Wine and Visitor Center draws crowds

By Brian Ross
News-Sentinel staff writer

The opening of Lodi’s elegant $1.5 million Wine and Visitors Center in September 2000 marked what many in the industry boast is the area’s coming of age as a producer of world-class premium varietal wines.

Originally set to open in May 2000, the center’s completion was delayed by unseasonably wet weather until September of that year, when the gala event was attended by more than 1,000 people.

Since that time, the center has continued to attract growing crowds of weekend visitors from around the state — and the world.

For those curious about how wine is made, the new center is just the ticket, with educational displays that walk you through every phase of the process, in terms that are easy to grasp.

The idea is paying off, as visitors from French Camp to South Korea are discovering firsthand just how fun wine can be.

“It’s been going remarkably well,” Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, said of the local wine industry’s new showpiece, which sits on the grounds of Wine & Roses Country Inn at the intersection of Turner and Lower Sacramento roads.

The center currently hosts an average of about three industry groups per week, in addition to an estimated 1,000 visitors each weekend, Chandler said.

The center now has 11 interactive displays up and running, with more scheduled to follow in the near future, Chandler said.

There are more than 30 local vintages available for tasting on a rotating basis, he said.

Additionally, Lodi’s long and rich wine history is well documented at the center, which gives visitors a sense of local history along with a good foundation on what it takes to make great wine, Chandler said.

In addition to the center, the building holds the offices of both the winegrape commission and the Lodi Conference and Visitors Bureau.

The real beauty of the new wine complex is that it has something for just about everyone, Chandler said.

“This appeals not just to the beginner,” Chandler said. “It holds plenty of fascination for the experienced wine drinker as well.”

For more information call, (209) 367-4727 or visit the Lodi Wine and Visitors Center Web site. Hours for the center are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.