Upstream Wines at Watts Winery is an interesting stop on your Lodi wine tour. The tasting room is built in a reconverted house with a gorgeous yard. The main entrance is just off Highway 12 near Victor. The entrance from the parking lot takes you on a meandering journey through a lush garden and patio section before hitting the main tasting room. You walk right in the front door like you own the place then head into the tasting room. The tasting menu has several flights based on whites and reds with options for everyone. Inside can get packed quickly, but there is plenty of room outside if the weather is nice. The wines are typical for the region with several single vineyard options. Upstream is very convenient and a nice place to linger in the region. It really feels like you are visiting a friends house in wine country instead of a commercial vineyard. read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Tasting Bar - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

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Cancer research is near and dear to their hearts. They have a butterfly label wine that 30% of the proceeds go to Children's Cancer research. What a beautiful idea. They poured so many wines. We joined our party a little late and were playing ketchup. She was great about describing all of the wines to us again, even though she had just been through the spiel. The regular zins and cabs all had a common denominator. They carried a very heavy port smell but delivered a very balanced taste. I kept expecting them to be sweet or syrupy but neither of those characteristics ever came forth. Their Dolcetto, knocked my socks off. I took a sip and knew that was going straight onto my favorite rack. Then she mentioned that it had won double golds and I can taste why! The Monte Pulciano was very smooth and enjoyable. The Late Harvest Zin was another one that I couldn't resist. Very rich and velvety but not so overpowering that you have to treat it like a port. When I say that, I mean have just a small glass with dessert because it's too rich to drink more. Pschaa. No thanks. This Late Harvest is perrfect and I know I could knock back many a glass. Volt from the Blue Port is so unique! I would have brought home a bottle of that too but she was temporarily out of stock. It carries a blue hue that I have never seen in a wine and just the slightest hint of blueberry in the taste. The Zin Port Dessert wine was the heavy syrupy sweet that I kept excepting to taste after smelling the zins & cabs. Too much for me but I'm sure some people would love it. I can't believe this is a young winery! I would have never known. Like they say, when you got it - you got it. Watts gots it. read more

Yo, so here I was, keeping it rizzeal in my hizzouse, when one of my peeps was all like, "Yo, you ever peeped the Watts Winery?" And I was like hells no, I ain't never heard a that, lay the 411 down on me. And my home boy had nothing but mad raves about the place, so we hopped in the hoopty to go scope the scene. I gots to be straight with you: I was expecting something different, dawg. See, when someone says Watts Winery to me, my brain immediately be thinkin about the streets, yo. Life is hard on the streets. I should know. I seen a lot of stuff, boy. I figured we'd be rolling up on people passing paper bags of OE and Mad Dog back and forth, maybe near some courts. Turns out, this place ain't anywhere NEAR Watts. While this threw me offa my game for a minute, I'm an OG from way back, so nothing keep me down for long. Me and my crew roll in hardcore, just like "Yo, bar guy, pour some tasty juices 'for I pop a cap in your ass, word is bond!" Bar guy look at me funny for second, but just before I get ready to drop the fool, he sets out some glasses and starts pouring some wines. All in all, the place was tight. Decor was all high society, bar guy was friendly, probably cuz he realized he wasn't dealing with no punk ass lightweight. So, we drank some wines, bought a few bottles to pour out on the curb, for the dead homies what ain't with us no more, and also a couple bottles to keep down in the cellar for a few years, let that shiznit mellow, you know? Then, couplea years from now, when the posse all bees together at my crib, I'll whip it out on 'em, and we'll all sit around and remember the trip. See, no matter how hardcore ya be, ya gots to have a sensative side too, for the baby girls and for your homeboys, cuz you know they got yer back. Peace out! read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

The winery quite lovely. I liked the many seating areas outside. The wines, however, were not to our taste- except for the barbera (Upstream). The other upstream wines weren't wines I would ever drink. I found them either flavorless, or oddly flavored. The pourers were friendly, and I'm sure it is a fantastic wedding venue. But we're out to taste and buy wine. The Watts label is probably better, and more suited to our tastes, but the Groupon we had was for Upstream. When I compare our experience at Upstream with the 5 other wineries we went to- this was an inferior experience. read more

Very well done wines and a tasting with the master wine maker himself. Awesome tasting of varietals mostly estate grown. I have this one bookmarked for the future. read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Menu - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

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I am usually not a Sunday going out gal, but my boyfriend and I went wine tasting anyways. Out of all of the wineries we have gone to, we enjoyed this place the most. The atmosphere was nice. The winery was a house surrounded by nature. There was a nice backyard and front yard, which was surround by grass, trees, other plants, and grape vines. When we walked up to the entrance, we immediately approached what appeared to be a small art gallery. There were paintings all over. After browsing the art, we entered another room, which was the wine bar. We bought a wine tasting experience off Groupon. I am happy we did because we were able to try all of their wines for only $20. There were around 15 selections, practically all reds. We had one white, Chardonnay, and I actual liked it. I am not a big fan of white wine but this was good. We actually brought a bottle of it home! The 2011Malbec was also a good choice, but they ran out of it so we weren't able to buy it. My favorite was actually on the "sweet" wine menu, the rose. It wasn't too sweet. You just have to try it for yourself. My second favorite on this menu was the peach flavored sparkling wine. It was crisp and had a hint of peach. I would definitely come back! read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - The Chardonnay and the many reds - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

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We came to this place during wine and chocolate weekend and it was a cute and cozy place. We were served by Fabiola "Bobbie" who was very nice and knowledgable about the wines. The best wines they had were cabernet sauvignon and rosado. They also have their butterfly wines which not only have a pretty label, but also contribute to a good cause. (30% of the cost is donated to pediatric cancer research.) I love any winery that does great things like this! We will definitely be going back because of their tasty wines and friendly service., Returned in April of 2016 and we were served by Mercedes and Camille. They were very welcoming and friendly. We enjoyed our tasting along with great service!! Thanks ladies! read more

Wines are great and Natalie and Debra are awesome!!!! New tasting room is great l. The wine at $50 a case amazing!!!! read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Natalie and Debra are great - the new tasting room is awesome - $50 a case in 3 great wines. - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

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There are a lot of great wineries in the Woodbridge area. Watts is one of my favorites. Their location is easy to travel to from Lodi. The property is very well kept and picturesque. The tasting area is intimate and well arranged. Wine is a very personal experience and I recognize that people have different tastes. Watts has a variety of different wines to choose from that range from very sweet to robust and bold. I personally like the lighter rose and crisp whites. While there everyone in our group found something that they liked. Even the labels were humorous. Overall, definitely worth trying out if you are looking for local wineries to enjoy. read more

Husband and I thought it would be fun to wine taste in the middle of January and stumbled across this place on yelp. Because of the reviews we decided to check it out. To our surprise we found quite a gem. Hidden away off highway 99 was the cutest tasting room full of fascinating art and such great hosts. They were very generous with their tasting pours and we stayed for quite a while and the wine was pretty tasty. Even met the winery cat which was cuteness overload. We will definitely be returning. read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - sooo cute! - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

Sherry was awesome I loved it !! Atmosphere was fantastic . My boyfriend and I will definitely be returning soon . read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

There are a few things I really enjoyed about this Winery. First, they give money to cancer research. Even in this economy, they believe enough in a cause to do something about it. I respect that and paid more attention to the wines which had the butterfly label and were eligible for the donation. Second, I have figured out I LOVE Italian varietals. And Watts has a Dolcetto. It was smooth and went down so easy I could picture myself in an Italian square sipping on this with some friends on a warm European night. There are not many vineyards with Italian wines so this one jumped up on my list. Finally, this family vineyard was warm and inviting. Even though the electricity was out, they had no problem adapting and welcoming us with their extensive tasting menu. It was a great first stop of the day! Thanks Watts. read more

Discovered this winery from the Lodi Zinfest. This was the only wine booth where we stopped three times because their fizzy rose was so refreshing. Their customer service impressed me from the start. Not only did they tell us about their wines, but invited us to come to their winery the next day for a fun event and wine case specials. The invitation was more than tempting, and our group set out the next day to check out their winery. When we arrived, I realized that the gentlemen with the good service from the day before, was in fact the owner. He immediately recognized us and gave us a friendly greeting. Five of us enjoyed our tastings at their winery and made our purchases. The combination of great customer service and tasty wine will definitely get me to come back. Cheers! read more

Time to break this out from the Vino Piazza review. Stopping off here after a ski trip (if I'm passing through before 5pm) is becoming a tradition. Watts wines now make up a nice chunk of my regular wine rack selection, and they are the bottles that I grab before heading out to a BYOB dinner with people who like to try new things and keep an open mind. The late harvest Zin dessert wines (both regular and fortified port-style) are just great. Deep, sweet, chocolaty flavors at various levels of strength, all tasty. A few fortified wines (labeled "dessert" but really port-like) do not obscure lower-alcohol by high-flavor bottles. But damn, those Montepulcianos ('04 and '05) are some of the best Californicated Italian wines I've found anywhere. Second to these are the Zins and Syrahs, as beefy as you expect from the hot side of the state but light on the overwhelming pepper and tannin you get in a lot of regions these days. Odder varietals, like Dolcetto and Malbec (plus the occasional Cabernet) round out an extensive selection of reds. New (for me), are a few whites, including some very mild and balanced chardonnays, and two very tasty light roses (rosado and syrah rosado) that would do well over ice or in a pitcher with fresh fruit. The Blond Wine Lady manages the (well deserved) crowds effectively, keeping everyone's tasting on-track with detailed knowledge of the wines and the growing conditions. Come on busier days and you might even bump into the owners themselves, two friendly and unassuming folks who seem to love the business. When I first visited in early '08, the staff called their wines a "beginner's effort," but now they've really hit their stride and are playing with big kids. No comment on whether the Zin Port is indeed a "liquid panty remover" as advertised. read more

You walk in to a cowboy with a pretty smile..waiting to plow you with wine... Need I say more? The Yellow Swallowtail chard was my fave so we grabbed a couple bottles of that. Drew turned out to be one of the best wine guys in the area..very personable and down to earth. I would happily go back and I highly recommend this wine tasting adventure to others. read more

The tasting room is set in the original home of one of the Watts family members and has definitely been renovated. We were the only ones there when we arrived and the guy helping us was on his first shift by himself. Overall it was a really nice and comfortable tasting room with a good size bar and a nice selection of wine. We did the Groupon deal where you get a tasting for two with a take home bottle. Definitely worth the money and we even were able to sample some wine from one of the winemakers who was trying to decide whether or not his Rose was ready to bottle. The prices of the wine were fair and our take home bottle was a nice Cabernet Franc. I would definitely come back to this tasting room. I like their selection of wines and the vineyards have a great family history that makes it a welcoming place to relax for a bit in the Central Valley. read more

Cute place nice peaceful relaxing ambience wines& champagnes or good as well I love the decor and the wall paintings they have for sell defiantly will be back my mom loves this place thanks mom read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Wine tasting on Mother's Day - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

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Very Good! EBWT4 starts here! This was our first visit to Vino Piazza, and Watt's was our first stop. I'm a big fan of them giving money from the butterfly label sales for cancer research. That's impressive! Next was the tasting experience. Many wines to taste...good wines! The pours was perfect and the interaction with our host was very friendly and pleasant. While everything was palatable or much better, the Dolcetto and Late Harvest Zin were tops! This winery is off to a great start and promises to be one to be sought after by wine lovers everywhere! read more

Awesome service! Love the Malbec! Nicole and Zachary were super friendly! Nicole was very knowledgable which made the experience that much more great. Got a peek at the barrels and tanks along with a little information regarding the bottling of wines. Definitely will return! read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Revisiting the red :) - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

Watts Winery has just opened their own tasting room at 17036 N. Locust Tree. When we were there this past weekend, they said it was their 2nd weekend open. They poured us A LOT of different wines. My friend nearly passed out when she found out that they had some '02 Cab, apparently THE year for that varietal. PIcked up an '06 Cab and an '04 Syrah. Our server, David Churchill, was a delight. read more

Not impressed. The only wine I liked here was the port, and got a bottle. I think they have fruit trees on the property, because there was random fruit on the tasting counter that attracted swarms of fruit flies, several of which ended up in my tasting glass. Pretty sure I consumed some. The wines were just crappy. They tasted like bad, cheap wine. Not worth it, and I wouldn't go back. They did serve chocolate with the port, so that earns one star. Save your $5 tasting fee and go to Klinker Brick instead. read more

Fabiola our host was amazing she really outdid herself pleasing our palate. We were able to taste at least 8 of their wines, the ambiance is intimate and trendy. The attention was personalized. We loved it!! We highly recommend the montepulciano and souzao 2010. Souzao 2008 is more like a vermouth. read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - The souzao my favorite... - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

The Upstream tasting menu was delish. Grounds are beautiful. But the young girl behind the counter didn't know anything about wine, and even admitted that she'd never been wine tasting before. Seems like an odd duck to put behind the counter when wine tasting is all about the experience, stories and the history. We certainly weren't inspired to buy. read more

We live in Lodi and go by this winery 5 times a week. So when we had guest from out of town this weekend we decided to stop in for some tasting. Our servers Dan and Shannon were the best. made us feel right at home and offered many wines for tasting. We even got a free card trick from Dan which I am still trying to figure out. We tasted so many wines we had to keep a written note pad to decide on our purchase. So our friends and my wife decided we each liked the Cabernet Franc the best . So decided on two bottles and Shannon immediately brought to our attention they had a special now for a case price. A deal we could not refuse. Great winery with great people made a great day and we left with a huge smile on our face. We will be back. read more

Beautiful winery! They have so many wines to try! There is definitely something to satisfy everyone's palate! read more

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We were members here for quite some time. We enjoyed their wines.

