Lodi: The Quiet Napa(2)
LODI WINE COUNTRY
Lodi’s grape grow genealogy dates back to 1850, when Charles Weber, the founder of the town of Stockton, planted the first grapes near his home. A few years later, a Massachusetts man named George West, who first came to California to reap his fortune during the Gold Rush, planted the region’s first commercial vineyard and built El Pinal Winery.
As with any new wine region, experimentation was commonplace in Lodi’s early years, Several varietals did well in Lodi’s Mediterranean-like climate, but Zinfandel and Tokay flourished as the best growers. The Tokay, a hearty grape, held up well during the long rail trips to eastern markets. After the turn of the century when shipping companies emerged, Lodi’s vineyards truly prospered. During prohibition, home winemaking was permitted under the Volstead Act which helped make many Lodi grape growers thrive while other vineyards and wineries closed around the country.
The Lodi Wine region is located 100 miles east of San Francisco near the San Joaquin River Delta, about 35 miles south of Sacramento and west of Sierra Nevada. Most people will be surprised to learn that Lodi, not Napa, leads all California wine districts in the production of the top five premium wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel. The Lodi region produces a whopping 600,000 tons of grapes, valued at over $300 million before being turned into wine. Lodi’s production comprises 18% of California’s total winegrape production, which is more than Napa and Sonoma combined.
With these statistics, why don’t more people know about Lodi? The grape growers are also residents of Lodi and Lodi folks prefer to keep a low profile. Without the commercialized glitz of Napa, Lodi remains an affordable wine-tasting destination without the high fees and large crowds of its counterpart. Traveling to Lodi is like taking a time warp to a homey farm community that can be more closely compared to Mayberry than to Napa or Sonoma. Everyone knows each other and takes pride in their community. While Lodi resembles a small town, it is a real incorporated city with a population of approximately 60,000 residents, according to the latest census figures. While most of the 750 grape growers sell their grapes to large wineries such as Mondavi, Turner Road Vintners, Sutter Home, EJ Gallo and Berringer, the emergence of several dozen smaller boutique wineries has created a laid back wine destination for wine aficionados seeking quality wines over a glamorous setting.
