Page 178 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

LODI
Stay for the wine
»TASTE, STROLL,
RELAX, PADDLE!
Visit Lodi Conference
& Visitors Bureau
visitlodi.com
GRAPEVINES form a graceful arc in
Lodi, above; a room at the Wine & Roses
Hotel Spa, below.
176 2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
B Y J I L L K . R O B I N S O N
LODI’S MEDITERRANEAN climate
makes this Central Valley city in Northern
California’s wine country ideal for pro-
ducing premium wines. When in town,
swing by the downtown Lodi Visitor
Center for a wine trail map and wise wine
tasting advice. The area has more than 85
wineries, and most of them are family
owned and operated, so you’re more than
likely going to taste wine made by the
person pouring it for you in the tasting
room. Over the past two decades, the
number of Lodi labeled wines has grown
tremendously, however Lodi remains
known best for its Zinfandel—and it pro-
duces more than 40 percent of
California’s premium Zinfandel.
Lodi’s history of agriculture isn’t just
something from the past. This city has
more than enough opportunities to prove
that it’s one of the best places in the state
to find fresh taste from the farm—whether
obtained from a farm stand or a restaurant
plate. And even in the city’s downtown,
you’re never far from the farm. Visitors
can stroll from restaurant to olive oil shop
to winery tasting room to cheese shop for
the best flavor of the valley.
Lodi figures prominently in the winter
flight plans for the sandhill crane—one of
only two crane species found in North
America. These five-foot-tall birds may not
look prehistoric, but fossil records date
them as far back as two million years.
From October through February, stop by
the Sandhill Crane Reserve to get a glimpse
of these stately birds. If you’re lucky, you’ll
spy more than a few mating dances.
The cranes aren’t the only lucky ones
that can get out and enjoy nature in Lodi.
In summer, some visitors pick water
sports like kayaking and stand-up pad-
dling in the Mokelumne River and Lodi
Lake, while others prefer to hike on
nearby nature trails or merely relax on
the beach and picnic with family and
friends. In laid-back Lodi, enjoyment is
easy to come by.
DALE GOLF PHOTOGRAPHY; GERRY MCINTYRE