10 Years of Wine, Food & Fun at Lodi Lake

April 9, 2014 - PRLog -- Lodi, CA – Join your favorite Lodi vintners as they celebrate the 10^th annual ZinFest Wine Festival with a weekend full of fabulous local wine, food and entertainment. Events will run May 16^th through May 18^th, with the main festival taking place on Saturday, May 17^th, at Lodi Lake Park from 12 noon to 5pm. Additional weekend activities include the ever-popular (and sold-out!) Vintner’s Grille on Friday, May 16^th, as well as Sunday’s winery tours and open houses on May 18^th.

The ZinFest Wine Festival will feature 200 handcrafted wines from over 40 Lodi wineries. Along with exceptional wines, guests will enjoy a selection of gourmet food from local restaurants, live music, and browsing one-of-a-kind merchandise from artisan purveyors such as local olive oils and reclaimed wine barrel furniture. In addition, ZinFest attendees are invited to expand their knowledge of Lodi wines and food pairings during any of four scheduled sessions at either the ZinFest Wine or Cooking Schools. Special to the ZinFest Wine School this year, Lodi winemakers Layne Montgomery (m2 Wines), Stuart Spencer (St.Amant Winery), Ryan Sherman (Fields Family Wines), Michael McCay (McCay Cellars), Tim Holdener (Macchia), and Chad Joseph (Maley Brothers) will be speaking about their recently-launched Lodi Native Zinfandel project. More than 4,000 wine lovers are expected to attend this year’s wine festival.

“We’re extremely excited to celebrate Lodi’s heritage with Zinfandel as well as showcase the region’s diversity of winegrapes at the 10th Annual ZinFest Wine Festival on May 17th," expresses Camron King, Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. “ZinFest is the quintessential experience for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Lodi Appellation’s unique terroir and climate, tasting its variety of exceptional wines, and meeting our passionate winemakers and growers.”

Making a splash this year at the festival will be the ZinFest Vintner's Regatta. Never ones to pass up the chance to have a little fun, local winemakers will take to the water as they race across a section of Lodi Lake in ‘boats’ crafted creatively from wine barrels. The winner of the Vintner’s Regatta will receive a custom trophy and bragging rights for their winery. Other elements new to the festival’s 10^th annual celebration include a wine barrel making demonstration and BBQ cooking presentations, scheduled throughout the afternoon.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.ZinFest.com or by calling the Lodi Wine and Visitor Center at 209.365.0621. Advance tickets cost $55 per person and $65 the day of the event. Designated driver tickets are also available for $10 per person. Tickets include a ZinFest wine glass, wine tasting, and participation in all seminars and entertainment. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older, including designated drivers.

About Lodi Wine Country

Located south of Sacramento and west of the Sierra Nevada, the Lodi wine region features 100,000 acres of vineyards that thrive in the classic Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool evenings.

With more than 75 varieties currently being cultivated, Lodi offers a diverse portfolio of wines. While long renowned for its high-quality Zinfandel production, including an estimated 2,000 acres of pre-Prohibition own rooted vines, the area also produces award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Chardonnay. More recently, Lodi has begun gaining consumer traction for its other exciting varietals such as Albariño, Tempranillo, Graciano and Vermentino, among many others.

A major winegrape growing region since the 1850’s, today Lodi boasts over 750 growers. The region also serves as home to more than 80 boutique wineries specializing in small-lot, handmade wines that have garnered major awards at domestic and international wine competitions. In addition, Lodi is one of the leading wine regions when it comes to sustainable viticulture. The Lodi Winegrape Commission created Lodi Rules™, California’s first third-party-certified sustainable winegrowing program.

For more information about the Lodi wine region, visit www.lodiwine.com.

For media inquiries and interviews, please contact Alexandra Fondren at Charles Communications Associates at 415|701-9463 or press@charlescomm.com. For additional event information, please contact Jenny Heitman of the Lodi Winegrape Commission at 209|367-0737 or jenny@lodiwine.com.