http://www.sanjoaquinmagazine.com/sanjoaquin/

San Joaquin - Index

San Joaquin - may08 - Index

wine country
For the arts Lover
From ironstone Vineyards’ (www.ironstonevineyards.com) big-name concerts
and fine art shows in murphys to the restored Castro Theatre pipe organ at
Harmony Wynelands (www.harmonywynelands.com), spring and summer offer
a veritable blush of arts venues and events.
Look to downtown Lodi’s First Friday art Hops for fine art and wine at a dozenplus
shops, including the Knowlton gallery (www.knowltongallery.com) and the
Cellar Door wine tasting boutique (www.lodicellardoor.com). Or visit D’art Winery
(www.dartwines.com) in Lodi, where winemaker Dave Dart brings his craft home
with self-designed wine bottle labels and his photography displayed in the tasting
room. For theater lovers, Jessie’s grove Winery (www.jessiesgrovewinery.com)
will team with local youth from Lodi’s Changing Faces Theater Company
(www.changingfacestheater.org) to present this summer’s play, Peter Pan
and Wendy, at the grove’s stage and field area in July. many wineries also host
summer concert series, and it’s not uncommon to find Harmony Wynelands
winemaker Bob Hartzell at his Wurlitzer organ keyboard entertaining winery visitors.
“We attract a lot of musicians here,” says Shawn macKay of Harmony Wynelands.
For the outdoorsman
Wine country is picnic country, and many local wineries feature picnic areas for
sipping and supping. Peirano estate Vineyards (www.peirano.com) takes the picnic
to the next level with its Picnic Passion Weekends every Friday and Saturday, June
through august. Dine amongst century old zinfandel vines with a lunch for two,
complete with a bottle of wine, for $25. For hikers, try the 2.5-mile, gently sloping
trail to the mokelumne River at Heritage Oak Winery (www.heritageoakwinery.com).
Winemaker and bird lover Tom Hoffman has built dozens of avian homes to attract
feathered friends to view on your ramble. Borra Vineyards (www.borrawinery.com)
offers a gentle bit of sport with lawn bocce courts at its picnic grounds. Borra family
members often play, especially during summer’s Fusion Friday events, which include
catered appetizers and live music. Don’t worry if you don’t know the rules.
“any italian can tell you how to play,” says Borra business manager nick
Sikeotis. “it’s an italian family, so bocce goes way back.”
For Eclectic Tastes
not every winery attraction fits neatly into a category. Sometimes, a bit of the
bizarre is just the complement for a glass of Chardonnay.
The Jewelry Shoppe and museum at ironstone Vineyards features a 44-pound
hunk of Crystalline gold Leaf—the largest in the world—and a selection of native
american and gold Rush displays. Wine lovers can get up close and personal with
the barrel aging process at Oak Ridge Winery (www.oakridgewinery.com), where
the tasting room is actually a historic 50,000-gallon redwood tank. Blacksmith
lessons are even available at Brice Station Vintners (www.bricestation.com) the
first Saturday of each month. Lessons are intended for seriously interested future
smithies, but spectators are welcome. –Tammy Hansen
iF you Go: Other spring and summer wine fun opportunities abound. Search
for local offerings and events at the Lodi Wine and Visitor Center, (209) 367-4727,
www.lodiwine.com.
www.sanjoaquinmagazine.com san joaquin magazine 55