Since living in California, Daniele and I have discovered we really like Zinfandels! Hence, our trip to do wine tasting in Lodi, otherwise known as “the Zinfandel capital” of California.
Macchia winery was referred to us and was our first stop. We loved everything about it from the quaint decor, the excellent customer service, the bocce ball court outside, the two Zinfandels we tried on the tasting list to their motto, “It’s All Good!” I am sure we will be saying that while drinking their two Zinfandels we took home with us!
Our next stop was Klinker Brick Winery. It was busy when we arrived. The Cabernet here was a hit, although I did also enjoy the two Zinfandels I tried. The Cabernet won in making it home with us. The customer service was not the best, which hindered a great experience here, but we met a friendly lady on a beautiful horse outside who recommended we go visit Oak Farm. Her dog, a lab/terrier mix, came to greet us before she did. We showed him some love by petting him as well as her horse before they went on their walk.
We took her suggestion and were off to Oak Farm. We were impressed when we arrived. It was a beautiful upscale winery, a bit more modern in decor than the others we had visited. We had great customer service here and enjoyed the wines we tried. We took home a bottle of a Zinfandel that was rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. It was not on the tasting list, but we figured with that rating, we would enjoy it!
Our ride was a little over two hours from where we live to Lodi. It was well worth the drive for us. We saw some new places and experienced a couple of great wineries and wines. Meeting the lady on the horse was an extra added bonus. I love these types of spontaneous encounters that are friendly, while providing you with a referral for a place that we happened to take delight in. Cheers to the Zinfandel capital!