Here in Lodi Wine Country, life is pretty sweet. And no one knows this better than the Posadas Family, owners of La Vida Dulce Winery and Tasting Room.

Located in Lockeford’s Vino Piazza, La Vida Dulce is tucked away in a quaint Old World style tasting room featuring succulent wines handcrafted by winemaker and co-owner Joseph Posadas.

 For Posadas, the business of wine is all relative-literally-as Joseph works alongside his parents, Aurelio and Donna Posadas, and sister and brother-in-law, Rachel and Russell O’Leary.

In addition to Joseph’s flair for crafting superb wines, other members of the Posadas clan are quite artistic as well. Rachel designs their wine labels and displays her distinctive style of graphic art in the tasting room, while husband Russell showcases his photography work. When he’s not handling tech-related duties at the winery, Russell is a massage therapist in the Sacramento area. Donna Posadas, a special-education instructor, accomplished artist, and undisputed family cheerleader, couldn’t be more proud. “My kids are all very creative,” she says, “It’s been so rewarding to watch them grow up.”

It’s interesting to note that until three years ago, the Posadas clan new little about wine, other than their love of drinking it. “Before wine, Joe was just a beer, whiskey, and tequila drinker,” says Dad. But once the curious quaffer found out he could make wine at home like making beer at home, the quick-learning garagista gave it a shot. The finished product came out pretty tasty, and the rest is history.

Of course, starting up a winery took a little time, with plenty of planning and good old fashioned hard work. While on break from her teaching position Rachel researched the possibilities of going into the wine business, whereas Joe was finishing up his education at Sacramento State.

 As part of a class assignment, Posadas was asked to research a career he thought would be interesting, so he ventured into the flourishing Shenandoah Valley appellation and interviewed several savvy winemakers. “What I kept hearing from these people about starting a winery was that the hardest part was to just do it,” he says. The meetings with the wine folks only added fuel to his flame and Joseph’s interest in winemaking took off as he began to look for ways to break into the winery business. As an Elk Grove resident, he wanted to stay close to home, so he turned to Lodi’s helpful wine community for knowledge, assistance, and eventually, an apprenticeship.

Posadas humbly aspires to become a craftsman, and if his current samplings of wines are any indication, the young winemaker is well on his way. His passion for his chosen livelihood is inspirational. “I like to create,” Joseph says matter-of-factly. “To take a bunch of grapes and turn them into a finished product is very rewarding; to drink something you’ve made with your hands, and put your effort and your life into.”

Aurelio came on board in a rather amusing way. Before retiring from the State Department of Food and Agriculture, his job required frequent traveling. One day while on the road, he received a phone call from his eager daughter exclaiming, “Dad, I’ve got something to talk to you about!” Curious, the anxious father reasoned his daughter and son-in-law might be planning on making him a grandpa soon! Consequently, he thought he had the mystery solved when he walked through the door, grinning from ear to ear as his thoughts swirled around a cuddly newborn. Facing a big family meeting, daughter Rachel announced, “Dad, we want to start a winery!” Like any devoted parent, Aurelio’s first thought was, “What happened to my grandkid?”

La Vida Dulce is named in honor of the family’s two grandfathers, Jose Posadas and Hillary Swindell. Through their hard work, perseverance, and dedication to family, they provided their children with a legacy of opportunity and education, resulting in “the sweet life” the Posadas and the O’Leary families enjoy today.

 “They didn’t get to see what we’ve started here, but the two grandmothers are still around raising Cain!” laughs Aurelio. From cooking to helping out in the tasting room, Mary Posadas and Annie Swindell play essential roles in the family business. Donna adds, “They’re both pistols!”

Similarly, the Posadas have found Vino Piazza’s “family” to be very helpful and friendly. “They embrace you, take you in, and really work with you,” reflects Donna. And it was those same characteristics that played an important role in the family’s decision to become a part of Lockeford’s destination wine spot.

“A lot of small wineries got their start right here, and that was big,” shares Aurelio, who also gives credit to the wine village’s setup. There are eight wineries on site and Gigolo’s, an Italian bistro. Additionally, visitors are welcome to bring their picnic lunch and enjoy spending an afternoon visiting the various tasting rooms and art venues. “We have live music all the time, barbecues, Pasos Gallery…and a dinosaur exhibit!” adds Donna.

 In an environmentally correct manner of speaking, Vino Piazza is green. “This is a recycled building, and going green is really big right now,” Donna points out. Best of all, green goes well with all of those delicious reds and whites inside!

Plus, as fuel prices continue to skyrocket, wine tasters can enjoy their favorite pastime in one location instead of driving from winery to winery. La Vida Dulce also offers their Wine Club which gives members discounts on wine as well as the choice of having their goodies shipped to them; thus saving gas on trips to pick it up.

La Vida Dulce offers five outstanding selections for tasting, which is complimentary. Wines by the glass are available for $5.

Here are a few highlights of Joseph Posadas’ artistry:

2005 White Zinfandel-Best served chilled, with hints of strawberries, honey, and vanilla. Try pairing with good friends on a hot summer afternoon. Also a great choice for your new-to-wine buddies!

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon- Well balanced, displaying hints of citrus and cherries, while light in oak and tannins. This wine made family history-it was their first vintage.

2006 Syrah-A big red wine from grapes grown just up the road; with pretty floral and blackberry aromas; Joe proudly calls this one his “baby!”

 Future plans for the winery include adding a Tempranillo to the wine list. And Joe is looking into increasing his volume, since it seems that some of Posadas’ wines are selling out rather quickly – perhaps you should visit La Vida Dulce faster than you think!

But the best future plans include “expansion” in another sense. Grandpa Aurelio is at last looking forward to the harvest of his best vintage yet, and his daughter Rachel is due this fall, no less!

 The Posadas family warmly welcomes you to visit Vino Piazza and share a delicious taste of La Vida Dulce, where amid their wine’s wonderful aromas and flavors you will discover rich notes of love, honor, and commitment to family.

La Vida Dulce is located in Lockeford, CA at Vino Piazza. They are open Thursday through Sunday. Tasting Room hours are: Noon till five p.m. Telephone # 209-727-3966