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Closing of car dealerships a sad note, but our wine industry offers real hope


Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:26 AM PST

Comments (49 comment(s))

The closing of Geweke Dodge was bad enough, but now the Plummer auto dealership is gone.

Gone with it are 59 jobs, nearly a million dollars a year in sales tax, and a very bold dream.

Over the years, Lodi has been resilient and upbeat in the face of economic setbacks. Not any more. We're going to feel a deep loss when businesses like Plummer and the Dodge arm of the Geweke group go down the tubes.

These are outsized businesses lead by community-minded people.

Of course, the rest of the Geweke dealerships are still in place, as is Daryl and Larry Geweke's legacy of charitable giving.

When we lose these businesses, we chip away at our history.

Geweke Dodge can be traced back to Weil Motors located at the corner of Lockeford and Sacramento Streets — the last good-sized traditional retail business in Downtown.

Dennis Plummer purchased the GMC-Pontiac-Cadillac franchisee from Lou Peters in the mid-1970s. Historians among us won't forget the Lou Peters saga — how he wore a wire for the FBI and gathered evidence that put mafioso Joe Bonano in jail.

That's sort of the way car dealers are — big guys and gals with big ideas.

When Plummer and partner Mike Thieme opened the 14-acre new car lot and showroom on Kettleman Lane, it was hailed as one of the biggest dealerships in California.

At the time, Thieme told the Sentinel that they built on the huge lot to eliminate the need for future expansion.

That kind of bold optimism creates prosperity.

Of course, the economic downturn flattens our wallets.

Worse, it deflates our expectations. Optimism is the first thing we need to rebuild to restore the American economy.

On that note, we have good tidings. Our local wine industry is more than holding its own.

Consider:

  • Attendance at the recent Wine and Chocolate event was up 25 percent over last year.

  • Local growers and vintners continue to expand. Witness the opening of the eye-catching winetasting venue on Turner Road opened by the Mencarini brothers, owners of Abundance Vineyards.

    Kyle and Jorja Lerner and partners George and Kathy Mettler, who've won medals for their Harney Lane Winery, are also opening a tasting room soon at, fittingly enough, 9010 East Harney Lane.

    Soon, Downtown will see the opening of the Dancing Fox Winery and Bakery (gotta love that name!) in the space previously occupied by Cottage Bakery.

  • The price of wine grapes per ton rose from $398 in 2007 to $482 in 2008.

  • The Lodi-Woodbridge cachet continues to impress. For instance, one of Gallo's hottest brands is its Barefoot Cellars. When Gallo added the fact that the grapes for Barefoot's zin come from Lodi, sales shot up 40 percent.

  • With many of our area wines at $15 or less per bottle, our vintners remain in the "bang for the buck" zone that appeals to many wine drinkers today.

    Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi-Woodbridge Wine Grape Commission, said that things are encouraging, though not entirely rosy. The price per ton, though up, is actually short of the cost of production, he noted.

    "So it is not all unbridled success," he said. "But we do some really positive signs. We intend not to just survive this challenging time, but flourish."

    Realism tempered by optimism.

    As a community, we can — and will — build on that.

    The Lodi News-Sentinel

    Reader Feedback

    Lodian wrote on Mar 9, 2009 1:19 PM:

    " Robb wrote on Mar 6, 2009 6:08 PM:

    " Pave over the grape farms "

    Why and with what exactly? "

    Report Abuse

    Robb wrote on Mar 6, 2009 6:08 PM:

    " Pave over the grape farms "

    Report Abuse

    wtf wrote on Mar 6, 2009 10:48 AM:

    " Lodian wrote: "wtf: Careful... before ya know it someone is going to start calling you a snob and an elitist because you like and care about Lodi."

    Moi?

    But...but, Lodi ***is*** a GREAT town! LOL! Seriously, even with all of our bickering and warring with the CC, Lodi is still one of the best places to live. ;)

    And we're becoming "almost famous" too! "

    Report Abuse

    Lodian wrote on Mar 6, 2009 10:33 AM:

    " HRH6S1 wrote "I grew up near the *real* California wine country - NAPA. Newsflash, Lodi - no one else knows you exist."

