Letters from Lodi
An insightful and objective look at viticulture and winemaking from the Lodi
Appellation and the growers and vintners behind these crafts. Told from the
perspective of multi-award winning wine journalist, Randy Caparoso.
Lodi's 2025 Wine & Chocolate Weekend is the opportunity for adventurous wine lovers to experience the region's sumptuous wines in leisurely settings
A sensory celebration
Look out, it's that time of year again! The 2025 Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend takes place Saturday/Sunday, February 15-16.
This yearly celebration is by far Lodi wine country's most popular event. Why? Because it gives wine lovers the opportunity to taste a wide range of bottlings grown in a historic region known for its luscious, round yet multifaceted wines, many of them very much "new" in the sense of being innovative or cutting-edge.
For connoisseurs of the grape who are in it for the pure love of wine, every Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend is an adventure!
For all the best reasons
The yearly Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend has been going strong since 1997. Probably because it has been organized by the Lodi grape growers themselves; many of them representing multi-generational families who have been farming in the region for over 50 or even 100 years.
Proceeds from the yearly event have been going into continuing programs focused on marketing, education, research, and the region's industry leading sustainable viticulture (re Lodi Wine Growers' LODI RULES). The more than 100,000 wine lovers turning out for this regional February fête have helped generate over $2 million to support programs directly benefitting the local grape growing and winemaking community.
The lowdown on the 2025 events:
February 15, 2025 – Saturday Winery Tours
Wine & Chocolate Saturdays see the signature passport style, self-guided event, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM. Yes, there will be lots and lots of chocolates to taste; but even better, the amazing range of sumptuous Lodi grown wines produced by more than 30 participating wineries.
$75/person, buy tickets here. Must be 21+, and no ticket is required for designated drivers. Find the list of all the adventurous participating wineries to choose from here.
February 16, 2025 – Sunday Winemakers Toast
Wine & Chocolate Sundays are a fine and leisurely affair taking place at Lodi's luxurious, boutique style Wine & Roses Hotel, 11:00 AM-1:30 PM. The owners or winemakers of over 20 of Lodi's finest brands will be pouring their crystal clear whites, invigoratingly dry rosés and exquisite sparkling wines alongside brunch-themed culinary bites prepared in contemporary farm-to-table fashion by the resort's acclaimed chefs.
$95/person, buy tickets here (required for all attendees, including designated drivers). Must be 21+. Find the list of outstanding participating wineries here.
And more photographic memories of past Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekends...