Lodi Wine Experience to pop the cork on vintage rebirth

Wes Bowers, Lodi News-Sentinel, Calif.
·2 min read

May 16—A popular festival celebrating the Lodi appellation's wines has returned this month, with a rebirth and rebranding.

Formerly known as ZinFest, the Lodi Wine Experience will be held at Lodi Lake this weekend after four years of hiatus.

The last ZinFest was held in 2019.

"Marketing and education are core pillars of the Lodi Winegrape Commission," executive director Stuart Spencer said.

"The Lodi Wine Experience is the perfect blend of both. This event allows us the opportunity to promote our region and winegrowing community to new and returning audiences while educating our guests on the region's diverse terroir and varietal wines — all while they enjoy themselves in a festive, relaxed environment."

The weekend kicks off May 19, at 6 p.m. with the Signature Dinner at the Lake, where attendees can meet many of Lodi's wine growers and winemakers.

The main event takes place Saturday with the grand tasting from noon to 3 p.m., where more than 1,000 wine lovers are expected to attend and sample wares from 40 Lodi area wineries.

In addition, a variety of food trucks will be on site to help keep tasters' stomachs full. Bangin' Bowls offers up South American and Caribbean-inspired bowls with fresh grilled meat and vegetables and loaded fries, while Nash & Proper will serve Nashville-style chicken, sandwiches, tenders, slaw, and fries.

Parks Barks BBQ will have smoked meats, sandwiches, ribs, baked beans and slaw, among others selections, and Hefty Gyros will have Mediterranean-inspired stuffed pitas, salads, falafel, hummus, fries, and more.

Cousin's Maine Lobster offers up Maine lobster with rolls, tacos, tots, chowder, and more.

For those wanting to take a deeper dive into Lodi wines, Saturday will also feature a guided wine seminar with a variety old topics and speakers.

Spencer, Jerry Fry of Mohr-Fry Vineyards and Greg Follete of Marchelle Wines will present "Everything You Wanted to Know About Old Vines and Why They're a Big Deal" at noon.

The presentation will cover Zinfandels, Cinsauts Carignans and Cuvees from several area wineries.

"Rose All Day" will be presented at 1 p.m., featuring speakers from LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards, Peltier Winery, Acquiesce Winery and Lorenza.

The last seminar at 2 p.m., entitled "East vs. West Side Zinfandels" will feature speakers from m2 Wines, Christopher Cellars, Perlegos Wine. Co. and McCay Cellars.

Seminars will be moderated by Randy Caparoso, editor-at-large of The SOMM Journal, and author of "Lodi! A Definitive Guide and History of America's Largest Winegrowing Region."

Lodi Wine Experience grand tasting tickets can be purchased online at lodiwineexperience.com.

Tickets include access to wine tasting, food trucks, seminars, and entertainment. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older, including designated drivers.