For Vino Con Brio Winery, success isn’t bottled, poured in a glass or sold by the case. A boutique Lodi winery whose name means “Wine with Passion” is particularly adamant that they will serve nothing less than a wine created with immense passion.

Vino Con Brio Winery and Amorosa Inn & Gardens are situated halfway between Highways 88 and 99, along Harney Lane. Success has come to both these undertakings by creating foundations of spirit that will linger long after you have left the winery and Inn.

When I speak of passion it begins with the family commitment that Renae and Mike Matson and their family entered into in 1978. Renae frequently speaks of it as a “hobby gone wild”. This duo has been married some thirty-seven years. The couple has raised three children, daughter Amy and son Kent who help when they can but it is the youngest daughter Anne, Director of Sales & Marketing for Vino Con Brio who is today perhaps the driving force behind the company’s present-day success. Mike, a well-established orthodontist and Renae who had her own psychotherapy practice originally opened not only the winery but also the Amorosa Inn & Gardens almost simultaneously. This task alone would most surely send most of us to the Looney farm but to their credit they’ve persevered and succeeded.

The family formula speaks volumes as the proven success mounts for this winery. After all, in only two short years of striking out on its own, the small winery that once shared space with 11 other wineries in Vino Piazza, is all grown up and is just doing marvelously!

The visual aspect of their success starts upon entering the beautiful property home to Vino Con Brio and Amorosa Inn & Gardens, with the majestic vineyards; regally standing in single rows, each seemingly gives testimony to the allure of what is waiting around the next gentle curve. Combined with the shadow-casting trees, the variety of flowers dancing on an early afternoon fall breeze, this landscape creates a romantic paradise for wine tasters and inn guests as well as any newlyweds-to-be searching for that just-right place to be married.

Amorosa Inn & Gardens is the “hot new wedding destination”. Just how hot is Amorosa Inn and Gardens? “Well, consider two thirds of the 2007 wedding slots are already reserved and the majority of these bookings were based on word of mouth.” Anne said. The ability to do everything under one roof for weddings of up to 250 people – from arranging the music to finding a photographer -- makes wedding-day planning that much easier for the couple. During a wedding, the rest of the place is off limits to outsiders. That knowledge gives the newlyweds and their party a relaxing, enjoyable time. An event coordinator is on staff to assist you with your special day and handle all of the many details that arise.

Another part of Vino Con Brio’s success story is custom wine labeling, which Matson said isn’t being done by any other small wineries in the area. Customers can order bottles of wines with a custom label, using whatever logo, message or picture they want. For one to eleven labels, the price is $2 each; for twelve labels or more, the price drops to $1 per label, plus the cost of the wine.

Today V.C.B. produces more than 4,000 cases of 14 wine grape varietals from their 400 acres in the Lodi Appellation. The biggest seller is the “Matzin” Old Vine Zinfandel followed by their Pinotage, a cross of grapes from France but formulated in South Africa. Vino Con Brio had about 500 cases of the 2003 Pinotage that sold out quickly. The 2004 vintage will be released Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, during Lodi’s Winter Wine Wander. If the 2004 vintage is anything like the 2003, Matson said there could be another bidding war for the niche wine. Additionally, Vino Con Brio has tripled the production of the best seller – the Estate Matzin Old Vine Zinfandel.

Mike Matson is constantly educating himself and others about wines and he travels to far-away wine regions (Australia in January 2007) in search of not only new methods but also different blends for the eclectic consumer seeking out new taste adventures. He also gives wine seminars at Vino Con Brio two to three times a year.

The Winemaker for Vino Con Brio is Paul Wofford and he has been with V.C.B. almost three years. Paul enjoys the new winery facility on east Turner Road because this new facility offers 10,000 square feet designed to his liking with enough room to do custom crushing as well.

This years recent awards include: Best in Class at the State Fair for the 2005 Estate Passion Rosé and the 2004 Late Harvest Matzin.

It has been said, that from fruit to bottle you can experience the passion extended throughout all of their wines and I believe that to be true. So come visit Vino Con Brio and discover this for yourself!

Vino Con Brio and Amorosa Inn & Gardens are located at 7889 E. Harney Lane, in Lodi, California. The Tasting Room is open Friday through Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment. For more information visit www.vinoconbrio.com or www.amorosainn.com To schedule an appointment, email Anne Matson at anne@vinoconbrio.com; or call 888-410-8466.