Michael David Winery: A Three Ring (Wine) Circus in Lodi?
What’s the real story behind Michael David Winery, home of Lodi’s most recognized wine labels? It’s not what you think.
Take a stroll down any wine aisle, and you’re bound to notice Michael David’s wildly irreverent wine labels. They’re colorful and bold with cheeky names like Freakshow, Misfits & Mavens, and Politically Correct. While the attention-grabbing labels might lead you to believe that the brand is all style and no substance, nothing could be further from the truth. Peek behind the curtains of the circus tent and you’ll find a story centered around the commitment of two brothers – a commitment to family and sustainability, and to producing really great wines.
Introducing the ringmasters, Micheal and David
David Phillips, co-owner of Michael David Winery, is a fifth-generation farmer and a first-generation winemaker.
He explains his family’s long history in the Lodi region: “Our great-great grandparents homesteaded here back in 1865. We still farm some of the same land today, and that’s a typical story of a lot of Lodi families – we were much more diverse farmers back in the day. We (Micheal and his brother David) grew up selling and farming fruits and vegetables as well as wine grapes.”
Tossing their hat into the ring
David and his brother Micheal both attended UC Davis, where they “dabbled in winemaking.” After graduation, they returned home to the family farm. When faced with a surplus of winegrapes that they were unable to sell to other local winemakers, the two brothers decided to take matters into their own hands and start making wine with their own grapes. David recalls, “We always made a little bit of wine back in the barn to sell at our roadside food stand, but in the late nineties, we took it more seriously, brought in some help and started expanding.”
Making history
Around this same time in the mid to late nineties, sustainable winegrape growing and winemaking was garnering a lot of attention, especially in the Lodi region. If your wine history is a little rusty, it all started in the early 1990s, when the Lodi Wine Commission was formed to promote and improve Lodi’s wine industry. Lodi farmers knew that they had the potential to make world-class wines, and viewed sustainability education and certification as their ticket to the big tent.
As fifth-generation farmers, Micheal and David understood the importance of sustainable agriculture, and they eagerly embraced the mission of the Lodi Wine Commission.
“We were heavily involved with the Lodi Commission – Lodi wrote the book on sustainable wine, the Lodi Rules program. We were one of the first wineries to pay bonuses to our growers for becoming certified sustainable. Overall, having everyone go sustainable just improved the quality of grapes. Not only did it help the environment and help our soil, but it also speaks to farmworker safety and just being good stewards of the land and good neighbors.”
Sustainability is a juggling act
Continuous improvement is one of the core values of sustainability laid out in the Lodi Rules program. Over the years, Micheal David Winery has worked tirelessly to use resources more efficiently and to build a safe, welcoming environment for employees and the surrounding community.
David states, “We always say we’re farming for future generations in mind. So we want to protect the soil. We want to protect our groundwater so that our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids can continue this legacy. We’ve really improved the health of our soils – we use cover crops to build up the soil, add a lot of compost out there, and only use natural inputs – fungicides, sulfur, whatever possible. We’ve definitely reduced the amount of water we use. Farmworker safety has improved tremendously. We offer 401k and full health plans for our workers – and we did that long before that was a big deal.” David smiles and adds, “We’re proud of what Lodi has done.”
Learn more about the Lodi wine region’s commitment to sustainability!
A quick sideshow
Remember how we mentioned that Michael and David had both attended UC Davis? One of their professors developed a winegrape called Symphony, that helped the fledging winery make a name for themselves. “We were one of the first wineries to plant Symphony grapes. It’s a UC Davis varietal that one of our professors developed. It’s kind of cool to have that connection. He wanted to create a grape that grew well in the Central Valley, so he crossed a Muscat of Alexandria with a Grenache grape. It’s really well-balanced and does very well in the Valley heat. It was actually one of the wines that put us on the map in 1998 at the state fair. With that one, we were one of the top 10 wines in the state!”
The greatest show on earth (or at least in the wine aisle)
If you want to stand out, you’ve got to have something that sets you apart. In the case of Michael David, it is their quirky, colorful labels are the show – but it’s what’s inside the bottle that keeps people coming back for more. David explains, “We always wanted to make wine fun and accessible. We’ve had a number of brands over the years, from Seven Deadly Zins, Petit Petit with our elephant label and then the Freak Show brand, which everyone embraced as a fun circus of a wine.”
