At the end of a quiet country road, just south of the Mokelumne River in northwest Lodi, Oak Farm Vineyards o ffers visitors an unrivaled wine tasting destination. The historic 70-acre estate, replete with lush grapevines, majestic century-old oaks, and a plantation-style mansion and barn dating back to 1863, dedicates ten acres to its guests’ enjoyment.
Oak Farm’s sophisticated winery and tasting facility provide guests a truly elevated tasting experience, with a spacious tasting bar, floor-to-ceiling windows o ffering vineyard views, a private room for wine club members, four indoor and outdoor fireplaces, and an inviting covered outdoor terrace.
Oak Farm Vineyards specializes in handcrafted, small-lot, single vineyard varietals that truly express their terroir. All of the grapes used to make Oak Farm Vineyards wines come from the estate vineyard or nearby family-owned vineyards. The well-balanced, food-friendly wines, skillfully crafted by Winemaker Chad Joseph, are structured yet supple: never over-oaked or overworked. The wines repeatedly earn high acclaim. At the 2015 Winemaker’s Challenge International Wine Competition, the 2014 Albariño was awarded 94 points and named the Platinum/Best and the 2012 Zinfandel was awarded 93 points.
With the opening of a 10,000 case-per-year winery and tasting facility in 2014 and the replanting of vineyards with a host of terroir-appropriate varietals, Oak Farm Vineyards is undergoing a metamorphosis into a premium estate winery that will make most, if not all, of its wines from fruit grown on its own 60 vineyard acres.
The winery’s beautiful grounds exude the elegance of a bygone era. There is a story behind each historic building—in fact, an intriguing Historical Legacy Tour is o ffered. After their tasting, guests often take a glass of wine to a special spot near the fishing pond or under a mighty oak to sit back and savor the many country charms of Oak Farm Vineyards.
T&T: You’ve put a lot of time and resources into making Oak Farm Vineyards a destination winery. Why is this important?
DP: It’s incredibly important to us to provide an elevated experience to those who visit. As a family, we don’t like to do anything halfway.
HP: When we were in the design phase, we decided to go full throttle and make as big a statement as we could while still maintaining balance with the rest of the surroundings. Simply enough, we want the setting to be as beautiful as what we put inside the bottle.
T&T: You recently replanted some of your vineyards with new varieties. Can you tell us what you planted, how the young vines are doing, and what wines they might produce?
HP: Originally, when we purchased the property in 2004, it was nearly all planted in a type of Zinfandel that is geared for White Zinfandel. The previous owners sold to some of the bigger producers. Not too long after we started the plans for the winery, we fairly quickly came to the conclusion that it made more sense to put all the varieties we would like to use in the ground. We now have: Zinfandel (we had a block of existing older vines that were not the white Zin clone), Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Barbera, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
DP: The new vines are doing very well and some will be producing their first crop this year. In a couple weeks we will also be planting Albariño, Fiano, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah.
T&T: With new vines planted and a beautiful event venue in place, where is Oak Farm Vineyards headed next?
DP: We hope to continue coming up with new ideas and, when possible, occasionally look for new growers to partner with who have exceptional fruit. For example, this year we will be pulling some Aglianico grapes from the Heringer family in the Clarksburg AVA.
HP: We love keeping a solid portfolio of wines that people can count on, but we also want to offer some beautiful, unique, and interesting wines that are a little off the beaten path, so to speak.