our wine list will be organized by varietal, featuring standout selec-
Details
Appellation Lodi - Wine & Roses Resort and Spa: 2505 W. Turner Road, Lodi, 209334-6988, www.winerose.com, www.maisonlodi.com, www.appellationhotels.com
tions from Lodi, other top California regions and some of the finest international producers. By showcasing Lodi wines alongside the world’s best, we’re reinforcing their quality, character and rightful place among the greats.”
Through the year, the Mediterranean-style hotel will also get expansively renovated rooms, refreshed landscapes and expanded culinary gardens to help feed the restaurants. The property will remain open to guests throughout construction.
As the updates happen and the region likely gets busier with more outside visitors, the city is welcoming the change.
“Locals and tourists alike have played a significant role in welcoming Appellation to Lodi, as many have shared their excitement for this new direction on social media and at the Lodi
tor Center,” said Visit Lodi Communications Manager Natalie Morlino.
As the new president and CEO of Visit Lodi, Wes Rhea echoes that sentiment. Lodi’s recent growth is part of what attracted him to take the job last October and move to the city full time.
“I love the pace of Lodi, and we have such diverse culinary and wine offerings,” he said. “This resort will bring us even more.”
Visi-
PHOTOS BY LAURA MORTON Clockwise from far left: Chickens are cooking in a rotisserie oven at Maison Lodi; Trip Manley, left, eats breakfast with his daughter, Elle, at Maison Lodi; a variety of pastries are for sale at Maison Lodi. The bakery, café
Carey Sweet
Above: Cheryl Yourdon, front left, and Ana Valverde eat breakfast at Maison Lodi in Lodi. Below: Maison Lodi serves rotisserie meats, including a half cut of rotisserie chicken with a side of garlic roasted organic baby potatoes and a house mixed green salad.
From street fairs to rugby, experience Lodi events
By Jeanne Cooper
Whether you’re into wine tasting, water sports, music or lively markets, Lodi’s spring and summer calendar of events offers visitors many reasons to say cheers. This year, they can also cheer for the Bay Breakers women’s semi-pro rugby team during its inaugural season in Lodi’s Grape Bowl stadium. Here are some highlights, listed in chronological order and all with addresses in Lodi.
Sunset Sippin’ Spring at Bokisch
Vineyards: The popular vineyard music series boasts one of the best views in the Central Valley. Seating is first come, first served with glasses and bottles of wine and charcuterie boxes available for purchase. (6 to 9 p.m. Fridays from May 2 to June 13, doors open at 5:30 p.m., Bokisch Vineyards, 18921 Atkins Road. Tickets $15, private gazebo rental $200. 209-642-8880, www.exploretock. com/bokischwineryandvineyards)
Lodi Street Faire: Twice a year, downtown Lodi fills with more than 500 vendors offering just about everything, including artisanal crafts, original artworks, clothes, antiques, books, tasty treats and meals. A great anchor for a weekend (or longer) excursion, just be aware: The free garage at Pine and Sacramento streets is usually taken up by vendors early in the day, so parking outside the street barricades is advised. (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4 and Oct. 5, downtown Lodi, 209-367-
7840, www.lodichamber.com/ lodi-street-faire)
Bay Breakers Women’s Rugby: The national, six-city Women’s Elite Rugby semi-pro league debuted earlier this year with the Bay Area’s team based in Lodi. Among those on the team: Ari Jurkowski, a Coast Guard officer so into rugby she once tackled and broke a door while dreaming about a fierce game we can only imagine how she plays on the field. (2 p.m. home games on May 10, May 25, June 7 and June 14, Grape Bowl, 221 Lawrence St. Tickets $25, $59 VIP. Check website for season ticket pricing and discounts for students, educators, military members and first responders. www.womenselite rugby.us/bay-breakers)
Paddlefest 2025: If you’re looking for some family-friendly fun on the beach at Lodi Lake, Paddlefest 2025 not only offers a day of kayaking and paddleboarding but also food trucks, music, contests and demonstrations of Eddyline kayaks at the Lodi Boathouse. Note: Please leave dogs and personal vessels at home. (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 10, Lodi Lake, 1101 W. Turner Drive. Passes: $30 kayaking and paddleboard use, $15 for ages 10 and under; non-paddling entry fee $1. 209-210-2612, www.bit.ly/ paddlefest2025)
