Lodi.. Land of Delectable Intoxicants

Places get bad raps. It is inevitable. People see only a portion, and create a description of a whole. They hear something and without even taking the time to research it themselves, they adopt it as the truth. This is, or should I say, was, the plight of the Lodi wines in California. 

Unfortunately, thanks to a song written by Creedance Clearwater Revival in 1969, Lodi was faced with a large scale disrespect for its wonderful city.  

Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune
Lookin’ for a pot of gold
Thing got bad things got worse
I guess you will know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

Similar to the “Sideways Effect,” people really do not understand the meaning behind the statement. The song is about a struggling musician. Someone who is spending their life on greyhound buses traveling from one city to the next playing in bar after bar and moving on the next day. It doesn’t matter the city, since the situation is always the same. In fact, in an interview, John Fogerty stated that he never intended to give the small town a bad rap. He simply used the town because as a child, he camped at Lodi Lake. His brother and he hated camping. While writing the song, the name worked well, and the rest of the story is history. Sadly, the unwarranted impression stuck. 

Always Adapting

Located in the San Joaquin Valley, in the northern section of the Central Valley, Lodi has a long history. A history that has always been wine focused. In fact, grapes grew wild along the riverbanks and in 1858, George West became the first commercial vintner in the area when he built the El Pinal Winery.

Farming history in Lodi really began with watermelons. But as watermelon growth halted, the resilient farmers turned to grapes. When prohibition began, once again, the irrepressible people focused more specifically on Zinfandel. Thinking outside the box, the grape growers shifted gears from shipping wine to shipping grapes with the explicit directions, “Do no add water and sugar!” The thick skinned berries of  Zinfandel allowed the grapes to transport cross country well and by providing the “non-instructions” the lucky recipients were able to make their own wine. 

After Prohibition ended, Lodi wine region flourished for a few decades by producing Tokaj, Zinfandel, and dessert wines. But the American palate began to change and once again the farmers needed to adapt or become extinct. They began focusing on producing quality varietal winegrapes. Beginning in the 1960s and over the next 30 years, Lodi once again re-invented itself. They began to convert their vineyards to premium varietal winegrapes.

A large hurdle of changing the impression of Lodi occurred when the Lodi Appellation AVA was created in 1986. Known as the “Zinfandel capital of the world,” and named “Zinfandel Capital of the World” and named “2015 Wine Region of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast, Lodi is now gained substanial respect not only for its Zinfandel but for other eclectic wine varietals, as well as its focus on sustainability under the Lodi Rules program. 

Changing Minds

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” 

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  

In 1991, the grape growers decided it was time for change and took these quotes to heart. They banded  together and voted to fund the Lodi Winegrape Commission through a self-imposed wine grape tax. Their mission was to “To serve the common interests of all Lodi Crush District 11 winegrape producers and to enhance the profitability of winegrape production through promotion, research, and education.”