Oak Farm Vineyards

Oak Farm Vineyards

23627 N DeVries Rd, Lodi, CA 95242
oakfarmvineyards.com

Region: Livermore Valley

Owners: Dan & Heather Panella

Winemakers: Marilia Nimis Schrader

About: Oak Farm is an award-winning, family-owned and operated Lodi winery specializing in Italian and French varietals.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Fiano – Our family is from Avellino in the Campagna region, and we love how well the grape grows in Lodi

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Of course, I have to shout out Fiano first—we grow it ourselves and make wine from it! My initial discovery was a revelation: I expected something crisp and forgettable, but instead got this lush, aromatic white with honey, nuts, and volcanic minerality that drinks like a more elegant Chardonnay. The surprise was how food-friendly and age-worthy it is.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? What I love most about undiscovered grapes is how intimately they speak of a place and its people. They’re not engineered for mass appeal. Essentially, they’re survivors, shaped by centuries of local tradition and stubborn growers who refused to rip them out.