Lucca Winery
16265 East River Road, Ripon, California, 95366, United States
The winery of Lucca is located in the farming community of Ripon, part of the San Joaquin Valley. In this prosperous rural environment, wines are produced from grapes that are grown in robust vineyards in the Oakley Delta Basin. Consider their award-winning wines, from the Grande blend to the Mourvedre variety.
Dionisio Lucchesi immigrated from Italy to Oakley, a small farming community in the Delta region of the Central Valley. He bought land along O’Hara Avenue and planted grapes, almonds and apricots. His love of the land and his passion for farming were passed on to his son, Guido, who continued to take care of the trees, the vines and the sandy soil in which they grew. During Guido ‘s tenure, apricots and almonds were harvested and sold, but a small portion of each grape harvest was kept for his own venture into homemade wine. Without any formal training, Guido made wines from his zinfandel grapes, which he shared with his family and friends.
In 1990, Guido ‘s son, Alan, took over the management of Lucchesi Family Farms. The operation has been extended to include over 400 acres of vines. Alan shared the grapes he had harvested from his Oakley estate with his brother, Mark, an almond and peach farmer in Ripon. Mark started making small batches of wine to share. After a number of years, his production increased, and he began experimenting with mixtures. Mark’s interest in crafting and refining his homemade wine culminated in Lucca Winery.
Grape vines grown in sandy soils in and around Oakley have the advantage of being forced to reach deep into the soil for water and nutrients, creating grapes that have a deep taste. The climate in Oakley fluctuates between the warm days of summer and the cool breezes of the Delta. The soil and climate combine to produce the fine wines of the winery of Lucca.
Lucca Winery Wine Club
As a wine club member you will receive the following:
- 20% discount for purchasing 1-11 bottles, 25% discount for 12+ bottles.
- Invitations to special events, release parties in April and November.
- Six bottles of wine, two times per year.
- Wine can be shipped (~$20) or picked up in April and November.
- Additional promotional offers for members only.
Lucca Winery is a wonderful find while you’re traveling through San Joaquin County. Their land is located in the small town of Ripon, and their grapes are harvested in the town of Oakley. The warm Contra Costa climate allows for very robust vineyards, giving a wide range of varietals to many wine-growers in the area. Lucca offers a versatile variety of red and white wines, and they’re practically going to let you taste the whole menu if you want it (you probably wouldn’t make it home if you tried to do that).
Their grounds are that of an open warehouse set up with wine barrels that line up their tasting room. It’s a very fun and lively environment with winemaker Mark Lucchesi, who often makes appearances and allows customers to taste unreleased wines. The level of hospitality you ‘re going to experience here is truly remarkable. Tasting is $10, but the purchase of a bottle is cancelled. The bottles are super reasonably priced. They also make their own wine corks and sell a lot of other fun wine-related drinks.
Things you can do; bocce ball, horseshoes, museum, hike, bike, climb jungle gyms, play softball, picnic, rent a covered area for receptions, study, use a playground for events or games.
