Lodi quickly becoming top wine region in U.S.

Lodi has come a long way since settlers planted the region’s first grapevines more than 150 years ago.

The wine appellation is one of the fastestgrowing in California, expanding from eight wineries in 1990 to nearly 60 today. Those winemakers have produced hundreds of labels that have garnered numerous awards at state and national competitions.

“We’re now ranked among the fine wine districts of the world,” said Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission.

Lodi is home to wineries big and small. On one end of the spectrum is winemaking giant Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, which ships nearly 9 million cases of wine each year from its nearby distribution center. At the other end are a wide range of boutique wineries owned and operated by local vintners.

In between, the region is home to other award-winning wineries, including Michael-David Vineyards, the Jewel Collection and Peirano Estates. At the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Lodi wineries took a Best of Show medal for red wines (Earthquake’s 2003 Petit Sirah) and eight Gold Best of Class medals.

That was more Best of Class medals than Napa and Sonoma garnered, according to Chandler.

“They are definitely looking over their shoulder at us,” he said.

Lodi produced more than 525,000 tons of winegrapes from 90,000 vineyard acres in 2004. The top varieties from the region include Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The region’s Zinfandel production reached 134,528 tons in 2004 — more than 42 percent of the state’s output of the popular variety. Lodi also produces around one-fourth of California’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Lodi’s been a prominent growing region for years, but it’s winemakers are also beginning to catch up with the rest of the state, Chandler said. The region became a distinct wine appellation in the 1980s, and its many wineries are located along a scenic wine trail that features many tasting rooms.

The Lucas Winery on North Davis Road, owned by local vintner David Lucas, is one of the area’s longest-standing boutique wineries. Lucas believes that as more and more growers stop selling their grapes to wineries out of the region, Lodi’s wines can continue to develop the distinct characteristics that make the region so popular.

“We are learning how to produce wines in the Lodi appellation that taste like they came from the appellation,” Lucas said. “(They’re) not trying to taste like Napa or Sonoma.”

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