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9 reviews for Woodbridge Winery
9 reviews in English
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Review from Jessica H.
Lithia Springs, GA
12/7/2011
Disclaimer to those who think "cheap" when they think "Woodbridge": I, too, see Woodbridge wines at Wally World on the bottom shelf for a few bucks a bottle. When we looked at where to go for our wine tasting, this place was the only mass producer I had ever heard of, but we wanted to just go check it out -- and I was so glad we did. Woodbridge the winery (under Robert Mondavi) only offers special reserve wines that you won't find elsewhere. Many of the wines you can taste are ONLY available directly on-site from the winery -- you'll never see them in Walmart! And they are much better than what you find in the store.
So we really enjoyed our visit, it's a beautiful facility that you can enjoy spending some time at! There are outside tables (wish we'd brought some lunch with us!) and you can tour the massive facility if you want. We arrived the day before Thanksgiving and it was pretty quiet. There was another group tasting when we arrived, so we waited (it's a pretty small tasting area so I could see this place getting very busy during a peak day). The pourers are all very educated about wine making and, obvioulsy, the Woodbridge facility in general. We learned a lot about how many grapes they grow, where they grow them, and what the different wine names and tastes are all about, etc.
There were four complimentary tastings, as well as two flights of wine you can purchase ($5 for four tastings, or $10 for four other tastings, plus a wine glass -- I was told these change and are semi-"seasonal"). Considering that I've heard rumors that you pay for just about every sip of wine you taste up in Napa Valley, Lodi wineries appear to be a steal. Anyway, we opted to each try the $5 flight, plus the complimentary tastings. We loved some of the Section 29 wines they had, and purchased almost a whole case to have shipped home. It's a cute little gift shop area, with wine jewlery, cheeses, meats, olive oils and spreads and just about anything you could ever want with the "Woodbridge" logo on it, if you're into that. -
Review from Raymond G.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2011
This was our first stop during our wine tasting circuit in Lodi. Since this was a Robert Mondavi winery we thought it would be cool to visit this first given how well known Mondavi wines are. So well known.... you always see them on cooking shows on PBS as sponsors or have product placements.
When you enter the winery you get the Modavi feel with the RM symbols at the gate and the cultured Modavi look and feel of the architecture of some of the buildings. We go into the wine tasting center and a portion of it is a shop of accessories, books, cheeses and drinks. We got to the tasting counter and we were offered a tasting menu.
One of the three courses was $10 to taste a special set of reserve collection wines and you would be able to keep a special wine glass that you would use during tasting if you selected that set.
No, thanks. We went for the free set. From what I recall, we got to taste their port, merlot, moscato. Overall, I found the wines to be either too strong, bitter, or a task to drink.
On the flip side, the cool thing is that they offer a tour of their winery giving a quick glimpse of how their wine starts from the vine to a finished bottled product. Also, they give an in-depth of how their winery and the Woodbridge brand started.
The lady was pretty good at explaining how the grapes are processed from start to finish. We got to visit and take a peek into their silos where the grapes are fermented after they are processed. Also, they have huge barrel room where they store their wines. Other wineries also rent space since it's so vast. This is the room to be when it's hot outside since the room is always left at a cool, constant refreshing temperature. They even have a tree in the front that is used to make corks.
However, the tour left me with the impression at how commercialized Woodbridge's wines are. During the tour, they made a point that they were looking at screw caps and the advantages of tetra-paks. My friend calls it as the "Walmart of wines" since they target their wines as "everyday wines at a nice price point."
Safe to say, it wasn't drawn to buy any of their wines. I'm sure the wine is pretty good enough for others, but for my palette - it didn't agree me. Of course, this up to personal preference, but there are other wineries in the area that may be better suited for your liking. Overall, the tour was educational and I would recommend it if you're in Lodi. -
Review from Les U.
Waipahu, HI
7/14/2011
Today I received a message from the manager at the tasting room, Larry Pilmaier, stating that my experience was very rare, I sure hope so. He was very apologetic, sounded pretty sincere. I guess I'm the Buddha and feel compassionate. Next time I'm in Lodi, maybe I'll drop by and play secret shopper. Its just that there is still a bad after taste in my mouth, like a bottle of wine that has gone bad. I have cooled down a bit since then. Maybe the next bottle will be better. I hope my pic isn't posted by the register.
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Review from Charles B.
Sacramento, CA
10/19/2006
The last time I was in Disneyland California, they had an exhibit dedicated to Woodbridge wines. I mentioned to the 'cast member' that Woodbridge was the most disgusting wine that I had ever experienced, and you could get it in the local Safeway for 2.99 a bottle.
"Really?" she answered. "It's the most popular wine in the world."
I could have sworn she was animatronic. -
Review from Carla C.
11/5/2010 1 photo
Wow - the crush is happening now! Two million cases of tasty wine being processed!! Tour here is informative and fun. Beautiful morning drive from Sacramento. Tasted sparkling wines, my favorite. And came home with one of course! They bottle for many vineyards...so the large variety of labels offers something for everyone.
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Review from Jaclyn S.
