4580 CA-12, Lodi, CA 95242

Website: https://michaeldavidwinery.com/

Lodi wine country is located in the Central Valley about 1.5 hours east of San Francisco.  Although the valley is inland, it has a cool, Mediterranean climate. Lodi is most frequently associated with red Zinfandel producing 40% of this varietal across the world.  However, the valley has a broad range of varieties. You’ll find the classic varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Less common varieties including Tempranillo, Graciano, Riesling, and Albarino are also found here.

What I love about Lodi is that it’s quiet and unassuming with a rich history of wine grapes dating back to the 1850s.  There are more grape growers that outsource to other wineries than wineries that are open to the public. For the wineries that do have tasting rooms, you will often run into the actual winemakers or family owners pouring their own wines. Their passion and pride in the land come through in the wine.  On top of that, the high quality wines are quite a bargain compared to many of the other more touristy wine countries in California. My heart immediately warmed up to the people we met and the stories about the winemakers.

Michael David Winery may be the most widely known wineries in Lodi due to its high distribution and appearances at big wine tasting events.  Their wine labels are eye catching with names like Freakshow, Earthquake, and Lust. Don’t let the fun loving nature of the wines overshadow the family roots that are the foundation of this winery.  The name Michael David comes from founding brothers, Michael and David Phillips. Their family has been farming the land in Lodi for over 150 years. They are the 5th generation and have raised their family in the vineyard.  The 6th generation is now joining the winery.

As I was planning my trip to Lodi, I felt like this winery was a must see because I’ve seen and tried their wines at multiple wine tastings.  Although, I was a little weary that it could be a tourist trap. My husband and I purposely showed up soon after the tasting room opened to avoid a large crowd.  Our plan seemed to work out because there were only a few other people at the tasting bar when we arrived. There are several cool features about this tasting room.  First, there is an onsite restaurant and a small farmer’s market right inside the tasting room. In the tasting area there is a lengthy tasting bar that can accommodate larger groups.  There is also a patio out back with tables and umbrellas. The hospitality was nice and friendly. We were greeted right away.

Michael David produces really robust wines like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  They are definitely not for the faint of heart. Since I had already sampled many of the more widely known wines outside of the winery, I wanted to try some of the ones that I couldn’t find back home.  My husband who really loves rich, bold wines was a fan of the reds. I personally loved the Lust Reserve Zinfandel. It was so smooth with jammy plum flavor. As someone who enjoys a nice, light sweeter style wine occasionally, I also really enjoyed the white Symphony that is a cross of Muscat de Alexandria and Grenache Gris.  It’s a truly unique California variety.

I appreciated the fun nature of the winery and the setting.  I can imagine that it gets a lot busier at prime times of the day or weekends.  We timed it right by showing up in the morning. It’s worth a visit if you can beat the crowds.