    HRH6S1: What? No one else knows Lodi exisst? LOL! What have you been drinkin'? Um... you are mistaken. "

    Report Abuse

    Lodian wrote on Mar 6, 2009 10:29 AM:

    " wtf wrote "Oh, and one other thing....my posts weren't my overblown opinion of Lodi."

    wtf: Careful... before ya know it someone is going to start calling you a snob and an elitist because you like and care about Lodi. ;-)

    It seems that one cannot care about this town without someone else having an attitude about it. I don't know where this attitude comes from but to think that those posters just don't live here or something. "

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    Cogito wrote on Mar 5, 2009 8:31 PM:

    " Every else seemed to miss HRHs reference to drinking better "pruno" in state prison. Really, how much pruno have you drank while in prison amigo? Lodi makes some great, well respected (by EXPERTS by the way) wines. Lodi is too hot for a lot of the best varietals, but they do some amazing work with our Syrahs, Petite Syrahs, and we are the Kings of the Zins. Some of the lowlands around the rivers grow some good Chardonnay grapes (I know someone getting $800 a ton). Look up the article in yesterdays Bee about Lucas. Remember, some of the best grapes grow in the worst soil. With all that sandy loam around Lodi, we have some of the worst! "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 5, 2009 4:36 PM:

    " commonsense1....as usual you're making goofy statements. I can't ask Mr. Meath because it was ***in an article*** he wrote. If you are so concerned, then why don't you write to Denver and ask him yourself.

    Or, better yet, why don't you read the article in question. I've posted a link on Feb 28, 2009 12:36 PM. "

    Report Abuse

    commonsense1 wrote on Mar 5, 2009 2:03 PM:

    " HRH6S1 - That Napa wine has fried your taste buds. Napa has some of the best wine in the world, but don't think for one moment, some of the Lodi wines aren't right there with them. "

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    commonsense1 wrote on Mar 5, 2009 1:56 PM:

    " wtf....Please ask Mr. Meath which existing vineyards are feeling pressure from developers and shopping centers. Until last year, there were a few acres of old vines removed to accomodate Blue Shield/Reynolds Ranch. As a matter of fact, that is the only ground I can think of that has been affected for 10 to 15 years. I think we will see a very big jump in the number of local wineries and wine sales over then next 10 years. Expensive Napa wine producers are getting their teeth kicked in right now. Lodi wines are doing extremely well, with high quality wine at very reasonable prices. "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 5, 2009 9:00 AM:

    " Oh, and one other thing....my posts weren't my overblown opinion of Lodi.

    No, my posts came from an article by a reporter from Denver, Colorado who had a GREAT opinion of Lodi. ;) "

    Report Abuse

    wtf wrote on Mar 5, 2009 8:59 AM:

    " I agree, Observer, it seems that HRH6S1 may be feeling a bit threatened by Lodi. LOL!

    FYI HRH6S1: Never said Lodi was Napa, or even attempt to be like Napa; suggested Lodi market Lodi as Lodi. But you should also remember that your "famous" Napa wines are made, a lot of the time, with Lodi grapes. LOL! "

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    Observer wrote on Mar 5, 2009 7:58 AM:

    " Wow HRH6S1.....why the hate? I don't hear anyone telling us Lodi wines are superior to Napa. There are some good wines coming out of Lodi and we're proud of it. You need some serious counseling. "

    Report Abuse

    HRH6S1 wrote on Mar 5, 2009 12:00 AM:

    " Wishful thinking is right... I grew up near the *real* California wine country - NAPA. Newsflash, Lodi - no one else knows you exist. Lodi is nothing more than a supplier for nondescript bulk wine grapes to fill those low rent cardboard boxes on the bottom shelf at the supermarket. Lodi will never be a Napa, St. Helena, Yountville level supplier of fine wine. But just keep telling each other how great it will be and keep drinking that rot gut local trash you call wine. I've seen finer batches of pruno turned out in the state prison system that what you can find in Lodi's wineries.
    "$15 or less per bottle, our vintners remain in the "bang for the buck" zone that appeals to many wine drinkers today..." Yep, those drinkers are called 'alcoholics' and it's because of the crashing economy that your "affordable" wine sales are jumping. I never cease to be amused by how fabulously impressed Lodi is with Lodi. Ever read that Dr. Suess book about the sneetches and the stars on their bellies? That's a perfect literary representation of Lodians. Cheers! "

    Report Abuse

    Mainframe wrote on Mar 4, 2009 8:46 PM:

    " WTF posted (from the article), "the real danger is that much of the vineyards that produce our quality fruit will be paved over by housing and retail developments. Additionally the type of development that has been typically seen in our region (large suburban housing developments with adjunct Big Box stores, national retailers and fast food chains) are not good neighbors to wineries and not really an appealing setting."