Mission, KS
4/6/2009
We went here after skydiving just up the road. The lady who helped us was very friendly and we tasted a lot of wines (approx 8 in total) for free. I really enjoyed the whites, which I generally prefer, and others in our party enjoyed many of the reds, so all in all there was something for everyone.
I don't generally agree that price and taste go hand in hand with wines and since I enjoy Woodbridge, I really enjoyed the prices when we bought a bunch to take home!
They offer a tour of their massive facility as well, but we decided not to take it in the end b/c we were hungry for lunch. -
Review from G G.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/2/2007
It's silly to give this place poor reviews based on the taste of the wine. It's one of the most mass produced wines in the world. What would you expect? If you're a wine snob then I would be surprised that you'd even bother.
My review is based on service. Each employee that we met was friendly without being phony and there were no hard sells at any point, which I greatly appreciate. We tried the various reserves they had and a few were pretty good. There is a definitely difference in the wines that are only available at the winery vs. the ones that are available (and I served) in restaurants. They offer a tour is twice a day and I'm glad we did it. Our tour had only 5 people total, and the guide -- Jessica -- had a fun attitude. She tailored the tour's speed and content to our interests. The history of Robert Mondavi was also interesting and how the winery is now owned by Constellation, etc... Tip: Start your wine tasting before the tour, take the tour and come back to the tasting room to finish the tasting. Also check out any of the sauces they have samples of. There is a chocolate raspberry that was pretty good. -
Review from Poochie M.
San Francisco, CA
10/18/2006
Probably the most disgusting wine I've ever tasted, and that long illustrious list includes such perennial favorites as Mad Dog 20/20 and Boone's Farm! I can't believe Bobby Mondavi* puts his name on this piss water. Anything for a buck I guess. I bet the winemaker (more likely the marketing director) had a good laugh when he/she wrote this on the Chardonnay label:
"Tropical fruit in Chardonnay? The vibrant notes of pineapple, mango, citrus and pear in our chardonnay are natural grape flavors captured by gently pressing (it's kinda hard to make wine without grape juice...) whole grape clusters prior to fermentation (normally you crush the grapes before you ferment the juice). Traditional aging in small oak barrels (for extra flavor) weaves rich, spicy (as in sweet-n-spicy?) complexity through the lingering finish. Serve chilled (but then we can't truly appreciate the pineapple, mango, citrus, and pear) with a variety of fresh salads, barbecued chicken, or light pastas (why not spicy Asian dishes as well?). Or simply sip it by itself as the perfect refreshement."
I'll admit, I did pick up pear on the nose, and possibly some mango, and it wasn't nearly as offensive as the Cabernet, but "the PERFECT refreshement?" Maybe in a white wine spritzer... If you want a good cheap white wine, try Yellow Tail from Australia. Get what the they say about the Cab:
"Extended skin contact? To enhance the lush (lush?) blackberry, plum, and spice notes of our cabernet (I tasted vinegar), we keep the flavor-rich (excellent use of the hyphen) grape skins with the newly fermented wine for several weeks prior to barrel aging (yeah dumbass, it's called maceration and most red wines are made this way). This classic technique of extended skin contact develops rich color and flavors in the wine. Aging in small oak barrels (again, for extra flavor) add (incorrect conjugation: should be "adds") subtle oak nuances (I love the choice of words) and a velvety smooth finish (OK, now I'm just insulted - You NEVER usurp the word "velvety" when it ain't true - Them's fightin' words!). Enjoy Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon with pizza, grilled flank steak, or dark chocolate desserts." We had a bottle of the '04 at our table** and they later brought a bottle of the '02 (Gee, if we just had the '03, we would have had a vertical tasting!). Strangely enough, both bottles had the same description on the back, as if they had managed to attain that year to year consistency that all great winemakers strive to achieve. Nonetheless, both were equally nasty, tasted like vinegar, and were probably oxidized***.
*Robert's close friends just call him Bobby.
**Obviously I would never buy Woodbridge or step foot in their tasting room, this was the house wine at Pocono Manor (q.v.) and it came *complementary* with dinner.
***I should try Sutter Home next just for a taste comparison. Not! -
Review from James H.
Lodi, CA
7/13/2008
Its hard for me to review this place.. I came back for nostalgia sake. I have not been here since 1999 and I quit drinking their wine after Constellation took over. Woodbridge used to be one of my favorite wines.. My visit to the tasting room was exceptional, the staff was great. The reserve wines were good. The Woodbridge name and wine has become another Sutter Creek or Gallo. Though Gallo is doing some nice things with their smaller labels. Woodbridge Winery set the stage for Lodi winemaking thanks Robert Mondavi, Rest His Soul. So I prefer to think of them the way they were. My review only reflects my experience in the tasting room and the profesionalism/ knowledge of their staff and just the good time we had while we were there. Please don't mistake this a review for their retail or on premise wines. And.. Always remeber when drinking wine, it's not what some wine snob tells you to like, but what YOU like, pears, apricots, pencil shavings or over ice, whatever.. Me I can't stand Gin, but what the hell do I know.