Lodi Lake Kayak Tours: The Lodi Boathouse also has a variety of special kayak and paddleboard packages available this summer,
including ones for Mother’s Day (May 11) and Father’s Day (June 15), as well as full moon, sunset, sunrise and solstice events. (See website for details. 209-471-5988, www.lodi boathouse.com/tours)
Lodi Certified Farmers Market: A new beer and cider garden on School Street will offer live music during this local Chamber of Commercesponsored showcase of some of the best regional food and beverages every Thursday evening in late spring and summer. More than 65 producers, growers and vendors participate in the market, which has been ranked in the top five California farmers markets by FestivalNet. (5 to 8 p.m. May 15-Aug. 28, downtown Lodi. 209-367-7840, ext.100, www.lodichamber.com/lodicertified-farmers-market)
Groovin’ in the Grove: Wine tasting and music flow at Jessie’s Grove Winery, which hosts a wide variety of musical performances through September. For the mostly free After Hours series (6 to 9 p.m. Fridays), acoustic showcases (1 to 4 p.m. Sundays) and rock and roll bands (4 to 7 p.m. Saturdays), walk-ins are welcome, but plan to bring a lawn chair. The winery’s eight-concert Groovin’ in the Grove series begins May 24 with a double bill of tribute acts: One of These Nights, which covers Eagles songs, and Bad Miller Revival, which covers Steve Miller Band, Bad Company and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The Groovin’ series ends Sept. 20 with another tribute band, Bee Gees Gold. Note: No outside food or beverages besides sealed
water bottles are allowed; gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. shows. (Check website for other important details. Ongoing through September, Jessie’s Grove Winery, 1973 West Turner Road. Groovin’ in the Grove tickets $45$70, season pass with VIP area access $365. 209-368-0880, www.jessiesgrovewinery.com)
Lodi Art Hop: Meet local artists and make some art yourself while listening to live music at this all-ages outdoor event, which also includes face-painting. Patrons are encouraged to hop over to nearby art exhibits at the Double Dip Gallery, Lodi Community Art Center, Lodi Public Library and Ruby’s Bakery and Cafe. (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 21 and Oct. 11, Veterans Park, 305 W. Pine St.; 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 16, Idol Beer Works, 100 S. Sacramento St., 209-333-6891, www.lodiarts.com/ lodi-art-hop)
Lodi Grape Festival: Now in its 80th year, what was once a modest downtown food festival boasts four days of carnival rides, a petting zoo, agricultural displays, art, food and games. (4 to 11 p.m. Sept. 11, noon to midnight Sept. 12-13 and noon to 11 p.m. Sept. 14, Lodi Grape Festival, 413 E. Lockeford St. $12 ages 13 and older ($8 if purchased in advance), $8 ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and younger. Ticket sales begin July 1. Parking in official festival lots: $12 by credit or debit card only. 209-369-2771, www. grapefestival.com)
JON REYES
Left: The Lodi Certified Farmers Market is every Thursday from May 15 to Aug. 28. Right: The Lodi Grape Festival features a petting zoo, carnival rides, food and games.
LODI GRAPE FESTIVAL
JACKIE FINLAN / THE RUGBY BREAKDOWN
Bay Breakers Jade McGrath catches a rugby ball. The Women’s Elite Rugby semi-pro league national team has matches in May and June.
who don’t have their
Lodi winemakers honor their unique backgrounds with well-crafted varietals
By Jeanne Cooper
Every bottle of wine tells the story of where it came from, and not just through the words on the label. The wine itself reveals its origins, what nurtured its particular grapes and the aspirations of those who blended, fermented and bottled it. Every vintner has a distinctive story to tell, too. In the case of these four bright lights in Lodi, their roots and journey to winemaking may vary greatly, but all have found a way to shine.
Becoming a mentor to young winemakers
When he left Uruapan, Mexico, as a teenager to join his maternal grandparents in Lodi, Gerardo Espinosa wanted to become an architect. And he did, studying and working for about 17 years in architectural design in the Central Valley. Yet the years of seeing his grandparents and extended family tending their Lodi vineyards, which they bought in 1944, also planted the seed for another career.
