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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.

Randy Caparoso
 
July 3, 2012 | Randy Caparoso

Summer sensations of Downtown Lodi’s Farmers Market & Wine Bars

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Fields Family Wines' Russ and Melinda Fields and Jalynn Sherman hanging loose at their Downtown Lodi tasting room during last week's Farmers Market

It’s that time of year, when locals, visitors and families by the thousands are flocking to Downtown Lodi‘s picturesque main drag (School St.) to enjoy The Downtown Certified Farmers Market, which got  off in full swing at the beginning of this past June, and will continue every Thursday (5 to 9 PM) through the month of August.

Besides live music, an array of foods from gigantic Lockeford sausage dogs and grilled teriyaki chicken to gourmet paella and colorful snow cones, there’s a Kids Zone to keep the munchkins entertained while adults pick out the seasonal local produce (including those from a number certified organic growers), as well as a number of places befitting a wine country’s urban center:  Downtown Lodi’s wine bars.  Among these civilized oases:

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Jeremy Wine Co.

  • Dancing Fox Winery & Bakery – From Colleen Lewis’ wood burning oven, some of finest artisanal breads made in California; plus a wine bar exclusively pouring the handcrafted wines from Gregg Lewis’s own vineyards in Lodi’s Clements Hills AVA.
  • Fields Family Wines – In the midst of all the School St. action, this ultra-premium wine producer’s tasting room and retail outlet offers an extremely comfortable vinous haven.
  • Jeremy Wine Company – A single winery tasting and retail sales room, located just under the old Lodi Arch on W. Pine St. — some of Lodi’s most finely balanced wines, bottled under Jeremy and Choral Trettevik’s stunning labels.
  • Wine Ot – A retail store specializing in furniture made from recycled wine barrels which, starting on July 6, will also open a wine bar featuring the award winning bottlings of Lodi’s Sorelle Winery, plus Sacramento River Delta’s Six Hands Winery.

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Garlic at Lodi Farmers Market

Then, of course, there is the Downtown Lodi dining scene, which has recently added the exciting, innovative, modern Mexican cuisine of Ruben and Adi Larrazolo’s Alebrijes Mexican Bistro; not to mention some of the other outstanding standbys, including:  Crush Kitchen+Bar (chef/owner Michael Warren’s impeccable wine country cuisine); the posh, elegant Rosewood Bar & Grill (owned and operated by Wine & Roses Hotel‘s Russ & Kathy Munson); LangeTwins winemaker David Akiyoshi’s School Street Bistro (an all-time Lodi locals’ comfort food favorite); and the ever-popular, sudsy fresh Lodi Beer Company.

Some of the summer sensations seen at Lodi’s Farmers Market this past June:

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Still all about the Delta grown produce...

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Reliably great: Ferrari's certified organic fruit...

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Farmers Market minstrel...

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Lodi's Cellar Door

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Teriyaki chicken at Farmers Market

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Puppets in Farmers Market Kids Zone...

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The real thing...

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You can get anything at Lodi's Farmers Market...

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I hear music...

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Family time...

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Girlfriend time...

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Lodi Wine Cellar

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Fresh off the vine...

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Paella!

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Addy and her luscious paella...

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Peek inside old fashioned Lodi Barber Shop...

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Cherry season in Lodi!

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Other stuff...

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Faster, mom...

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Alebrijes' Ruben and Adi Larrazolo

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See y'all there!

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Lodi Wine Visitor Center
2545 West Turner Road Lodi, CA 95242
209.365.0621
Open: Daily 10:00am-5:00pm

Lodi Winegrape Commission
2545 West Turner Road, Lodi, CA 95242
209.367.4727
Open: Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

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