We recently finished-off a bottle of Jessie’s Grove Winery Old Vine 05 Lodi Zinfandel.  We were reminded of two things:

1) Lodi Zins are often terrific and this one is no exception. We loved the strong rich flavors and nose.  All to often we drink wine that has a great nose but not much to taste.  This Zin doesn’t disappoint if you are looking for robust but still soft on the finish.

2) Jessie’s Grove Winery is a ranch with a wine tasting room.  There are a few farm animals around, a huge barn, and a desert tortoise that is sometimes lively.

Besides the wine and tortoise the real attraction here is the preserved ancient oak savanna from pre-European times.  Walk into the oaks for a little glimpse of the past at a little museum and wonderful picnic grounds.  Buy their wine and hangout for a while.

- jim

You probably think I mean Murphys with a dozen tasting rooms in a small Gold Rush town.  Murphys is wonderful and we can’t wait to return, but I have another place in mind.

Near the Central Valley town of Lockford in the Lodi wine region is Vino Piazza – the Wine Plaza. So you would think that it is a romantic Italian plaza in the vineyards.  It is romantic, but it is an old industrial winery complex of huge concrete buildings.  The owner remodeled the run-down plant and some 8 wineries moved into it. Each tasting room is quaint, interesting, cozy, often intimate, and the whole experience, including the restaurant, is EXCITING!

Check out the tiny tasting room inside the old boiler!  (Hint: Visit Stama.)  For bargains, and a lively barista, we taste at Watts. Boitano seems to always have some event going on.  Last weekend they were barbecuing sausages and had a meal to go with their Barbera. The tiny Pasos tasting room often has munchies, and a social atmosphere.  You won’t be bored.

The grapes are mostly from the Lodi and Sierra Foothills regions and the diversity is just fine.  These are all tiny wineries with creative wine makers and strong local followings.

On our Lodi wine region map notice the infestation of markers on the upper right.  That’s Vino Piazza.  Sunday is generally a quiet day in the Lodi region and a great time to visit for a weekday experience.

Modest hotels are available in nearby Lodi but for a not much longer drive you can stay in the romantic Gold Rush towns to the east.  These are close to the Amador and Murphys regions.

- jim