I got interested in making wine and was making it as a hobby until I decided to create my own commercial brand,” Espinosa said.
He produced his first vintage, a Petite Sirah, in 2008 under the Viñedos Aurora label, named for his maternal grandmother, Aurora Anaya. At the time, his four uncles, who managed the Anaya family vineyards, were only growing Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon, but in 2011, Espinosa convinced them to plant the less common varieties of Pinot Gris, Albariño, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo, which have featured in his renown as a winemaker.
A few years later, Espinosa rebranded his premium wines under the Anaya Vineyards label, to broaden the legacy that my grandfather gave us,” he explained.
Espinosa credits his “great mentors,” business partner Mark
Nureddine and former Mondavi winemaker Heather Pyle-Lucas for helping him flourish in a field that had few Latino-owned wineries when he started.
“One of the things that I always say when people want to start in the business is look to have a mentor to kind of walk you through the obstacles you might face,” Espinosa said.
Over time, he has become a revered mentor to many others in Lodi.
“I was selling some of our grapes to some small producers, and they started asking me, ‘Will
» “There was nobody that looked like me in the industry, especially in Lodi, when I started, but it didn’t deter me. It gave me more confidence and strength to break those barriers.”
Joseph Smith, owner of JSL Wines and winemaker at Klinker Brick
you just help me make the wine?’” Espinosa recalled. That led to his and Nureddine’s creation of Lodi Crush, which Espinosa described as “a custom crush facility where we can sell grapes and make the wine” in a 1920 building in downtown Lodi. Two and a half years ago, they opened
the Lounge at Lodi Crush, an industrial-rustic tasting room featuring Anaya wines and other boutique winemakers, some of whom source grapes “from Contra Costa to Clarksburg to Napa,” Espinosa noted.
While he still proudly makes his wine “out of the same family vine-
yards” where he began, Espinosa said, “it’s been very satisfactory that I have helped and developed and collaborated with all these brands.”
‘Strength to break those barriers’
A job in construction, not the wine industry, lured Joseph Smith from his native Belize to the Central Valley in 1996, but it became the building block for a celebrated career as a winemaker for his own label and others.
Barry Gnekow, then winemaker and owner of Gnekow Family Winery, had hired 19-year-old
PHOTOS BY LAURA MORTON
Winemaker and owner Gerardo Espinosa poses for a portrait in the barrel room at Lodi Crush, which is a custom crush winery for winemakers
own facilities.
Left: Sofia Keck, left, and Matthew Keck visit the tasting room at Woo Girl! Cellars in Acampo. Right: Winemaker Gerardo Espinosa stands for a portrait in the Lounge at Lodi Crush, where guests can try Espinosa’s own wine label, Anaya Vineyards, as well as the other wines created at the custom crush facility for small winemakers.
Winemaker Vivian Valenzuela, left, talks with Eve Livingston in the tasting room at her winery Woo Girl! Cellars in Acampo.
Winery
Where to taste their wines
The Lounge at Lodi Crush offers wine-tasting from Anaya Vineyards and other local vintners, plus charcuterie and small plates, live music and special events (check online calendar). (21 E. Elm St., Lodi, 209-400-6112, www.theloungelodi.com)
Woo Girl! Cellars offers wine tastings, garden picnics and a guest cottage for ages 21 and older only. Reservations encouraged. (11070 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo, 209-901-9643, www.woogirl cellars.com)
Mikami Vineyards and JSL Wines do not have public tasting rooms. However, the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center tasting room typically includes Mikami’s Petite Sirah and GSM red blend, while the Klinker Brick Winery tasting room features its wines made by Joseph Smith, the co-owner and winemaker of JSL. (Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, 2545 W. Turner Road, Lodi, 209-365-0621, www.lodiwine.com. Klinker Brick Winery, 15887 N. Alpine Road, Lodi, 209-333-1845, www.klinkerbrickwinery.com)
Smith to help build his winery in Stockton.
We hit it off right at the bat,” Smith said. “After the job was completed, he said, ‘Hey, we need people for the harvest,’ and I had no clue what that was, but I said I’d stay and work.”
Gnekow soon tapped Smith to help on a wine consulting project in Lodi, “where the grower wanted to start making wines but didn’t have a clue,” Smith recalled. This kind of consulting became a full-time business for Gnekow, who once again recruited Smith to join him.
We started working with growers down in Monterey all the way up to Ukiah, Napa and the Central Valley, and that’s where I got the love for winemaking,” Smith said. “I started seeing so many different attributes (to wine), and everywhere you go, the same concept but slightly different.”
Several years into the consulting business, he decided to move to Lodi. I just fell in love with Lodi, and its very slow pace, which reminded me of Belize,” Smith said. “In 2004, I decided Lodi was my home, and here is where I’m going to carve out my career.”
He studied the chemistry of wine at UC Davis.
“That definitely helped me understand what I was doing, but I attribute everything to being a hands-on winemaker from the very start,” he said.
In 2007, Smith became the winemaker at Klinker Brick Winery in Lodi, a role he still plays today. He is especially proud of having created the first Lodi wine to make Wine Spectator’s annual list of the global Top 100 wines, Klinker Brick’s 2019 Grenache Blanc. That achievement came in 2020, the same year Smith started his own label, JSL Wines, in collaboration with wife, Lorraine, and daughter Sanaya Saignée.
Today, he’s proud to have created a family-run wine distribution company in Belize, which also hosts an annual wine and jazz festival Smith co-founded. He remains one of the industry’s few black winemakers and winery owners.
There was nobody that looked like me in the industry, especially in Lodi, when I started, but it didn’t deter me,” Smith said. “It gave me more confidence and strength to break those barriers. I feel fortunate now to see people of color are coming to drink my wine knowing Wow, somebody who looks like me made that wine.’ It’s confidence building.”
Focusing on rosé, sparkling wines
Raised in Dallas by parents who were Baptist preachers, Vivian Valenzuela said she never saw alcohol in their home. What she did imbibe was the lesson that a woman’s place should be in the home.
“I was going to get an education, but that would be secondary to my role as a wife and mother,” Valenzuela said.
As it happened, going to college put Valenzuela on the track to her current career as winemaker and owner of Woo Girl! Cellars, which debuted in March 2024. She
first began drinking wine with her roommates at the University of Texas in Austin.
I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to fill the glass to the top until I took an online course from Wine Spectator,” Valenzuela said College is also where she met her husband, Peter, whose own path as a doctor took them to the more wine-savvy setting of Seattle in 2010.
That led to going and visiting tasting rooms all through Washington,” Vivian Valenzuela recalled.
“We’d get on Amtrak and go to Oregon, then to California and then abroad, visiting tasting rooms wherever we could.”
A shared desire for sunnier weather inspired frequent trips on the nonstop flights from Seattle to Sonoma County, where the couple moved in 2013.
Valenzuela, who majored in kinesiology and communications, worked at an NBC affiliate and taught kickboxing before starting to take enology classes at Santa Rosa Junior College and working with Erica Stancliff, then winemaker at Furthermore Wines.
“She was very instrumental in showing me that women can be just as strong and as physical as men,” Valenzuela said. “I learned not to stand behind fear.”
In 2020, Valenzuela received the license for her Woo Girl! label, named for her celebratory exclamation that was also highlighted in a “How I Met Your Mother” episode. That’s also when they moved to Sacramento for her husband’s work, and Valenzuela started hunting for a winery estate where she could craft her rosé and sparkling wines.
Nicknamed “House of Rosé,” Woo Girl! Cellars in Acampo “juxtaposes really historic buildings and sites with a modern flair,” including minimalist furnishings and house music, Valenzuela said. “As soon as people walk in, they say, ‘It’s so beautiful.’”
She plans to celebrate her winery’s first anniversary with DJs spinning house music, chef-prepared food and a henna tattooist on June 14 to coincide with national and international Rosé Day. And Valenzuela hopes to uplift others by sharing her journey.
“It was a huge triumph for me to come out and stand on my own two feet,” she said. “I’m going to be pouring out my life into others’, a story of empowerment, celebration and encouragement to anyone, not just women.”
Following in his family’s footsteps
Jason Mikami, owner of awardwinning Mikami Vineyards, has deep roots in Lodi — and a family history of being uprooted.
His grandfather emigrated from Hiroshima, Japan, to the area in 1896 at the age of 15.
“When he came over as an immigrant, he was a farm laborer, and Japanese couldn’t own land then, so he started working on grape vineyards in Lodi,” Mikami said.
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 forced Mikami’s grandfather, grandmother and six children to relocate to an internment camp in Rohwer, Ark. At the end of World War II, the family returned to Lodi, where Mikami’s grandfather was finally able to buy property to grow his own grapes in the 1950s. Mikami’s father, who had been 21 when he was interned, bought his own
15-acre property in Lodi in 1963 and managed it until his death in 2005.
That’s where I was born and raised, and that’s the same vineyard where we source all the fruits and wine that we use today,” Mikami said.
Mikami grew up picking the family’s Tokay table grapes, which he helped his mother pack into wooden boxes for a few dollars a box. He also accompanied his father as he managed irrigation in the vineyard and pruned the vines.
“My viticulture experience was all through osmosis,” Mikami noted. “I kind of hated it at the time, but it was a family tradition.”
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Mikami began working for a semiconductor company in 1992 and has remained in tech ever since.
“Eventually my father got old, and it was my time to figure out what to do with the vineyard,” Mikami recalled. “I wanted to start producing wines and tie it back to my family name and honor my dad’s efforts.”
He began with Zinfandel, Lodi’s iconic grape, and a few years later, he grafted Petite Sirah, then the Southern Rhone varietals of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (known as GSM when blended). With his wife, Mitzi Onizuka, as his business partner and Opus One alumnus Kian Tavakolias his winemaker, Mikami has now produced numerous vintages with gold medals or best in class designations from the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, among other accolades.
Mikami’s daughter, a junior in high school, has not decided on a career in winemaking, but Mikami believes the vineyards will remain part of the family legacy.
“My mom would always say, ‘Don’t sell the property after we’re gone,’” Mikami said. “The vineyard is kind of who I am and it’s part of our history.”
Clockwise from top: A group of friends sit down to enjoy wine at the picnic table in the estate tasting garden, which is available to reserve at Woo Girl! Cellars; winemaker Vivian Valenzuela sits for a portrait in the tasting room of her winery Woo Girl! Cellars; bottles of wine from Woo Girl! Cellars are next to a cheese plate; winemaker Gerardo Espinosa swirls a glass of wine in the barrel room at Lodi Crush.
Mom-and-pops serve delicious, affordable food
By Carey Sweet
After — or during — an actionpacked day of exploring wineries and the great outdoors, you’ll want to refuel with top-notch food. But you may be a bit too worn out for a fancy sit-down dinner.
So just ask a local, and you’ll find that Lodi boasts plenty of mom-and-pop gems that offer delicious food at affordable prices. You can wear jeans, kick back and find remarkable cuisine that has you in and out in less than an hour. Check out these standout options. El Pazcifico Mexican Grill & Cantina
The colors pop at this delightful spot, from the art on the brick and rustic wood walls to the elaborately painted wooden chairs and booths. The flavors are just as brilliant with dishes homemade from scratch by owners Juan Gonzalez and his wife, Isabel Chavez.
After more than two decades of working in other restaurants, the husband-and-wife team decided to strike out on their own, debuting their restaurant in 2018 with family recipes. Gonzalez makes all his own sauces, he said, including roasting tomatillos for chunky salsa and chile verde.
It’s a lot of work, but “the experience of owning a business is amazing,” he said. “I do my best to keep every single guest happy.”
The project has been a success, and last year, the restaurant expanded into an adjacent space including a shaded courtyard patio set with a fountain.
The menu is lengthy, spanning two oversize pages tightly packed with two columns each. Enchiladas are a specialty with eight options ranging from enchiladas El Pazcifico (stuffed with shrimp, imitation crab meat, bell pepper, onion and jack cheese, all smothered in pico de gallo, avocado and creamy white sauce) to Popeye (plump with spinach, mushrooms, zucchini and onions topped in tomatillo sauce and pico de gallo.)
Clearly, the enchiladas al comal are popular, too — Juan and Isabel’s son Joahan noted that a Tik Tok video of the restaurant’s grilled chicken or steak bundles bathed in sizzling chipotle sauce has gone viral, racking up more than a million
views.
Seafood lovers have plenty to celebrate, as well, with dozens of dishes including an entire section dedicated to sea bass. The almendrado is a standout, the grilled fillet draped in spicy jalapeño butter sauce, greens and sliced almonds. A molcajete is another first-rate choice, brimming with shrimp, sea bass, octopus, imitation crab meat, veggies, cheese and white sauce. We don’t aim for a specific region in Mexico,” Gonzalez said. We’ve expanded our flavors, so there’s something for everyone.”
Be sure to try the margaritas in fantastic, seasonal fresh fruit flavors such as blackberry-jalapeno and pineapple-tamarindo-blueberry.
Thai Spices Restaurant
Chef Bun Goble took a curious path to opening her restaurant in
Woodlake Plaza in 2007. As a child growing up in a small farming village in Thailand, Goble and her four sisters cooked for the local farmworkers, using fresh ingredients straight from the land.
I learned in my parents’ kitchen, and cooking just came naturally,” she said. “But later, I attended culinary school in Thailand to learn how to cook professionally.”
In 1988, she moved to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands territory, where she was a server in an Italian restaurant. On the chef’s day off each week, she took over the kitchen, and in addition to preparing the regular Italian menu, she crafted Thai dishes as specials. Word got out with her home-style cooking becoming so popular that her dishes became part of the everyday menu.
In 2003, she moved to southern California. A year later, she arrived
Details
El Pazcifico Mexican Grill & Cantina: 114 W. Pine St., Lodi, 209-224-8126, www.elpazcifico.com
Thai Spices: 2401 W. Turner Road, Suite 224, Lodi, 209-369-8424, www.thaispiceslodi.com
Tin Roof BBQ: 171 S.
in Lodi, and by good fortune and a lot of hard work, she was able to start her own business. Today, she draws in crowds coming for classics like pad Thai and also original dishes such as duck breast on a bed of crispy noodles with bok choy and plum sauce.
Many of her recipes showcase ingredients native to Thailand, she said, “combining ingredients that entice the senses — taste, smell and texture melding together to create unique flavors.”
So diners will find layered dishes such as a luscious lobster tail simmered in green curry sauce with bell pepper, onion, asparagus and fresh basil, or pad see ew with pan-fried wide rice noodles, tofu, egg and broccoli tossed in sweetspicy soy sauce. We have no problem altering recipes to specific customer requests,” Goble said. “We prepare everything to be fresh and authentic and can make meals without allergens and at different spice levels.” After moving to Lodi, Goble fell in love with Wine Country. Her wine selections change, but local favorites usually include well-known Lodi
area producers such as LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards, Peltier Winery & Vineyards, m2 Wines and Oak Farm Vineyards.
Tin Roof BBQ
For 20 years now, Richard Berardi has been smoking and grilling meats over a live oak wood fire for hungry customers coming in for feasts of tri-tip, brisket, turkey, chicken, pulled pork and meaty pork spare ribs (in an extra thoughtful touch, you can request the ribs wet or dry).
Customers in the know live large, and go for the four-meat platter, rounded out with a side chosen from 12 options ranging from sweet, smoky beans to fried okra (pro tip: get the mac ‘n’ cheese studded with sausage).
Interestingly, Berardi said he was new to barbecue when he opened; his family owned an Italian restaurant in Colorado, and he was primarily vegetarian. Now, his corrugated metal restaurant welcomes constant throngs of fans for its lunch-time-only service, scarfing and sipping beers and wines like barbecue’s perfectly paired Zinfandel.