    I agree. What was described is definetly not an appealing setting for tourists or wine tasting. "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 2:22 PM:

    " Hey Robb....you don't like Lodi? LOL! "

    Report Abuse

    Robb wrote on Mar 4, 2009 1:28 PM:

    " Hey wtf:

    WTF??? "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 10:39 AM:

    " t jefferson, Lodi has a ***lot*** to offer; it just needs to marketed! If it's only to advertise us as one of the last American towns. LOL!

    That "wishful" thinking was from an article that appeared in Denver, Colorado. Advertising can also be done on the internet and here, your audience is the world.

    If Lodi has to copy someone, maybe they should become the "mirror site" for Lodi, Italy. The PR people for the town should be working on this. "

    Report Abuse

    t jefferson wrote on Mar 4, 2009 10:07 AM:

    " Wow, that's a lot of wishful thinking. Time will tell and for some reason I think in the long run Napa will win with the foothills in the Jackson area coming in second. Lodi will be regulated to the heavy growing area and not become a tourist destination, no draws. Downtown, come on, "Wineries" in steel building, yea right.... "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:31 AM:

    " Here's a link to Alexander Valley mentioned earlier.

    http://alexandervalley.org/ "

    Report Abuse

    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:25 AM:

    " All of the previous posts were from the article, "Next Article Lodi, The Quiet Napa"

    One of the places the author of this article neglected to mention was the original A&W. ;)

    I was born in Denver, Colorado and the first "fast food" place I ever went to was an A&W with car hops when I was about four or five years old.

    Lodi doesn't have to be, nor should it try to be, another Napa.

    We are Lodi and should market ourselves as such. "

    Report Abuse

    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:23 AM:

    " While many locals are concerned that Lodi wines and wineries may eventually get caught up in a more upscale climate like Napa, the real danger is that much of the vineyards that produce our quality fruit will be paved over by housing and retail developments. Additionally the type of development that has been typically seen in our region (large suburban housing developments with adjunct Big Box stores, national retailers and fast food chains) are not good neighbors to wineries and not really an appealing setting.

    No one can predict the future. The best advice that I can offer is to give Lodi Wine Country a try. And if you are planning to visit Napa, why not build in a few days to explore Lodi? Its less than 90 minutes away. You wont be disappointed, because after all Lodi is the quiet Napa! "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:22 AM:

    " Gregory T. Meath, an Attorney, vineyard owner and long time Lodi resident says that pressure from real estate developers and large retail concerns have put much of the land around Lodi and Stockton on the list for future development. Real Estate prices in San Joaquin County are still rising, thanks to a continual influx of people who cannot afford pricier Bay Area cities. "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:22 AM:

    " With such a quaint environment, delicious wines and restaurants, Lodi has a lot to offer for anyone seeking a quality wine country experience. My only question is how long will Lodi stay like it is today?

    When I asked Mike Matsons wife, Renae if she was worried that Lodi may eventually become as commercial as Napa, she commented, No way! Lodi is a real town with real people. We grow the grapes and make the wine. If anything, Lodi may evolve to be more like Alexander Valley ten years from now. "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:20 AM:

    " Downtown Lodi has several big draws. This is one of the rare, remaining real downtowns where you can park your car and stroll the sidewalk visiting small retail shops, restaurants and an old movie theatre. You will also find two different brewpubs plus a chocolate factory.

    Vino Con Brio Winery is one of only a handful of US wineries that produce Pinotage wine, a red grape that is as popular in South Africa as Zin is in Lodi. Known as a difficult grape to cultivate, good Pinotage has been said to have the elegance of Burgundy, combined with the rich flavors of Rhone. "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:17 AM:

    " A recent wine country addition is the lovely Amorosa Inn and Gardens, which is located on a twenty-acre vineyard estate. The property features an elegantly appointed B&B with four different-themed rooms overlooking a pastoral pond, as well as an event center and weekend tasting room for Vino Con Brio winery. Only open for a year, the Amorosa which means loving in Italian, has been gaining popularity with guests from the Central Bay, San Francisco Bay and as far away as Germany, thanks to the Internet!

    http://www.amorosainn.com/ "

    Report Abuse

    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:15 AM:

    " The Lodi Wine Grape Commission has been instrumental for spearheading the industries continued growth and focus on quality. Their latest initiative is setting standards for the regions Certified Sustainable winegrape label. This is a green program that raises the bar and sets standards for Sustainable Agriculture...which in simple terms means replacing pesticides with a more organic solution. Lodi is taking this issue quite seriously. Consumers will soon see special labels indicating that a producer has met the qualifications. "

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    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:14 AM:

    " The biggest difference between Lodi and Napa is that Lodi lacks the commercialism and glitz of Napa Valleys destination wineries. It also lacks the pricey tasting fees being charged by the famous wineries up north.

