FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kela Driggs
Calhoun & Communications Company
415.346.2929 | kela@calhounwine.com
Wine, Food, and Fun at Lodi Lake
Sip, Swirl and Savor All That is Lodi at the 14th annual ZinFest Wine Festival, May 18-20, 2018
Lodi, CA, March 26, 2018 – Celebrate the 14th annual ZinFest Wine Festival with a weekend full of fabulous Lodi wine, food and entertainment. Events run May 18 through May 20, with the main festival taking place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 at Lodi Lake Park. Additional weekend activities include a comparative blind tasting of Lodi wines and their counterparts from around the world and the sold-out Vintner’s Grille on Friday, May 19, as well as Winery Tours & Open Houses on Sunday, May 21. More than 4,000 wine lovers are expected to attend this year’s festival.
At least 200 wines from more than 40 Lodi wineries will be poured. Guests can enjoy gourmet food from local restaurants, live music, wine classes, cooking demonstrations and unique merchandise from artisan purveyors, such as local olive oils and reclaimed wine barrel furniture.
ZinFest attendees can increase their food and wine pairing knowledge during any of the sessions scheduled each hour at the al fresco ZinFest Cooking and Wine School. Don’t miss the “Up in Smoke” ZinFest BBQ Experience, headlined by Chef Chad Rosenthal of Food Network. Rosenthal is the owner of acclaimed restaurants, such as The Lucky Well and Bánh Street in Philadelphia, and winner of multiple barbeque competitions. Chef Rosenthal will offer tips and summer grilling favorites paired with some of Lodi’s best wines in three 45-minute demonstrations that are sure to make anyone the star of their next tailgate or backyard party.
Regional celebrity chefs and local award-winning culinary experts will demonstrate their expertise at the ZinFest Cooking School. Get pointers that will make your next dinner party a rousing success. One winery is featured in each class, partnering winemaker with chef for an engaging tasting and educational experience. The ZinFest Cooking School is open to all guests with new demonstrations at the top of each hour.
Serious oenophiles and anyone wanting to learn should not miss the ZinFest Wine School with different presentations at the top of the hour starting at 1 p.m. Here is the lineup:
1-1:45 p.m. | Lodi Wine 401 – How to Blind-Taste Like a Pro
Join 40-year wine industry professional Randy Caparoso as he demonstrates how to identify wine by component, thereby enhancing the appreciation and experience of tasting the fruits of the vine.
2-2:45 p.m. | Kosher and Contemporary Wines of Lodi – Featuring Covenant Winery and Mettler Vineyards
Presented by Jeff Morgan, co-proprietor of Coventant Winery, wine and cookbook author and former West Coast editor of Wine Spectator. Morgan has made wine in Napa Valley and Israel under kosher guidelines and will lead a tasting of his wines and Lodi’s own Mettler Family Vineyards, which grows the Lodi Appellation wines for the Coventant label.
3-3:45 p.m. | Artisinal, “Natural” Wines of Lodi – Featuring Turley Wine Cellars, Sandlands, Precedent Wines, Thomas Fogarty Vineyards and Ferdinand Wines
Tegan Passalacqua (Turley, Sandlands), Nathan Kandler (Precedent, Thomas Fogarty) and Evan Frazier (Ferdinand) are among the “cool kid” winemakers known for their minimal approach to winemaking who have taken root in Lodi. Their wines are among the most terroir-driven expressions the Lodi region ever has made. Anyone who wishes to experience what Lodi truly tastes like, don’t miss this presentation from these phenomenally talented and acclaimed winemakers in this amazing ZinFest “class.”
ZinFest tickets can be purchased online at ZinFest.com or by calling the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center at 209.365.0621. Advance tickets cost $55 per person and $65 the day of the event. Designated driver tickets (no wine tasting) are also available for $20 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.
Presenting Sponsor: F&M Bank
F&M Bank is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the 14th annual ZinFest Wine Festival, an event that greatly benefits the wine and grape communities of the Lodi Appellation. Since 1916, F&M Bank has provided a complete range of financial products and services that help individuals, families and businesses. F&M Bank has supported agriculture for more than 100 years and is proud of its long-standing partnership with the California wine industry. Locally owned and operated, F&M Bank is headquartered in Lodi with more than 25 branches throughout the Central Valley and East Bay.
About Lodi Wine Country
Located 40 miles south of Sacramento and 90 miles east of San Francisco, the Lodi wine region benefits from a classic Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool evenings. An historic winegrowing region since the 1850’s, Lodi cultivates more than 100 diverse winegrape varieties. From Iberian varietals like Tempranillo and Albariño to classic Rhône varietals such as Grenache and Cinsault, Lodi offers wines for even the most discerning palate.
The region also serves as home to 85 boutique wineries specializing in small-lot, handmade wines that have garnered major awards at domestic and international wine competitions. In 2015, Lodi was awarded the prestigious Wine Star Award for “Wine Region of the Year” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The recent increase in critic and consumer attention paid to Lodi-designate wines has fueled an astronomical growth in demand for Lodi wines, as well as tourism to the wine region.
Lodi is a leader when it comes to sustainable viticulture. Created in 2005, LODI RULES™ is California’s first 3rd-party-certified sustainable winegrowing program and has received significant recognition over the years, having been awarded the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) in 2006 and again in 2014. For more information about the Lodi wine region, visit lodiwine.com and lodigrowers.com.
For media inquiries and interviews, please contact Kela Driggs at Calhoun & Company Communications at 415-346-2929 or kela@calhounwine.com.
# # #
Press releases are generated outside of Spirited magazine and the information contained does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Spirited or its parent company, Sonoma Media Investments.