Yume Japanese Cuisine: Yume means “dream” in Japanese, and the restaurant fulfills a lifelong one for chef Masayuki Hattori, who grew up working at his father’s sushi restaurant in Japan’s fishing town of Yaizu. Stop in for premium sushi, teriyaki meats and specialty soups like ramen, udon and soba. (2401 W. Turner Road, Lodi, 209-224-5169, www.yumelodi.com) Tequileros Taqueria Truck: Customize your street tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tortas and rice-andbean bowls with an array of fillings including asada, chicken, pastor, birria, shrimp and veggies. Messy marvelous signatures include loaded French fries and nachos. (601 E. Kettleman Lane, Lodi, 209-7152583, www.tequilerostaqueria.com) Richmaid Restaurant: A landmark of more than 80 years, the space began in 1938 as a creamery and in 1998, it morphed into a traditional American diner. Fans come for huge portions of all-day breakfasts, hot turkey or roast beef sammies drowning in gravy and big dinners of “grandma’s homemade meatloaf.” (100 S. Cherokee Lane, Lodi, 209-368-4279, www.richmaid restaurant.com) West Oak Nosh: The cozy gastropub woos with mouthwatering belly fillers like burgers on pretzel buns, a crispy pork schnitzel sandwich loaded with slaw and chipotle aioli and garlic-dry mustard-rubbed bratwurst and sauerkraut on a Genova roll. (10 W. Oak St., Lodi, 209-224-8157, www.bit.ly/westoak nosh) Other mom-and-pop restaurants in Lodi
sumptuous Blue Mountains (roast turkey, crispy bacon, sliced Fuji apple, tangy blue cheese spread and lettuce on a toasted ciabatta roll), and homemade soups. Lunch only. (1012 W. Lodi Ave., Lodi, 209367-5930, www.bonappetit lodi.com)
PHOTOS BY LAURA MORTON
Clockwise from top left: Diners at El Pazcifico Mexican Grill & Cantina eat lunch; Isabel Chavez, left, and Juan Gonzalez stand for a portrait at their restaurant El Pazcifico Mexican Grill & Cantina, which they opened in 2018; owner Bun Goble poses for a portrait at Thai Spices, which she opened in 2007; dishes at Thai Spices include New Zealand lamb, clockwise from top left, pineapple fried rice, Thai sesame salad and jungle curry with tom yam talay in the center.
Left: Gustavo Gonzalez makes a cocktail while working at El Pazcifico Mexican Grill & Cantina. Above: El Pazcifico owner Isabel Chavez prepares dishes to be taken to a table
Enjoy outdoor fun among wildlife, vineyard views
By Matt Villano
By now, oenophiles and foodies know Lodi as a stellar destination for delicious wines and delectable farm-to-fork cuisine.
Yet they should also make time for another great reason to visit Lodi and the surrounding area: outdoor adventures.
Whether you like to hike, bike, paddle or stretch into your best downward dog pose in a yoga class, there are several options for making the most of your time in the heart of the Central Valley. The breadth and depth of outdoor adventure choices in the region often leave visitors pleasantly surprised, said Natalie Morlino, communications manager for Visit Lodi.
“We’re known as a wine destination, but there’s way more here than wine and overnight accommodations,” she said. “Lodi might be one of the most well-rounded destinations in the entire Central Valley.”
One of the most popular activities for visitors and locals alike is kayaking on Lodi Lake and the gentle Mokelumne River, where you can see blue herons, turtles and even river otters. The Lodi Boathouse rents kayaks, paddleboards and pedal boats. Owner Abigail Christensensaid paddling in the area is particularly easy because flat land means no currents or rapids.
Christensen noted that the boathouse offers daily rentals as well as monthly full moon tours and biweekly sunset tours. Tour participants paddle between two to four miles on each excursion, depending on the size and skill of the group. A bonus: Guests see beavers on almost every sunset tour, according to Christensen.
For those who enjoy cycling, Lodi offers dozens of pancake-flat rides through the vineyards and even from winery to winery.
Lodi Cycleryhas several different kinds of rentals, including bicycles with electric assist, which makes pedaling a little easier.
Owner Brian Shirk said the e-bikes can achieve a maximum speed of 15 to 20 mph with a cruising speed of somewhere around 10 to 12 mph. The e-bikes are great because you can cover more ground without sweating up your dress,” Shirk said.
