It’s no wonder that settlers in the 1800s, many Italian immigrants among them, were attracted to the Lodi region in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Warm days are tempered by cool night breezes off the Sacramento Delta. The nearby Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers, which originate in the springs and melting snows of the Sierra Nevada, provide rich mineral deposits and deep, sandy loam soils.

Grapes were one of many crops that flourished in this rich agricultural region, located near gold mining camps and Sacramento, the state capitol. Today Lodi is surrounded by vineyards, including gnarled old vines that clearly illustrate the area’s winegrowing heritage. In 1986, the Lodi region became one of the first designated American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in California. Having grown up in Lodi, and familiar with the area’s reputation for excellent fruit, Robert Mondavi looked to his home region to produce quality wine at an affordable price. In 1979, he acquired the Cherokee Wine Association, established by several Lodi grape growers as a cooperative for producing wine after the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s. Robert Mondavi renamed the cooperative for the town of Woodbridge. Reminiscent of California Spanish missions, the architecture of Woodbridge Winery blends old and new. A few of the older buildings date back to the early 1930s, including the original Cherokee Wine Association building. Over the years, the winery has modernized and expanded, adding state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to ensure high-quality wine. Today, Woodbridge remains one of a few surviving wineries in the Lodi area that began as cooperatives.
At Woodbridge Winery, Robert Mondavi applied the agricultural and production practices he developed in the Napa Valley to the excellent resources of the Lodi area. As a result, in 1979, Woodbridge Winery became the first in the region to convert to single-label wine production with 200,000 cases of Robert Mondavi red and white wines, affectionately known as Bob White and Bob Red. In 1985, the winery pioneered the gentle direct-to-press operation for white wines, now practiced industry-wide. In 1986, Woodbridge became the first winery in the popular premium category to produce and vintage date and varietally-labeled wines, highly regarded for their complex flavor and character.

Today, according to A.C. Neilsen figures, Woodbridge is the number one varietal wine brand in the United States and continues to lead the popular premium category with innovation in all aspects of the wine business, from production to marketing. Unique offerings now enhance the core varietals: PortaCinco is made from five traditional port grape varieties grown in vineyards adjacent to the winery, and the Woodbridge Twin Oaks line, a result of the successful partnership between Woodbridge and growers, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Small winery practices, such as “small lot” winegrowing and barrel aging in 60-gallon French and American oak barrels, all the while maintaining a production of 7,000,000 cases annually, have earned Woodbridge the nickname, “the largest boutique winery in the world.”

In 1999, Woodbridge opened its first-ever tour program, tasting room and retail operation at the winery. The Woodbridge Visitors Center welcomes approximately 30,000 visitors annually. The Woodbridge tasting room affords visitors the chance to taste wines not widely available, such as Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel and Winemaker’s Selection Barbera. Located at 5950 E. Woodbridge Road in Acampo, the Visitors Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30 to 4:30. Public tours are available at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and private tours may be arranged by reservation by calling (209) 365-2839.