Warning: Notice: Advisement: This is not a sports blog. If you only want a sports blog come back next time.

This is about what I did on Thursday. When I woke up I told my wife we're going to Lodi. She wanted to know why. I said I have the day off and I want to taste Lodi Zinfandels. She said do you know how to get to Lodi? I said sure, I got directions.

We drove out 580 toward 205 and at the Altamont Pass my wife says why are you going this way everyone knows you take Highway 4 to Lodi. I tell her I know what I'm doing. I get to Highway 5 and I'm looking for Turner Road but can't find it. My wife says go into a gas station, men never go into gas stations and ask directions. I go. The guy says take the 8 mile road it brings you right into Lodi.

I take the 8 Mile Road. There are fields. The road takes me to Nebraska. I begin to think Lodi doesn't exist it's only a state of mind. We are wandering. I hear my wife mutter I need protein. It means she's hungry. Guys, have you noticed when women get hungry they mutter protein? I think they have a higher need for protein right now on the spot than we do. Out of nowhere a restaurant appears. We go in. It's 1 pm and the bar is filled with drinkers. My wife says this doesn't look good, I want to leave. I say what about the protein. She scowls at me.

We stop a guy on a tractor. Where's Lodi? He looks confused like he never heard of Lodi. He says take this road right here and it brings you to 99 and you go north I think ten miles and there's Lodi. We take the road. It dead ends. Protein. Protein.

I do some fancy zigging and zagging and lo and behold find 99. And there right before us we see a sign. LODI. We drive the main drag. I see a place called De De Diner. You want to go in I ask my wife. She says Frankie Avalon sang that song. Dee Dee Dinah. I won't eat at a place that's a Frankie Avalon song. We drive. We both sing Dee Dee Dinah. (I love my Dinah dee dee Dinah).

She spots a place, Richmaid. I want to eat there she says. It's like going back into the 50s. You expect to see Richie Cunningham behind the counter. The waitress says you look all done in. We say we got lost. We say we couldn't find Lodi.

Oh she says. She gets us soft drinks. She hovers. The other waitresses hover. We say we're looking for wineries. They get out a phone book and point out the best ones and the Wine and Visitor Center on Turner Road. Twice they tell us how to get there. We eat terrific club sandwiches. The waitress says we can keep the phone book. Is anyone this nice anymore? I love Richmaid in Lodi.

They treated us great at the visitor center too and gave us a map. These are the places where we tasted first rate Zins -- Heritage Oak, Lucas, Jessie's Grove. At Heritage Oak the winemaker played the piano for us. "That's Scarlatti," his mother said -- she was working the counter. "He only plays Scarlatti," the mother said. My wife and I wondered if he only knows Scarlatti or just has a thing for Scarlatti. He played Scarlatti well.

I always thought Dry Creek was the pinnacle for Zin but Lodi can compete. Most places in Lodi have a tasting fee. But no one ever charged us. At Lucas the guy said I'm supposed to charge but it's Thursday.

Some reason.

That's the end of my non-sports blog. Have a nice day. I'll drink a glass of Zin to your health and happiness.