Premier Winery Experience participant and Passport to Zinfandel participant

Where else can you taste great Zinfandels sitting in a cozy grape gondola “booth” – big tires and all – and all of the place’s design features are wine artifacts and relics – plus an entire actual huge old hanging grapevine – roots down to the floor?

Head a little northeast out of the Lodi – “the Zin Capital of the World” to Clements and the McCay Cellars tasting room and wine lounge.

Gregarious, and indefatigable, Mike McCay is a marine biology grad and financial services pro who turned his attention full time to winemaking in 2007 to pursue his love of wine – and prove his instincts true that the terrain and climate of Lodi are as suited to Rhône grapes as they are for Zinfandel.

To McCay, Lodi is a treasure trove of hidden old vineyards that have gone unrecognized. In 2011 McCay purchased a Zinfandel icon, the 10 acre old-vine vineyard planted in 1915 he named Faith Lot 13 Vineyard. This vineyard is officially certified as a historic vineyard by HVS – the HIstoric Vineyard Society.

Visionaries and talented chance-takers such as McCay have forged the modern era Lodi winemaking. Here you will find Rhône varietals, rosés, old vine Cinsault from the oldest vineyard in Lodi, and classic Zins such as his estate Faith Lot 13 and Trulux Vineyard. Comparing the two Zinfandels is a rare chance to see what winemakers see when they talk about east side versus west side of Mokolumne River Zinfandels. Make an appointment for a tasting at the new McCay tasting room to experience up to date Lodi wines at their historic best.