The Abridged version:
- Valensin Vineyard & Winery in Galt is built around a lake originally used for water ski tournaments before any grapes went in.
- The winery leans into that history with paddleboarding, pedal boats and a self-guided lake walk alongside its regular wine tastings.
- Wine tastings are on Thursdays and Saturdays; live music, food trucks and other events fill Fridays and Sundays.
Valensin Vineyard & Winery sits about 2 miles off Highway 99 in Galt, wrapping 11 acres of vineyard around a 15-acre lake. Visitors can paddleboard, rent pedal boats or book a wine tasting, sometimes all in the same afternoon.
It’s a rare setup for a Lodi-area winery, and the reason for it goes back further than the vines do.
Colleen Ruffell oversees day-to-day operations at Valensin, including events and the tasting room. The lake, she said, predates the winery by decades.
“The previous owners were professional water skiers, so they built the lake for a water ski course, and they used to run tournaments out of there,” she said. “The buoys are all still there for the actual water ski course, and we have a limited number of water skiers who still use it.”
The vineyard went in around 2002, planted in the Alta Mesa AVA within the larger Lodi appellation, now home to more than 85 wineries. It took nearly two decades before Valensin opened as a winery in 2020.
“A lot of people who come to the winery aren’t necessarily wine drinkers yet,” Ruffell explained. “They’re attracted to the water, and they just want to be there for the vibe and the atmosphere.”
The wine list is built with those visitors in mind. Most selections lean light and easy drinking, with a range from sweet to dry. Four sparkling options lead the lineup, a bottle-fermented brut and rosé alongside tank-fermented peach mango and pomegranate versions. Sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and rosé round out the still selections, then 10 reds close the list, from a lighter sangiovese up through Montepulciano, teroldego and cabernet.
A separate label called Crazy 8 is made entirely from syrah vines around the lake, named for the 8,888 vines on site, Ruffell said.
Beyond wine, there’s plenty to do on the water. Visitors can rent pedal boats or walk a milelong, self-guided path around the vineyard and lake anytime. Paddleboarding is more limited, open to everyone through two monthly events, a second Sunday Paddle & Pour and a nighttime Glow Paddle on select Fridays. Both are $20 with a glass of wine included and often sell out in advance, though if you need to rent a paddleboard, it’s an additional $50 and needs to be done separately on Valensin’s website.
Wine club members get one added perk beyond those two events: paddling any time the winery is open. Groups of six or more can also book a private paddle party regardless of membership, well suited for a birthday celebration or other big group event.
In addition to private bookings, Valensin can also accommodate full weddings and other events on-site. For guests looking to stay nearby, the property also rents out two lakeside accommodations, a two-bedroom Lakeside Loft and a larger three-bedroom Lakeview Villa.
For now, food comes down to charcuterie or a food truck on-site that day. But Valensin is working toward selling housemade pizza, having bought some equipment and awaiting the requisite Sacramento County permits, Ruffell said.
Tastings are limited to two days a week, Thursdays and Saturdays. Fridays and Sundays are reserved for live music, food trucks and other scheduled events, worth checking ahead since those nights are ticketed rather than walk-in. The calendar fills out with recurring nights like Motown Sundays, Latin brunch and salsa dance parties, plus one-off bookings like a dueling pianos show and local bands.
Ruffell sees more wineries continuing to open in Galt in the years ahead. “Galt is a growing community, and there’s already a few more wineries popping up,” Ruffell said.
The property is also currently listed for sale, with the Zillow listing pricing it at just under $5 million and marketing the estate as suited for a winery, wedding venue, corporate retreat or private resort. It’s unclear whether or how a sale would affect current operations.
Valensin Vineyard & Winery
Address: 10675 Valensin Road, Galt
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 12-6 p.m. Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday-Wednesday (hours vary seasonally)
Website: valensinvineyard.com
Food: Charcuterie and a rotating food truck
Drinks: Wine only: four sparkling, three still whites and 10 reds ($28-$60 per bottle). Tasting flights run $15-$20 per person
Reservations: Available online for tastings and lake activities; private events and weddings booked by phone or email
