“Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again.”
For more than 50 years, “Stuck in Lodi,” the 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit about a struggling musician, has been a sensitive topic for Lodi residents. Creedence frontman John Fogerty later admitted he’d never been to Lodi, located in San Joaquin County in the center of California’s Central Valley, before writing the catchy tune. But the assertion that it’s a place you wouldn’t want to spend much time in, well, stuck — and it’s trickled down to the local wine scene. Despite winemaking roots dating back to the 1860s, and significant development as a grower of premium grapes over the past few decades, Lodi remains one of California’s most overlooked wine regions.
In recent years, Lodi has appeared to be on the cusp of a major turning point amidst widespread criticism that other areas, such as Napa, are too stuffy and expensive. The problem is timing: The wine industry is in crisis and Lodi has been hit harder than most.
All of California is experiencing a significant grape surplus, causing the removal of nearly 40,000 acres of vines in the last year. Lodi ripped out 8,000 acres, or roughly 10% of its vines — more than any other region in the state. Its oversupply issues are much more complicated than declining demand, however; unlike Napa and Sonoma, Lodi grape growers are beholden to wine’s biggest corporations, who are now importing millions of gallons of cheap wine instead of purchasing grapes locally…