First Sip Lodi Wine Tasting Has Also Felt the Effects of Recession

First Sip Lodi has definitely seen some economic downturn, Lodi still offers a great wine time but the overall numbers of people out in attendance were lighter than years passed, but there were still some great attractions that make this event worth the drive. The crowd tended more towards the quick/ free drinking crowd (buses of scantly crowd post-21 year-olds), than the more traditional wine connoisseur crowd (people who ask what wines there actually drinking are and not breaking glasses then screaming "party fowl!!!"
Is there anything worse than random bad drinking etiquette? Yes, bad tasting room service, and it was a toss up this year - Michael-David had informative and smiling associates, free with the pours and tolerant with the over-aged Ed Hardy "I'm super cool, didn't you know - crowd," on the other hand the Wine & Roses center practically seemed...New, new to the idea of a wine event, new to winery etiquette, new to crowds, or maybe just new to the service industry and common standards. It is just one more things that constantly sets Lodi apart from the Sonoma and Napa areas.
On a lighter note, the Van Ruiten Winery was feeling a Peace, Love, and Harmony hippy theme to go along with there large variety of varietals they offer, and they always have such a great collection of partners that they work with including Fiscalini cheeses promoting there domestic bandage-wrapped cow's milk Cheddar which is outstanding in ripe sharp flavor and usually available at Corti brothers, they also featured one of the best pie companies EVER!!!



The Pie Company, out of Ripon CA - this is by far the most unassuming outstanding pie company, here's the catch they are SUPER hard to find, I've only ever had there pie at Van Ruiten (where they also sale frozen pies to take home) along with a number that leads to an answer machine that has NO message??? Knowing all of this trouble to get to the pie you would think it would not be worth the finding of it, but you'd be wrong, it's superior flavor and consistency puts it up there with some of the best pie places I've gotten a chance to try! So if your willing to put in the time and effort check out this pie! oh, and the wine's pretty great too!