“Our bright labels definitely stand out on the shelf in front of a bunch of boring labels, but then we have to battle that, ‘oh, it’s not a very traditional looking wine.’” David challenges any skeptics to grab a bottle and pour themselves a glass. “Taste the juice – we back it up with really top-notch wine. All of our wines are 90 plus points. We don’t bottle anything bad,” David laughs, “Lodi gives us such great quality, beautiful upfront fruit. Our winemaking team’s got it dialed in now, just to know what to do with it year after year, improving it every year. I just think we’re lucky that we inherited this land here in this great climate.”
Gaining recognition
Over the last decade, Lodi has earned some pretty impressive accolades. In 2015, Lodi was named Wine Region of the Year. Then, in 2020, Michael David Winery was awarded Winery of the Year. “We always wanted to be recognized by the wine world as a legitimate, great wine-growing region, as good as any great wine-growing region in the world. I think it’s one of the things I’m most proud of. Back in the late nineties, only five Lodi wineries had tasting rooms open to the public. Today there are more than eighty. I’m really proud that Lodi has become a tourist destination.” But Lodi is different from your typical wine destination – it is characterized by many family farms and farming traditions, as well as family-friendly experiences.
Lodi: Family-friendly entertainment for all!
Through it all, Lodi has remained true to its roots and family farms are still the norm here. David states, “We’re 750 family farms in the Lodi appellation, not corporate farms. We are fourth- and fifth-generation families farming the grapes and passing them down to the next generation, which is super cool.”
Family traditions transcend farming and winemaking at Michael David. The on-site bakery and café are a nod to their family’s farming heritage, with many menu items showcasing produce grown by their own family and other local farmers. The homemade pie, made with David’s grandmother’s recipe, is a fan-favorite. “Our pies are probably as famous as the wine. We use all fresh local fruit, and they are absolutely tremendous,” David says proudly.
Even the winetasting experience, which is often thought of as an adults-only excursion, is family AND pet-friendly. Like many Lodi wineries, Michael David welcomes well-mannered pets and children in the tasting room and throughout the property. A fully enclosed farm-themed playground keeps children entertained, allowing parents to enjoy a glass of wine. Guests of all ages will enjoy exploring the pollinator gardens and a game of bocce ball.
The show must go on: welcoming the next generation
The future is bright for Michael David Winery, and David and his brother Michael are excited to welcome the next generation into the ring. Micheal’s daughter, Melissa, recently joined the family business, and the brothers are hoping that more will follow suit. David smiles, “I have two boys in their twenties, so I’m hoping Gen Z is going to really promote wine to the younger generations, promote Lodi, get more tourists coming here, and more people buying our products all over the world!”
David is proud of how far they’ve come, but he’s not quite content to rest on his laurels. He admits, “I still have one more goal I haven’t hit. I would love to have our wine served at the White House State Dinner someday. That’s a life goal that just hasn’t happened yet.” So, if you’re reading this and you’ve got an in with POTUS (or FLOTUS), be sure to share the tale of two brothers from a rural farm family who founded an award-winning winery that “doesn’t bottle anything bad”. David thanks you in advance.
Come one, come all
Intrigued by the story of Micheal David Winery? It’s time to start planning your trip to Lodi! The best way to truly experience a wine is to visit the tasting room and chat with the folks who made it! If you can’t make the trip, Micheal David wines are widely available at well-stocked grocers and wine stores, and can also be ordered directly from the winery. David adds, “We invite everybody to try our wines from Lodi. The beautiful sunshine, the cool delta breezes and our deep sandy soils give us such wonderful, fruit-forward, gorgeous tasting wines. We think they can compete with wines from anywhere in the world. On top of it, they’re certified sustainable and grown with love by families.”
Visit Michael David Winery
Open daily, 10 am – 5 pm
Cafe open daily from 8 am – 3 pm
Reservations are suggested, but walk-ins are welcome
209.368.7384
Article by Hilary Rance. Photography by Hilary Rance, Alycia Moreno and James Collier.