LODI – From the outside, Jeremy Wine Company in the historic downtown looks quite unassuming.
In the early 1900s, this place was once a bank. It recent years, it has become a bustling tasting room with plenty of cheers and laughter.
But tucked away in the back of this establishment is a hidden garden patio.
This urban oasis can relaxing and a place to bring friends or that special someone to hang out and enjoy the afternoon.
During a recent visit, Mandy, who works in the tasting room, encouraged my small group consisting of Kai Vasquez and Jennifer Lagura to bring takeout food to this outside area consisting of tables, umbrellas and the triangle sun shade sails that’s hung atop this courtyard.
The original brickwork from the building coupled with the outdoor plants provides a nice ambiance.
“This reminds me of someplace you’d find in Berkeley,” said Vasquez, who grew up in Lodi but spent a chunk of his life in the East Bay.
On this day, I did the food run, grabbing a takeout pizza from Smack Pie, 121 S. School St. This custom-built organic pizzeria was ready in 15 minutes. That’s without calling beforehand.
It didn’t take long for some of the other patrons to catch on. They, too, made a dash for takeout to bring back to the Jeremy’s garden patio to have with their glass of wine.
In the fall, the cool weather conditions make this an ideal place to kick back, relax, and enjoy the garden patio at Jeremy Wine Company, 6 W. Pine St.
How to get there: From Highway 99 northbound, take the Central Lodi exit and make a right and head south on Beckman Road for a block to East Pine Street. From there, turn right and go about eight blocks on East Pine Street towards the historic downtown arch and park anywhere in this area of Pine, between South Sacramento Street and School Street.
Hours of operation: noon to 5 p.m., daily
Information: www.jeremywineco.com  / Ph. 209.367.3773