He noted that the e-bikes sometimes take a few minutes of adjustment, and that Cyclery employees are happy to walk customers through a tutorial if needed.
The shop also boasts an on-site café — the perfect place to enjoy an espresso or a beer after a long ride, or a good spot to relax for an hour while shop technicians repair a
bike.
If you need help picking a bike route, downloadable maps are available at www.visitlodi.com.
Golf fanatics love the par-72 Micke Grove Golf Links, which borders beautiful centuries-old grape vines. The course features eight lakes and 42 sand bunkers and also has a 30-station driving range.
In the summer, hiking lovers will want to stroll the Lodi Lake Nature Trail, a one-mile loop that winds through the Lodi Lake Wilderness Area and offers idyllic views of the Mokelumne River and possible sightings of deer, woodpeckers and egrets.
What’s more, just downstream of Camanche Reservoir, the Mokelumne River Hatchery raises chinook salmon and steelhead to be released in the river.
Then, of course, there’s yoga — not just any old yoga, but al fresco yoga amid the vineyards.
At Spenker Family Farm, for instance, regular yoga classes incorporate some of the goats and baby goats that live on the property. As is the case with most animal yoga experiences, the attraction here is the unpredictability of the goats. In one class, the creatures might nibble your shoelaces or hop on your back. In another class, they might ignore you completely.
Co-owner Sarah Spenker Pratt said the farm has other outdoor goat-oriented programming, including “Goodnight Goats,” during which guests snuggle baby goats to sleep, and “Paint with Goats,” where — as the name suggests — guests get artsy in the presence of quadrupeds. At last check, the 60-acre Spenker farm had 75 adult goats and roughly 120 babies. The number of babies is certain to fluctuate throughout the year.
A big plus for the yoga classes, the adult “Goodnight Goats” experience and “Paint with Goats” is they end with wine if you are over
21 and house-made cheese. The family “Goodnight Goats” experience features milk and cookies. Another great yoga experience in the Lodi area is the monthly Namaste + Rosé at Woo Girl! Cellars, which includes a 45-minute yoga session and a glass of wine. The yoga sessions are held in the tasting garden, which is big enough for more than 100 yogis at a time. Woo Girl! yoga classes are held on the first Sunday of every month with the inaugural class taking place on April 6.
Woo Girl! Owner Vivian Valenzuela said guests can choose between a $35 ticket that includes
yoga and a glass of rosé, or a $50 ticket that includes yoga, a glass of rosé and a flight of cheeses from Spenker Family Farm.
Valenzuela said she was looking forward to celebrating mindfulness in her winery’s beautiful gardens. She also noted that so many people being excited about the yoga classes is evidence of how far Lodi has come over the years in establishing itself as more than just a wine destination. I chose Lodi because it’s a place where dreams aren’t just talked about, they’re built from the ground up. It’s a place where golden vineyards meet starry skies, and innovation in winemaking is happening,” she said.
Valenzuela loves spending time outside in the area, including hiking under native oaks, watching chinook salmon and steelheard at the fish hatchery or canoeing on the Mokelumne River.
Here, neighbors still wave as they drive past, and the Mediterra-
climate carries more than sunshine — it carries possibility,” she said. “Lodi offers the space to create, to connect and to share something deeply rooted and beautifully unexpected with the world. What excites me is showing the world that Lodi isn’t just part of California wine country — it’s redefining it.”
nean
PHOTOS BY LAURA MORTON
Clockwise from left: Andrew Morrison repairs a bike while working at Lodi Cyclery in downtown Lodi; a group explores Lodi Lake in kayaks rented at the Lodi Boathouse; Jonathan Phan and Keli MacDonald, right, sit down to enjoy drinks and a snack at Tandem Bikes & Brews, the cafe inside the Lodi Cyclery bike shop.
Above left: Jessica Barba, left, and Nora Barba watch a brief instruction on kayaking at the Lodi Boathouse, which rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and pedal boats. Above right: Brian Shirk, right, talks with Beto Gutierrez while working at Tandem Bikes & Brews at the Lodi Cyclery. Below: Andrew Morrison, right, and Brian Shirk work on a bike repairs at Lodi Cyclery, which sells, rents and repairs bikes.
