Over 100,000 acres of vineyards, and California’s #1 producer of Zinfandel, Cabernet, Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes—no, it’s not Napa. Not only is Lodi producing several of the California wines you’re probably already buying and drinking, they’ve had over 100 years to perfect it. There are several hundred separate grape growers in the area (most produce grapes for larger winemakers), the oldest of which has been operating since 1886. Eighty-five have now built wineries to convert their own grapes into wine, all at a fraction of the price, pretentiousness, and frills of their coastal counterparts.

The area is particularly known for its Zinfandels and the interesting things winemakers are doing with Spanish and Portuguese grapes. Try the Old Vine Zin from Klinker Brick, the Dancing Fox Petite Sirah, or the Oak Farm Malbec for the best of the region’s reds. But on a hot day, a glass of the Albariño from Jeremy Wine Company, sipped on their patio in downtown Lodi, is pretty tough to beat.