    Traveling to Lodi is like taking a time warp to a homey farm community that can be more closely compared to Mayberry than to Napa or Sonoma...This has created a laid back wine route for wine aficionados seeking adventure.

    Renae Matson, co-owner of Vino Con Brio Winery comments We have been seeing a steady increase of wine tourism each year. Our biggest obstacle is that people dont realize what we do here. They are not aware that we produce high quality wine. "

    Report Abuse

    wtf wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:14 AM:

    " Have to remember, sam, that in the movies they use "creative license" meaning anything goes. LOL!

    Most people will be surprised to learn that today, Lodi leads all other California wine districts in the production of the top five premium wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.

    Lodis production comprises of 18% of Californias total winegrape production, which is MORE than Napa and Sonoma combined! "

    Report Abuse

    Robb wrote on Mar 4, 2009 9:07 AM:

    " Perfect, lets continue to promote DUI's

    then again, even that is revenue for someone.... "

    Report Abuse

    Cogito wrote on Mar 3, 2009 8:38 PM:

    " Sam, you ever see the movie with Tom Cruise where the vineyard burns like a dry brush fire in SoCal? Hilarious. "

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    sam wrote on Mar 3, 2009 9:38 AM:

    " TJ, I agree that Lodi will never be another Napa, but many of us sell our grapes to Napa wineries.

    Wtf, we just finished the movie Bottle Shock. It was cute movie. However the scenery confirms TJ's comment about Lodi never being another Napa. Napa is GORGEOUS with its rolling hills of vineyards. I love our vineyards, but I do not see it as a great tourist destination.

    BTW, wtf did you notice in the movie that the "1974" vineyard was a red vineyard on wire, yet in the movie they made Chardonnay.

    Gotta love watching a movie about vineyards with a grape farmer. Nothing slips by. "

    Report Abuse

    bobbyg wrote on Mar 2, 2009 9:39 PM:

    " Just a little history, during previous down turns in the economy wine and spirit sales actually go up. Instead of going out to movies or entertainment and spending money people stay home with friends over and have dinner and wine or play board games (in the past) and Guitar hero (in the present) and drink some wine and enjoy the night. So we will loose some more restaurants for sure, but alcohol is always a boom during a bust! "

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    RV wrote on Mar 2, 2009 11:33 AM:

    " Great idea! cars that run on wine! "

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    t jefferson wrote on Mar 2, 2009 10:32 AM:

    " Nellie - Lodi was not, is not and will never be Napa, nuff said. Competition is going to be fierce and only time will tell what is going to happen. I think people in the next few years are going to have a lot more to worry about than what wine to buy and those local wineries are not capitalized well enough to live through a multi-year downturn. Come back in 2015 and we will see where Lodi's wine industry is at that time. By then General Mills and Cottege Bakery should be closed the the CC will be scrambling to make up the tax losses. "

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    Lodian wrote on Mar 2, 2009 9:53 AM:

    " Lodi would be wise to foster this "Wine Town" theme by trying to attract complimentary businesses to this town. "

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    Lodian wrote on Mar 2, 2009 9:47 AM:

    " dogbark: Wow impressive post (8:53 AM). :-) He was the son of Zeus, right? "

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    Whoa Nellie! wrote on Mar 2, 2009 9:08 AM:

    " T Jeff- Having been in the wine industry and continue to follow it closely, I respectfully disagree.

    Look at Napa. Sure, some of the original boutique wineries have sold out to larger winemakers but most are still independently owned.

    Now, look around at the local families who have gone from wine grape growers to winery owners. These long time Lodians are in "it" for the long haul. Many are multi-generational grape growers. Many now have their kids in the business, and plan on passing it to the next generation. Sure, some might sell out; maybe their kids have no interest in getting dirty, or, the price for the land & facility was just too tempting. But most in our area will continue to be family wineries for generations.

    Cog- you are so right. Most Lodi wines are well positioned at the under $20 price point in retail. Restaurants are another story, but our wines should do fine. "

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    dogbark wrote on Mar 2, 2009 8:53 AM:

    " Glad to see from some of the comments that nothing has changed in centuries.

    Bacchus Dionysus the god of wine was murderously torn apart by his friends/critics when he introduced them to wine at a dinner. Once they sobered up and realized they hadn't been poisoned at his party as they'd feared, they prayed to the gods that Bacchus be returned to life so they could get the formula. Uh, I mean so they could ask his forgiveness.
    The gods only partially granted the request, by granting immortality to the deceased Bacchus making him a god.

