Lodi Wine Festival Offers Vital Support After Grape Crush Report

Annual event aims to boost local wineries and growers amid declining grape production.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 3:13am

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The Lodi Wine Festival is expected to draw over 2,000 attendees this Saturday, providing a much-needed boost to the local wine industry following the release of the California Grape Crush Report. The report showed declines in key grape varietals like zinfandel, cabernet, and chardonnay in the Lodi region, leading to uncertainty for growers about pruning and vine removal. The festival aims to expose more people to Lodi's wines and wineries, helping support an industry that has been a cornerstone of the community for generations.

Why it matters

The Lodi Wine Festival is a critical annual event that brings awareness and revenue to the local wine industry, which has faced challenges in recent years due to declining grape production. As a major agricultural and economic driver for the region, the festival's ability to attract thousands of visitors and direct them to Lodi's tasting rooms and vineyards is seen as vital to sustaining the industry for the long term.

The details

According to the latest California Grape Crush Report, zinfandel, cabernet, and chardonnay - Lodi's signature grape varietals - all saw declines in production, leading to uncertainty for growers about how to manage their vineyards going forward. However, the report also showed increases in sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio/gris. The Lodi Wine Festival aims to highlight the region's diverse wine offerings and connect attendees directly with growers and winemakers to drive more business to local wineries.

  • The Lodi Wine Festival will be held this Saturday, March 28, 2026.
  • The latest California Grape Crush Report was recently released, showing the production declines in Lodi.

The players

Jacylyn Stokes-Iniguez

Chair of the Lodi Winegrape Commission and a fourth-generation farmer in the region.

Mark Armstrong

CEO of the Lodi Grape Festival, which hosts the annual wine event.

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What they’re saying

“For the most part, the grapes we've been growing for 50 plus years are all declining. There were only two varietals that we saw a positive in overall, and that was sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio, or pinot gris. Our biggest movers in the past — which have always been zinfandel, cabernet and chardonnay — were all down. Zinfandel saw probably the biggest decline.”

— Jacylyn Stokes-Iniguez, Chair, Lodi Winegrape Commission

“The wine festival is to bring people into town and expose them to what Lodi has as a wine industry. A lot of times, we see people coming from all over that don't know about our area. The goal is to get people to go from here and go to a tasting room tomorrow or down the road.”

— Mark Armstrong, CEO, Lodi Grape Festival

What’s next

The theory is that by 2027, winegrape production in Lodi will be stable based on what is still in the ground and what has been taken out.

The takeaway

The Lodi Wine Festival is a vital community event that helps sustain the region's wine industry, which has faced challenges in recent years due to declining grape production. By attracting thousands of visitors and directing them to local wineries, the festival plays a key role in supporting an agricultural and economic driver that has been part of Lodi's identity for generations.