In Napa Valley, wine tastings cost $80 on average. In Lodi, you can visit four wineries for that price.
Lodi (San Joaquin County) embodies a long lost era of rustic wine tasting in Napa in the 1980s and ‘90s. Tastings are laid back and unfussy — no caviar pairings or Michelin-trained chefs on staff. Tasting rooms typically accommodate walk-ins and kids, and you’ll often “find someone who is intimately involved in the process,” Kyle Lerner, co-owner of Lodi’s Harney Lane Vineyards, said. “You’re not going to walk in many other regions and talk to the owner or winemaker or farmer on a daily basis. That used to be common.”
Not a lot of people know this. Located roughly 35 miles south of Sacramento, Lodi has struggled to compete with more popular wine country destinations, such as Napa Valley and Sonoma County. The region is still largely undercovered, despite the fact that it’s California’s most diverse wine region, growing more than 130 grape varieties…