Lodi: History, Hospitality and Heart

Rooted in the Gold Rush

Like much of California, Lodi’s history is rooted in the Gold Rush. As would-be miners flocked to find their fortune, settlements popped up in nearby areas. Lodi would have been less than a day’s ride from the action. Early settlers described Lodi as “a fertile grazing land, complete with wild grape clusters dangling from the trees.” Despite what could have been interpreted as a literal sign from above, winegrapes weren’t originally Lodi’s marquis crop. 

Winegrapes have always played an important role in Lodi’s rich agricultural history, however, there tends to be a lot of competition in a region where everything grows well. Farming itself is somewhat similar to a gold rush. As commodity prices rise and fall, growers try to capitalize on the boom and get out before the bust. Early growers initially gambled on wheat, then watermelons, before landing on one of Lodi’s most stable crops — grapes. 

By the 1880s, farmers had realized that Lodi was one of the few places where the nation’s most popular table grape, the Tokay Flame, would ripen properly. At the same time, California’s fledgling wine industry had begun to take shape. As wineries popped up throughout the state, farmers planted Mission, Zinfandel and Cinsault vineyards as far as the eye could see.  

From Quantity to Quality

After Prohibition was repealed, Lodi’s wine industry continued to grow and thrive. Lodi was always very good at growing a lot of winegrapes, but in the decades following, focus slowly began to shift from quantity to quality. By the 1970s, California’s wineries and winemakers were attracting a lot of attention. When two Napa wineries took top honors at the Judgement of Paris in 1976, this catapulted not just Napa but all of California onto the world stage. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. And Lodi winemakers were positioned to set sail. 

One visionary who played a pivotal role in the growth of the Lodi wine industry was Robert Mondavi. After a successful stint at his family’s Napa winery, he returned to his hometown in 1979 to form Woodbridge Winery. His state-of-the-art winemaking techniques cemented Lodi’s transition from making jug and fortified wines to creating quality wine at an affordable price. 

The Lodi AVA 

Lodi is one of the largest and most productive AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in California. Lodi grows around 20% of California’s winegrapes — more than Napa and Sonoma combined! Lodi’s climate is comparable to places like Paso Robles or Healdsburg. The region’s warm summer highs are tempered by the delta breeze — cool coastal air that glides through the Carquinez Strait during the hottest part of the day.

Lodi’s Sub AVAs 

Back in 2005, Lodi winemakers realized that most world-class wines had one thing in common — a sense of place. The unique soil types and growing conditions of a region are reflected in its wines. For this reason, they decided to divide the mammoth Lodi AVA into seven nested AVAs — each with distinct differences in terroir.

Want to get a taste of Lodi at home? Lodi isn’t just known for incredible wines. You’ll also find an abundance of locally grown peaches, apricots, walnuts, watermelons, nectarines, corn and much more! Celebrate Lodi with this recipe for Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream and Honey Walnuts. It’s a great dessert for warm summer nights paired with a California Moscato.