Lodi is the place where 45% of the world's Zinfandel grapes are grown. This dubious fact was told to us at the Lodi visitors' centre (where they give you free wine), but I can't deny the vast expanse of vines that lined the roads. I keep forgetting how massive this country is. I know it's vast in the mountains-forests-deserts sense, but I mean how huge it is locally. An hour away from the Creek and you're in an unrecognisable delta of ruralness to rival even Somerset, and you've traveled a fraction of California's breadth.
Lodi itself is a fittingly frontier settlement, and although we diligently wandered the downtown area this morning there wasn't much to keep us there, apart from one charity shop. The area's tactic seems to be to start making booze to get the tourists in, rather than just grow grapes and sell them to other winemakers, so there are several tasting rooms dotted about the streets, all unimpressively closed on a Monday.
The hotel was a different story, a little island of enclosed paradise (that Hannah found cheap online, of course). Pete had his first introduction to a swimming pool - a gentler, warmer option than our apartment complex's ice bath - and was not entirely unimpressed. The large tub in the room, which he got to share with mummy, was much more to his liking.
And the wines? Not great, or not the ones we tried anyway. I have a psychological problem (just the one) with paying $30 for a bottle at a vineyard when Trader Joe's down the road offers oodles of incredibly tasty stuff for under a fiver. If you stretch to $8, as we do for weddings/births, you can't beat their own label cab sauv. We still mourn the disappearance of ecoVino (wine in a bag!)
There was a complimentary bottle of local Lodi wine in the hotel room when we arrived. How can you tell you've grown up? When you only drink half a bottle of the free wine. Parenthood has obviously changed us.
What I like to see on entering any hotel room. Although TJ's plonk will be fine next time.
The view from our terrace.
Strong overtones of poo and sick. Oh wait, that's just me, all the time now.
Lining up the varietals.
Modern mummy.
One of the dangers of indulging too heavily.
Hannah takes the more sedate route.
Ready for a dip.
That's a smile, not a desperate grimace.
The kind of swimming that Pete actually enjoys.
Breakfast
The owners parrots, that were a little noisy throughout.
I could get used to this luxury living...
What Lodi is hoping to be all about.
A local.
Sleep training is going well; Pete has me almost completely under his thumb.