    For those that don't recall the steps for becoming immortal in the Greek and Roman times; born of a mortal woman, but the offspring of a god, offering great understanding to mankind, be rejected and horribly martyred, then returning to life in order to ascend to Olympus as a god.
    What silly people.
    Uh, for that time, of course. "

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    Cogito wrote on Mar 2, 2009 8:20 AM:

    " OOPS! What it's really "all about" is the Hokey Pokey, but you get my drift. "

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    Cogito wrote on Mar 2, 2009 8:15 AM:

    " Carlos, shared sacrifice for the good of the community, that's what it's all about. Kumbayah! "

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    carlos wrote on Mar 2, 2009 7:44 AM:

    " wtf: good article, thanks for the link.
    Cogito: thanks for making the sacrifice to help us all out. Joining all those wine clubs shows you really care about the local economy. I have to admit, I'm a member of a couple myself. "

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    Cogito wrote on Mar 2, 2009 7:41 AM:

    " Everyone brings up a lot of good points. Discretionary income industries ARE being hurt by this recession, and pretty badly. Especially the restaurants. Luckily Lodi wines are the ones most likely to be served "by the glass" while dining. My wife and I are members of 6 local wineries wine clubs, and regularly buy from many more. It's a sacrifice, but were doing our best to help out the local economy. With around 90% of Californians still working, I don't foresee an industry that sells a product that gives that much enjoyment for around $20 being impacted too heavily. "

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    t jefferson wrote on Mar 2, 2009 6:33 AM:

    " nellie - AG has always been a huge cash generator in this are. unforunatly they don't provide sales tax to the city because they wine is made and sold elsewhere. I think the future for the wine industry is going to be one of consolidation. For the last few year the number of vintners has exploded and as the cycle turns this will lead to consolidation. Most of these small boutique wineries will disappear, but hey that is just looking at if from a business perspective not a tourism perspective. "

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    edumacation wrote on Mar 1, 2009 10:20 PM:

    " Whoa Nellie: You have a good point! How much tax revenue do we get from wine sales in the city of Lodi? Why buy retail when you can buy wholesale three miles away? The market data for table wine for home use shows that wine sold at less then $5/bottle is still stable. Premium brand wine marketed to restaurants is languishing above $15/bottle. Restaurant traffic is low and consumers buy house labels by the glass instead of by the bottle. It doesn't look good. When you find an excellent vintage red, cellar it. "

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    Whoa Nellie wrote on Feb 28, 2009 6:27 PM:

    " Jay, you must be blind. Wine grapes are a $300 MILLION DOLLAR CASH CROP for the Lodi-Woodbridge area. The real shame is that all of the wineries are located outside the city limits which means that all of their sales tax goes to SJC.

    My one question, which will show Jay the magnatude of this industry, if attendance was up 25% to the Wine & Chocolate Weekend how many people attended? I heard it was 5-digits, but I heard that thru the grapevine (pun intended, lol). "

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    wtf wrote on Feb 28, 2009 12:36 PM:

    " Surprisingly, I am in agreement with the LNS. LOL! Lodi's wines aren't just for us here in Lodi and, I have to say, some of the best wine I've ever tasted is from right here in our home town.

    There's even a movie that you can rent on this; however, it's not on Lodi but Napa, and the emergence of California wines onto the world scene.

    Bottle Shock

    http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809921363/details

    You can link to the trailer in the above movie synopsis.

    And this article is from Denver, Colorado

    Lodi, The Quiet Napa

    http://www.examiner.com/x-2751-Denver-Getaways-Examiner~y2009m2d23-Lodi-The-Quiet-Napa "

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    jaysam1 wrote on Feb 28, 2009 8:21 AM:

    " Just exactly who authored this little gem of wisdom? ARe you kidding me? Maybe I'm the ignorant fool here, but I thought that auto dealerships contribute pretty substantially to our tax base here. Am I wrong on this? I really can't see how the wine industry here in town is "booming". "

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    T & C wrote on Feb 28, 2009 8:20 AM:

    " Drinking wine is cheaper then buying a 2009 vehicle. It's just economics! "

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    t jefferson wrote on Feb 28, 2009 6:38 AM:

    " Oh yes that great wine industry... The one in a supersaturated market that relies on disposal income to survive. Hmmm great hope during a recession...I am betting 1/2 or more of these steel building wineries are gone in the next 5 years and the other severely scaled back. "

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    Comments on this story are now closed.

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