Savoring Lodi Wines at Treasure Island Wine Fest

I jumped at the chance to taste Lodi wines at the Treasure Island Wine Festival. The opportunity to sample wine from 45 Lodi Wineries, with a total of 80 and barely leave San Francisco to do it, who could say no?! Did I mention that the views from Treasure Island of San Francisco’s skyline are magnificent and the Blue Angels were performing right over our heads? Definitely a win-win scenario.

Most people, me included, associate the Lodi Wine Region with Zinfandel. While they are best known for Zinfandel, they grow many other varietals that you may not be familiar with. I was surprised to learn that Spanish varietals also grow well in Lodi. I enjoyed sampling Alborino, Graciano, Granacha and Tempranillo, they were delicious, reminding me of my trip to Spain.

Randy Caparoso, sommelier, wine writer and Lodi resident, led us through a tasting of What’s Hot and Cool in Lodi Today? We tasted Barbera, Primitivo, Petite Sirah, Vermentino and Alicante Bouschet. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Lodi has so much to offer. While we sipped great wine and chatted with wine-makers and winery owners about their vintages we were treated to tasty food and enjoyed the sounds of the band. And if that wasn’t enough to do, the Blue Angels made several passes right over our heads.

Now that I have sampled their wine, I will certainly be making the 90 mile drive to visit Lodi and spend more time at the wineries that I enjoyed. Fortunately The First Sip is scheduled for November 13-14, 2010, so I won’t have long to wait. In addition to their regular wine selections, wineries will offer food pairings and barrel tasting.

Details:

Treasure Island Wine Festival is held on Sunday during Fleet Week every year. For information about this year’s event, click here.

Lodi Wine Commission organizes several annual events including: The First Sip, Wine & Chocolate Weekend, ZinFest Wine Festival, and Treasure Island Wine Fest.