Klinker Brick Winery
15887 N. Alpine Road, Lodi, CA 95240
Website: https://www.klinkerbrickwinery.com/
I love this winery! The wineries I claim as my favorites provide an all-around feel good experience due to the combination of its people, hospitality, history, wines, and full commitment to the wine industry. For all of those reasons I was completely drawn to this winery. My first introduction to Klinker Brick was at a local wine tasting event. Owner Steve Felten was at a table serving his wines. I didn’t know he was the owner when my husband and I first walked up to the table. Being fans of Zinfandel, we started tasting a couple of Zins on the table and through our conversation learned that Steve produced the wines. To me, meeting winemakers is like running into a celebrity because I am so fascinated with wine. Just like many of the wineries from Lodi, Klinker Brick is most well-known for their old vine Zins, like their flagship Old Ghost. But this winery has SO much more to offer…
Klinker Brick has been family run for 6 generations, with over 100 years of winemaking. The property is charming. The winery was named after the prized bricks that were used for many of the historical buildings in Lodi. “Klinker” refers to the sound the bricks make when clapped together. The owners feel the rich, dark color of the bricks symbolizes those same qualities found in their Old Vine Zin and Farrah Syrah. As we pulled into the parking lot we pulled up beside a horse grazing behind the historic building to the left or the parking area. Across the street is a picture-worthy view of the meticulously lined rows of vines. Out front of the tasting room was a wooden park bench along with an old-fashioned wine press and an old vine. The word that came to mind was “quaint”.
The outdoor patio at Klinker Brick
To the right of the entrance to the tasting room were some wooden doors leading to the back patio. Out back was like a secret entertaining area paved in brick with a big fountain in the middle. There were tables and chairs beneath a shaded canopy. Behind the winery and patio was a pretty view of the vineyards.
Klinker Brick Tasting Room
The tasting room is equally quaint. The lighting was dim. In the middle of the room were a couple of wine barrel top tables. There were also some gifts and accessories. The wine bar is in the left corner from the entrance. We pulled up a chair for a seat at the bar. The space can fit 8-10 people around the bar comfortably. There were six of us there at the time, but the server gave each of us her full attention. She was very good. She provided some history of the winery as she poured the wine. There is a surprisingly broad wine selection – sparking and non-sparkling Albarino and Rosé, Grenache Blanc, at least 3 different old vine Zinfandels, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carignane, Petite Sirah, and red blends. I enjoyed all of the Zinfandels, but my personal favorite was the lovely Marisa Vineyard Old Vine Zin. Other wines I was pleasantly surprised by were the Brickmason Red Blend with a smoky aroma and bright red fruit, and the dry rosé called Bricks and Roses that had notes of strawberry and watermelon. The prices are so reasonable for the high quality wines.
Not only will I return to this winery, I became a club member and would recommend this winery to any of my friends and family. You can’t go wrong with the wide selection of wines and low prices in comparison to other wine regions.
Rows of vines across from Klinker Brick Winery
