Despite heat, red wine flows at A Taste of Lodi

Chris Santana, co-owner of M2, does something a little unusual — chilling red wine. But then, temperatures hovered around the century mark for Sunday's A Taste of Lodi. (Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel)

Despite heat, red wine flows at A Taste of Lodi

By Ross Farrow
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Monday, September 28, 2009 12:58 PM PDT

Comments (5 comment(s))

The heat is pushing the century mark in Lodi and you have an outdoor festival, a lot of it featuring red wine.

But you aren't supposed to drink your red wine cold, so what do you do on a day like Sunday?

At Wine & Roses, where Sunday's A Taste of Lodi event took place, vintners weren't phased about chilling red wine.

"Today, we have red wine in an ice chest just to keep from making it hot," said Ed Whitby of Lobo Loco Wines, where the grapes are grown in Wilton and sold on Lower Sacramento Road in downtown Woodbridge.

The problem with red wine, Whitby said, is that chilling it will inhibit the flavor.

Chris Santana, co-owner of M2, said that red wine should be at room temperature. But Sunday presented a problem, especially for those not in the shade.

"The room temperature would be, uh, 95 degrees," Santana said. "So we put it in and out of the ice bucket."

Some red wines are better than others for chilling.

"You don't want to drink more heavy, full-bodied wine," Whitby said.

Peter York, right, brewer at Lodi Beer Co., serves a cold one on a hot day at A Taste of Lodi on Sunday at Wine and Roses. At left is David Phinney, a volunteer. (Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel)

The Italian Sangiovese is very good chilled, said Toni Martinez, who was volunteering at the Harmony Wynelands booth. However, you wouldn't want to chill a cabernet sauvignon, she said.

"It tastes different warm," she said. "It opens up the flavor quite a bit."

To put it in a nutshell, Whitby said, "You want to drink the wine however you like it. The best wine in the world is the one you enjoy."

Although wine dominated A Taste of Lodi, there was a lot of food to eat, and even some cigars from Stogies. But one especially popular spot was Lodi Beer Co.

"It's going great," said David Phinney, volunteering at the Lodi Beer booth. "Everyone calls us the saviors."

Jill Robinson, a Half Moon Bay resident who has relatives in the Lodi area, described Lodi Beer as "differently refreshing."

"I've been totally happy drinking wine all day," Robinson said after downing a cold one. "I think the beer adds to the whole experience."

Lodi Beer brewer Peter York said his beer complemented the rest of the event.

"I don't think we were taking away from the wine crowd," he said. "We're adding to it."

Nancy Beckman, CEO of Visit Lodi! Conference and Visitors Bureau, said that the goal was to show everyone what Lodi has to offer, and that includes beer, food and cigars as well as wine.

The general rule of tourism, Beckman said, is to provide four times as much entertainment as the time it took for the person to arrive at the destination. So if someone drives two hours to Lodi, you need to have eight hours of things to do, Beckman said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

It was hot, but people came anyway

It was a scorcher on Sunday, but an estimated 1,400 to 1,500 people braved the elements and the $40 price tag for A Taste of Lodi on Sunday at Wine & Roses. They sampled wines from 42 wineries and 18 restaurants.

"We only come down here when it's over 100 degrees," quipped Tammi Korbmaker, of West Sacramento. "It's a fantastic venue. We love Lodi wines."

The day was also highlighted by live entertainment from a band playing selections from such artists as Tower of Power, the Temptations, and Huey Lewis and the News.

News-Sentinel staff

This story was updated at 1 p.m. Sept. 28, 2009, to correct Nancy Beckman's title.

Former Lodi resident Lori Olshaskie, left, who now lives in Sacramento, and Tammi Korbmaker of West Sacramento did what scores of people did at Sunday's A Taste of Lodi — fanning themselves in weather approaching the century mark. (Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel)

Reader Feedback

leslie wrote on Sep 29, 2009 8:57 AM:

" I love Lodi wines and wine tasting in the area. However, I WON'T participate in any events held at Wine & Roses due to the snobbery that is always exhibited. At $50 per person (in this economy), the planners of this event were guaranteed to exclude the many local residents who would have truly enjoyed the Tastes of Lodi. "

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Whoa Nellie! wrote on Sep 28, 2009 12:08 PM:

" Robb, the only way anyone was drunk yesterday was if they were hanging out at the Lodi Beer Co booth. It was so hot Mrs Nellie & I could not enjoy the wine, especially Lodi's wonderful Zins. In fact we barely stayed two hours. By the time we left about 4pm there could not have been but 300-400 guests still there, it was just too hot.

It was a wonderful event with some great food to accompany our area wines. We really liked the Tom Hoffman's Heritage Oaks 2006 Vino Tinto, a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Also enjoyed Harney Lane Wineries Primitivo, a twin sister to Zinfandel per owner Kyle Lerner. Always great to taste something new and exciting!! "

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Robb wrote on Sep 28, 2009 11:38 AM:

" Great, lets publicize the fact that lodi LOVES it's drunks.....

DUI anyone?? "

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jasmine wrote on Sep 28, 2009 11:16 AM:

" Great article on Taste of Lodi. However, Nancy Beckman is the CEO of Visit Lodi! Conference & Visitors Bureau (who were hosting the event) NOT the Wine & Visitor Center! "

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carlos wrote on Sep 28, 2009 7:29 AM:

" Another great Taste of Lodi! We've gone to every one and always have a good time. "

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