SF Chronicle Article on Lodi, CA

<table><tr><td colspan="2">I'm a Lodi fan, so I thought I'd post the following link to an SF Chronicle article on the place: Lodi Revival.

I need to say that the Michael-David fruit stand is more than just a fruit stand! Some pictures of the place follow. The last one on the right is a shot of the little experimental vineyard next to the Wine & Visitors' Center.

Also, my one fear for Lodi is that it is on the way to being "Napa-fied." Napa has had all the growing pains, so Lodi can learn from Napa's mistakes and might go right for the touristic jugular without some of the detours ... although I hope not.

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I was just visiting Lodi last weekend-had to go to the valley for a party anyway. I liked a MONSTER Zin from Van Ruitten-they were planning on releasing it as a "late harvest" desert wine but vinified it very, very dry instead. Thick, unctuous, rich, but not sweet. Awesome!

Downtown Lodi has some charm, as well. The Grands Amis winery had a very nice inky black Petit Sirah.

Borra was pretty nice south of Lodi. they had a quite interesting smoky Barbera from Mendocino County grapes that I enjkoyed.

And, I visited a place call D'Art Wines. A very, very distinct house style-quite thin, acidic, almost "sour" and too austere but you have to reflect the fact that the winemaker has a particular goal in mind (Didn't care for it, but again, tastes vary. there was a woman in the tasting room enthusing about them)