I really want Vino Piazza to be successful again, but this posting probably doesn't further the cause much. As the other posters have mentioned, they donate funds from several of their wines to cancer research. That rocks! Unfortunately, we didn't like their wines enough to purchase any. They are not bad wines, just not that good either. There are two pouring stations, so there is fairly ample room. The pourer was a nice guy (although he appeared to get a little irritated when a bunch of drunks came in at 15 minutes to 5pm (closing time). Soap box time: Why do people bring their kids wine tasting? The kids hate it. It annoys everyone around the screaming kids. It's poor role modeling (in my opinion), and you put your kids at risk of you driving impaired (even if below the legal limit). read more

Absolutely love this winery!!! We celebrated a special 34th birthday this weekend and Upstream GLADLY hosted us!!! Juli and Camille are AMAZING!! read more

Upstream Wines at Watts Winery - Happy birthday to this special guy!!! Big thanks to Upstream Winery for hosting us today!!! - Wineries Near Me - Lodi, California

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The banana chardonnay was unique, and while I didn't care for it as much as the friends I was with, I give Watts full credit for not shying away from trying something different. My favorites were the '03 Cab and the '05 Dolcetta; the latter is dangerous in that it takes like drinking a full-bodied juice, meaning I could probably down a bottle without realizing it... until I tried to stand up. The tasting room is essentially a cinderblock bunker with tall ceilings, which gives a bit of the cave feel, the most important part of which is the cool respite from the blazing sun. Friendly staff and reasonable prices (especially given sales and case discounts) make this a solid choice. And no tasting fee! read more

Looking for Malbec? They have one of the best in town. The new tasting room and art gallery is going to be so nice. A+ Hospitality, delicious wines and just a great time, what more could you ask for. Highly recommend stopping by Watts on your next wine tasting trip. read more

Excellent wine tasting with Matt, friendly and knowledgeable. Great selection of wines- traditional as well as cutting-edge styles. Try the Yellowtail Chardonnay- my fave. One of the nicest tasting rooms we have been to! read more

Very lovely winery! We were there for a wedding.The staff was extremely friendly and knew the wines. The tasting room is gorgeous and the event went so smooth! The staff couldn't do enough for us! We would recommend this winery anytime! read more

We recently attended the barrel tasting and BBQ event. What an amazing night. Not only were we treated like family, the wine was amazing. Born and raised in Napa, it was so nice to have a unique and personal experience, and not be overrun by tourists who don't know what they are talking about! Thank you for an amazing day! read more

Best customer service ever! Shannon and her husband (the owners) were amazing! They were so friendly and generous with the servings. Shannon gave us a tour of the whole property and even took us out to her organic garden where she offered us any veggies we wanted. I am sure this doesn't happen to every customer but her above-and-beyond service was much appreciated! In terms of wine, my favorite was the frog label one, which Shannon told us goes great with watermelon as a watermelon mimosa:) overall amazing experience. Makes me want to party with the Watts all the time! read more

We called ahead as we had a large group and were told we did not need a reservation but when we arrived, the employee in the tasting room was incredibly rude to us about not having a reservation. If the tasting room had been busy I would have understood, but we were the only people there. We had just come from a wonderful experience at M2 and this was certainly not a good follow up. They have lost several customers today. read more

Went there Saturday for the first time. It was pretty busy but the 3 girls working were pretty awesome! Mandy was super nice! I loved the wine! Especially the cab sauvignon and it was only $20!!!! The grounds were absolutely beautiful and they have some fun upcoming events and concerts that I can't wait to go to. Definitely should check this place out!! read more

Love Watts!!! We have been coming to this winery for years since Vino Piazza. Why keep coming back? We love their wines & just great hospitality. I specially love the Malbec, Franc, & Volt Blue. Can't wait to attend the grand opening for their new tasting room Saturday, 2 August. We need to refill our wine cabinet with some Watts wines. I also need more dessert wine for my Fig-Ruby Port Preserves. read more

Matt and Fabiola gave us a great tour of wonderful wines at this hidden gem of a winery! Loved the Watts collection of wines.

I wasn't too impressed with this winery. The whites tasted vinegary, and the reds were bitter with a bad aftertaste. The service was incredibly bland. I don't think she even cracked a smile. read more

Good wines. Different types of winemaking philosophies makes for a variety of tastings.