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• 'We need to make a decision that's best for the citizens'

• Smoky skies in Lodi

• Lodi's Lakewood Drugs may close doors; pharmacy sold to Safeway

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 8th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

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

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

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Lodi to promote wine in Costa Rica

Learning the culture of San Jose, Costa Rica could one day prove as important for local wine producers as knowing that of the Silicon Valley city by the same name.

Representatives from a dozen Lodi area wineries will tour the Central American hub next month to promote their products and make inroads into the surrounding 47-million-person market.

"This is an opportunity — the world is becoming flat," said Pat Patrick, president of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, who is helping organize the trip for both the local wine industry and other interested businesses.

"We just looked at local (markets) years ago, and then we went national. The next logical step is the global marketplace," he said.

Costa Rica is seen as a entry point into markets in Nicaragua, Panama, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, said Costa Rica is just one of several international markets that are opening up to Lodi wine.

Local wineries large and small already export to Canada, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and Korea.

Central America, however, has been overlooked by some of the industry's larger producers, and holds promise for Lodi companies, Chandler said.

"It's a good investment of time and energy," he said.

The focus abroad doesn't mean industry leaders are giving up on the domestic wine market. Chandler noted that he'll promote Lodi wines in markets from Southern California to North Carolina to New York in the next year, with many stops in between.

Lodi already has a few connections in Costa Rica. Wines from Pasos Vineyards and Macchia and Watts wineries were poured last year during the inauguration festivities for President Oscar Arias.

Antonio Pasos, owner and winemaker for Pasos Vineyards, said he's already shipped his old vine zinfandel, syrah, charbono and dolcetto varietals to Costa Rica for the upcoming event.

With huge competition among wineries domestically, Pasos said it only makes sense to market abroad.

"If you want to get some exposure, it seems you've got to take your product elsewhere," he said. "How many thousand wineries are there in California?"

In addition to wine, Lodians have made an impact on Costa Rica's building industry. Led by Tokay High School graduate Eric Neuvert, Paradigma Construction has built numerous upscale homes in the nation.

Patrick said Frank Gayaldo, a local wine broker, gets much of the credit for opening up the country to Lodi products.

He's helped connect the Lodi Chamber with the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, with the goal of introducing Lodi goods to the Commercial and Agricultural Attache in the country, Patrick said.

Gayaldo is also helping to feature Lodi wines during the 3-day EXPOVINOS festival to be held during the chamber's October visit. Lodi wines will be the only wine served at the festival, a showcase for food, wine and lifestyle products.

Patrick will be taking profiles of Lodi businesses and their product samples to Costa Rica next month. Contact him about taking your businesses' products at 367-7840, ext. 104.

The chamber is taking a similar trip to China in November.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.