NAPA, Calif., Feb. 4, 2025 – From June 2-6th, 2025, fourteen wine lovers, wine professionals, and award recipients are invited to explore the rich history of Lodi wine country with Field Blends Wine Travel, led by Maryam Ahmed and community partner Gerardo Espinosa. With over 120 grape varieties grown in Lodi, tastemakers are passionately cultivating a future where accessibility, variety, and quality intertwine. As the community embraces its heritage while fostering innovation, Lodi is poised to leave a lasting mark on the 2025 Field Blends Family.
“We couldn’t tell the story of California wine without bringing Field Blends to Lodi first,” says Maryam Ahmed, owner of Maryam + Company and founder of Field Blends. “Lodi embodies the intersection of tradition and innovation, where generations of farmers have built a community rooted in sustainability and collaboration. This makes Lodi the perfect destination to kick off our California Field Blends series and to continue bridging the gap between consumers and makers.”
Wes Rhea, CEO of Visit Lodi, adds, “We are thrilled to sponsor Field Blends: Lodi, and look forward to spotlighting our region’s rich viticultural heritage and the passionate individuals shaping its future. This collaboration not only celebrates Lodi’s unique wine culture but also fosters meaningful conversations about sustainable agriculture, our rich history and culture, and community engagement. We look forward to welcoming our guests and sharing the stories behind our exceptional wines.”
Field Blends seeks to close the knowledge gap between consumer and maker—an important next step in a region’s evolution. The all-inclusive experience includes hands-on and immersive sessions, locally procured meals, accommodations, transportation between destinations, and unparalleled access to wines, chefs, farmers, and vintners that will surprise and delight guests.
“While there are plenty of vineyards to explore, Lodi also gives us the chance to understand California agriculture more broadly, including the history of people, the importance of water, and what it means to be a family-run farm,” says Ahmed. “We are very excited to bring Field Blends to a fascinating and historically rich region like Lodi.”
In previous years, Maryam + Company led a group of wine professionals and wine lovers to Walla Walla, Washington, the Finger Lakes region of New York, and Michigan wine country. “I believe the work Field Blends is doing is paramount,” says Julia Coney, a wine consultant, wine journalist, and founder of Black Wine Professionals. “It’s more than visiting a wine region. It’s creating a community, experience, and conversation with wine professionals and consumers, which has been unheard of in the wine industry. I continue to support the initiative because without the wine consumer there would be no wine community.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Field Blends to Lodi this summer,” says Stuart Spencer, Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission. “One of the many attributes that make Lodi such a special place is its diverse and authentic community of like-minded individuals. A shared sense of values in the areas of sustainability, innovation, and continuous education has propelled our wine region for more than 150 years. We have an incredible history and a bright future, and we’re excited to share both with attendees and supporters of this year’s Field Blends.”
Field Blends Trip Awards
Are you interested in growing your community, tasting incredible wine, and finding inspiration with local and diverse winemakers, farmers, chefs, and entrepreneurs?
There are two types of Trip Awards for Field Blends: Lodi. After a successful experiences in Walla Walla, the Finger Lakes, and Northern Michigan, the program has been renewed, and general Trip Awards to attend the program are prioritized for individuals from underrepresented communities including, but not limited to: Black, Indigenous, Latinx, people of color, persons from racially diverse or intersectional communities, persons with disabilities, and persons from LGBTQ+ communities.
Starting in 2024, with the generous support of Full Pour Magazine, Field Blends has expanded its trip awards to include an exclusive Media Trip Award. Designed specifically for aspiring and novice journalists, as well as media professionals, the Field Blends Media Trip Award presents a unique opportunity to delve into the diverse wine regions of Lodi. The chosen recipient of this prestigious award will attend the Field Blends: Lodi trip all expenses paid, gain access to renowned vineyards and attend expert-led panel discussions, tastings, and deep-dive sessions exploring the unique growing areas of Lodi. In recognition of the recipient’s dedication to journalistic excellence, the recipient will receive the opportunity to write a paid featured article for Full Pour Magazine based on information gained through the experiences of their immersive journey through Lodi’s wine region. This collaboration underscores our collective commitment to not only promote the unique wine offerings of Lodi but also to fostering the growth and recognition of emerging talent within the field of wine journalism.
Trip award applications for Field Blends: Lodi will open on February 4, 2025 and will close February 17, 2025. Field Blends Trip Awards empower individuals from underrepresented communities to pursue a career in the wine industry through community-building, inquiry, and exploration. If you are already employed or actively seeking employment in the wine industry and meet the requirements for our scholarship, please apply. The scholarship covers travel, accommodations, and all programming.
Field Blends: Lodi partners include Lodi Winegrape Commission, Visit Lodi, Black Wine Professionals, Massican, and Kia.
Visit maryamandcompany.com/lodi to learn more. All-inclusive single traveler tickets start at $3,200, with discounts available for duo travelers.
About Maryam Ahmed:
Led by Maryam Ahmed, Maryam + Company is a creative consulting firm committed to advancing impact goals for food and wine clients through educational and strategic programs. Client partnerships include community-focused non-profits, emerging businesses, regional development initiatives, and large companies developing new portfolios.
Maryam + