You don't have to drink wine to pass the time in Lodi, but it's wine culture garners top billing as the primary tourism attraction the city offers guests visiting the Northern California region 35 miles south of Sacramento and 90 miles east of the San Francisco.   One of the best resources when you arrive in town is the Lodi Wine and Visitors Center. Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, 2545 W. Turner Rd., Lodi, CA 95242. Open daily, you'll find a tasting room representing the region's wines, gift store, maps, magazines, literature and hands-on educational displays teaching about wine soils, growing techniques and types of wines the region enjoys.   Lodi is home to nearly two dozen wineries, hundreds of labeled wines, and thousands of acres of premium wine grapes. The area's transition to premium wines arrived several decades ago in 1986 when Lodi's wine region received designation as an American Viticulture Area producing the Lodi Appellation. The wine history of Lodi spans not just a few decades, however, but well over a century in this ideal wine growing region. Beginning in 1850, Capt. Charles Weber, founder of Stockton, was the first to plant grapes in the region around his home. Gold miner George West  saw those flourishing vines and established the first major vineyard two years later in Lodi-Woodbridge region.  In 1858, he built El Pinal Winery and became the region's first commercial vintner. Meanwhile Lodi farmers grew grain and watermelons. In the late 1880's farmers discovered wine's benefits as the soils and a special grape called Tokay provided consistent crops. Tokay was a delicious table grape that held up well during the long rail trip across country to eastern markets. Fermented into wine, it could also be distilled into brandy, or fortified into ports and sherries. As the West family maintained a strangle-hold on the region's commercial wine trade, coops were formed in time to meet the biggest challenge yet, the dreaded 1919 Prohibition which was an effort to remove and do away with liquor nationally. Instead of being a bust for Lodi, the Prohibition was a boon. Farmers could send their grapes by rail to other locations where they were then secretly turned into wine. Equally, the end of the Prohibition in 1933 did not impact Lodi negatively.   By the 1990's thousands of acres of grapes served to make affordable table wines. Wineries throughout the state turned to Lodi for their grapes, sometimes blending them with other types of grapes grown in other regions. Another example of this type of wine trade can be seen along the Sacramento River Delta outside the city of Sacramento in Clarksburg.   For those wanting to spend a day or two sampling wines along Lodi's wine trail, there are several affordable hotels, dining and an historic downtown that provides a leisure shopping experience. You'll find the chain store shopping faire offering affordable merchandise many tourists seek when out on the road. Among those names are discount and department stores such as Big Kmart, 520 S. Cherokee Lane; J.C. Penney, 2422 W. Kettleman Lane, Marshall’s, 2429 W. Kettleman Lane, Mervyn’s, 530 W. Kettleman Lane, Ross Dress for Less, 340 W. Kettleman Lane, Target, 2355 W. Kettleman Lane and Wal-Mart, 2350 W. Kettleman Lane, Lodi, California.   In addition to shopping, you can take in a live concert or play at the beautiful Hutchins Street Square's Kirst Hall. World class musicians, theatrical performances and a variety of entertainment from around the globe makes Lodi seem not too small. With the advantages of the relatively small population and the active calendar of events throughout the seasons, there's more than wine to tempt your taste buds.  A friendly, small-town atmosphere combines with the finer things such as music, arts, entertainment and wine to entice visitors to stay and enjoy an authentic experience.   Several exciting events that attract large crowds include the twice a year Lodi Street Faire held the first Sunday in May and the first Sunday in October. Over 700 vendors sell antiques, arts, crafts and commercial items. There are also approximately 20 to 25 food vendors who sell everything from hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, pizza and sodas. This event showcases Lodi's friendly folks who love to gather for a celebration sponsored by the Lodi Chamber of Commerce.  www.lodichamber.com.  Another popular chamber event is the Sandhill Crane Festival held in the fall. The Sandhill Crane, the most celebrated fowl in the area, shares the ponds and region's lakes with sparrows, wrens, swallows and even the threatened Swainson’s hawk species seen at Lodi Lake. Bird watching is a popular event throughout the year but especially during active migrations.  If you fancy birds, you wont' want to miss the Crane fest. lodichamber.com.   If you'd rather watch flying balls than birds, Lodi features several public golf clubs. Lockeford Springs Golf Course, 16360 N. Highway 88, Lodi, CA 95205. Call: (209) 333-6275. Opened in 1995, this Sandy Tatum and Jim Sommers  designed 18-hole course features 14 holes cut out of an old walnut tree orchard. The natural setting makes this course quite scenic. The terrain is flat, yet the fairways experience some mounding. The greens are sloped and undulating. There is a creek that meanders through the course that comes into play on only a couple of holes. The signature hole is #18, a 514-yard, par 5, which plays to a dogleg fairway with a lake on the left and a waterfall and stream that flow into the lake. In addition, this hole has an L-shaped green with a canal on the right and the lake on the left.    Lockeford Springs Golf Course   Tees Par Rating Yards Slope Blue 72 71.6 6861 119 White 72 69.9 6483 115 Red 72 67.6 5951 111 Gold 72   5561     Micke Grove Golf Links, 11401 N Micke Grove Rd., Lodi, CA 95240. Phone: (209)369-4410. Micke Grove Golf Links is a public golf course built in 1992 by Garrett Gill and George Williams. It features a links-style course nestled among Lodi's wine grape vineyards. It has eight lakes that come into play on a number of holes. The signature hole is #14, a 179-yard, par 3, requiring a tee shot over water to a green framed with railroad ties in front.   Micke Grove Golf Links   Tees Par Yards Slope Blue 72 6565 118 White 72 6026 112 Red 72 5286 102   Lodi Summary Lodi has approximately 52,000 residents. The city sits on the banks of the Mokelumne River at Hwy 12 and Hwy 99. It's neighboring town is Woodbridge, also known for vineyards and quality wine. Lodi was founded as a railroad stop in 1869 as Mokelumne Station, but three years later received its present name. While no one knows how Lodi got its name, one lively tail revolves around a winning race horse, a stallion that was unbeaten in the late 1800's. Today, a dam at Woodbridge prevents downstream craft from reaching Lodi. But the dam does form Lodi Lake, which includes a park and is a popular recreation area with a boat launch. Lodi is bordered by Interstate-5 to the west and Highway 99 on the east. Amtrak stops in Lodi several times a day and several major airports are not out of reach.