Oenophiles in Lodi

In September, our 19 intrepid oenophiles boarded the PVE bus for a trip to Lodi. We were excited to have an opportunity to do some wine tasting in an area that is famous in its own right for having wonderful wines. Deborah Kay was our PVE Life Enrichment host for the day’s outing. There were several coolers containing our picnic lunches and water bottles for the trip.

The weather seemed a little ominous as we boarded the bus—a high fog bank covered the area and it persisted during the entire one-hour drive into Lodi. The perpetual roadwork along this stretch of Highway 12 didn’t faze our driver, Alicia, and we arrived at our first winery in good spirits (pun intended).

The Michael David Winery was well prepared for our visit. Their tasting menu was tailor-made for PVE and we proceeded to enjoy seven wines ranging from a Sauvignon Blanc, a Cinsault wine, three Cabernets, a Zinfandel and a Petit Sirah. The winery had a small café and bakery, where some of us purchased some delicious baked goods.

The Van Ruiten Family Winery was our next stop. There, we enjoyed five wines: a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, and two Zinfandels. Then, we ventured outside to their patio to enjoy our boxed lunch.

After lunch, our next stop was the Mettler Family Vineyards. We were given a list of twelve wines and were asked to choose five of them for tasting—although they weren’t too strictly enforcing the five-sample limit.

All in all, it was a delightful day. The winery staff was attentive to our needs; the picnic lunch was very enjoyable as we ate in a shaded patio with no wind and a mild temperature. Conversations on the bus were lively throughout the day—even on the return trip! Many of us purchased wines from at least two of the wineries—some had as few as two bottles, while others were lugging half a case back to PVE.

These outings are a delightful way for residents to make new friendships and nourish older ones. Please consider coming on future outings. We’d like to have you join us!