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Woodbridge Winery
Rating Details »
5950 East Woodbridge Road
Acampo, CA 95220
(209) 365-8139
Acampo, CA 95220
(209) 365-8139
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
5 reviews for Woodbridge Winery
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.
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.
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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!
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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.
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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.