I had good intentions of posting "part 2" of the birthday fun sooner than this!
Anywho....
While in Stockton, we planned a wine-tasting-vineyard-hopping spree around Lodi wine country.
Now, Napa- Lodi's bigger and more popular older sister- has a pretty good monopoly on Northern California wine interest, in the media spotlight, anyway. Few people think of Lodi as a hotspot for some great vino! And, as Lodi grape-growers are quick to tell you, many Napa wines get their grapes from good ol' Lodi.
Well, where Napa is quick to charge a pretty tasty penny for a sip of their wines, Lodi- with few exceptions- hosts all tastings free of charge. Though wine wasn't the central theme of our time together, we enjoyed a few glass-clinks in celebration of friendship at the following wineries:
Dancing Fox Bakery and Winery
What a pleasant surprise this was! Nestled in the heart of downtown Lodi, it's English cottage-style ambiance was the perfect place for us to grab a bite to eat and kick off our afternoon. And, the attached tasting room was friendly and generous with our party :) With some varieties that we had never tried before, we ended up bringing home some Cherry Wine, Petite Syrah, and Almond Sparkling Wine. We'll be back to this little gem, for sure!
Just as pretty as it is tasty, we enjoyed our time looking at displays of fine silver, exquisite accessories, and antique furniture. The gardens were a great backdrop for some pictures, and the ornate tasting room a good place for a quick nursing session (!). Hey- it had to be done.
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| Look at this crazy beaded handbag! |
Viaggio Estate and Winery
Yowsa. New, fancy, beautiful. This winery is working it all. So lovely, in fact, that we decided to sit and stay a while. While a wedding was occupying the gardens, we enjoyed the tasting room courtyard virtually to ourselves. Lots of space for girl-talk and laughter, a great cap to our afternoon.
Oh, and pretty good champagne, too ;-)
3 comments:
I seriously had no clue about the wineries in Lodi. I was going to see about wine tasting in Napa over Thanksgiving (as I've (gasp) never done that) but, shoot maybe we'll just head over to Lodi!Lodi, seems a bit more in my budget lol.
Do it, Heidi! We can give you some great recommends.
I love that my mother is holding Carter in every picture! Glad she joined you, and I'm sure she was more than happy to take him off your hands at any opportunity. :D
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