WINE
“ We sell high-quality , 90-point-plus wines , and we can still offer them to people for affordable prices . I would say the average bottle of Lodi wine is around $ 20 . You ’ re not going to find that in Napa .”
DAVE PHILLIPS Co-owner Michael David Winery
Italian villa with sunset views of the vineyards and the Sacramento Valley .
During the pandemic , Wise Villa was able to put its copious outdoor space to use . The winery started offering wine walks , which included a discounted glass of wine and a meal and allowed diners to practice social distancing while wandering through the 35-acre vineyards .
Barring any COVID-related setbacks , the Placer County winery plans a full event schedule in 2021 , including a 10th-anniversary party for its long-time wine club members . Other regular events at Wise Villa include a bimonthly wine blending dinner , a Hawaiian luau and the annual Lucy Grape Stomp , which honors a famous episode of “ I Love Lucy .”
Placer County may not have the name recognition of Napa or Sonoma , but the region boasts a rich history of grape-growing . “ At one point in time ,” says Sarah Lemberg , Wise Villa ’ s vice president of sales and marketing , “ there were more grapes grown in the Sierra Foothills than Napa and Sonoma combined . We have this legacy .” Wise Villa continued that legacy by winning the Golden State Winery of the Year award at the 2015 California State Fair , then took home 27 medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in 2019 .
Grover Lee , whose background is in biochemistry , is the owner , founder and winemaker at Wise Villa , and he also lives on the property . His children and grandchildren also hold positions at the winery . “( Lee ) comes to a family party every day ,” Lemberg says . “ You ’ re bound to run into at least three family members any day you ’ re there .”
In the Lodi American Viticultural Area , there is a strong link between the Phillips family heritage and the history of Lodi wine . Dave and Michael Phillips ’ great-great-grandparents started farming the Lodi soil in 1865 , and their parents ran roadside fruit stands in the area for decades . Today , the fifth- generation farmers own Michael David Winery , and the sixth and seventh generations are already working the land .
“ We were one of the few wineries in the county that ( was ) grandfathered in to have a restaurant and food service since we ’ re still on agricultural land ,” says Dave Phillips . “ It ’ s pretty impossible to have a winery with a restaurant these days ( in San Joaquin County ), but that kind of sets us apart .”
Michael David ’ s restaurant , The Farm Cafe , and spacious gardens allowed the winery to thrive during the pandemic . However , Phillips also believes a key factor driving the popularity of Lodi wine is a value-to-quality ratio he calls the best in the industry . “ We sell high-quality , 90-point-plus wines , and we can still offer them to people for affordable prices ,” he says . “ I would say the average bottle of Lodi wine is around $ 20 . You ’ re not going to find that in Napa .”
When the pandemic hit , Phillips feared he would have to lay off employees .
40 comstocksmag . com | April 2021