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• City sues Wall Street banking firm

• City's legal problems could have been prevented, federal judge says

• Reno Supercenter provides glimpse of what may be in store for Lodi

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi merchants feuding over downtown parking

• Reno Supercenter took five years to plan, finish

• Annual wine show kicks off spring in Lodi

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Annual wine show kicks off spring in Lodi

The name "Lodi" had been popping up for a few years on the bottles of zinfandel that Mike and Darlene Graetz enjoyed in their St. Paul, Minn., home. Curious, the couple decided to jump on a plane and hit the tasting trail to see what all the fuss was about.

The Graetzes' arrived in Lodi this week to find nearly all the appellation wineries gathered under one roof for the 24th annual Spring Wine Show, which continues tonight at the Grape Festival Fairgrounds at 6 p.m.

Talk about timing.

"We didn't know that this was going on until we stepped into the first winery today," Mike Graetz said. "We had plans to go around to all the different wineries. This is a deal."

People from across the San Joaquin Valley -- across the country, for that matter -- were at the fairgrounds in Lodi on Friday to sample hundreds of labels from dozens of local wineries for the wine show. The event allows local winemakers to show off their products to the public, and gives people looking to experiment a chance to try different varieties, said David Lucas, owner of The Lucas Winery.

Lucas was one of the original Lodi winemakers pouring at the wine show when it got its start in 1981. Back then, there was only a handful of Lodi wineries to go with the big guys from Napa and Sonoma.

"Now it's almost all Lodi wineries," Lucas said. "It's a great opportunity for people that have maybe seen one of these labels on the shelf but haven't had a chance to try."

The event also gives local winemakers a chance to see firsthand what the consumers like -- and don't like, said Mike Chupp, director of winemaking for the Jewel Collection Winery. Seeing people taste the wines is a good way to gauge reaction to different varieties, even if they fib to make the vintners feel better.

"They don't want to hurt our feelings," Chupp said. "But if you look close enough, you can tell which ones work."

Tony Gutierrez holds his glass up to the light as he checks the clarity on a sample of wine Friday at the annual Lodi Spring Wine Show at the Grape Festival grounds. The show continues today from 6 to 9 p.m. (Jerry Tyson/News-Sentinel)

Winemakers dominated the landscape Friday, but local restaurants were also on hand to show off their wares. The Rosewood Bar & Grill set up a display featuring chocolates and other desserts for people to munch on while they tasted wines.

Restaurants don't typically have tasting room-type features for people to sample their menus, so events like the wine show are a great opportunity to show consumers what they have to offer, said Rai-Mon Barnes, director of marketing for Rosewood.

"This is one of the few times you can actually bring it to them, so you have to take full advantage," Barnes said.

Stockton residents Mike and Barb Lescisin came out for their 15th year of attending the wine show Friday night. It's not only the wine and food that brings them out each year, they said; it's the people.

"I enjoy the wine, but we also get to see people that we don't usually see," Bob Lescisin said. "I would say the (socializing) is equal to the tasting."

Two people they definitely wouldn't run into on the street in Lodi are Rick and Linda Sparrow. The Louisville, Ky. residents -- much like the Graetz's from Minnesota -- have been drinking Lodi Zinfandels for a number of years, and decided to catch everyone in one room this year.

"We planned a whole trip around this," Rick Sparrow said.

The Spring Wine Show continues today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds. Tickets are $30. For more information, call 369-2771.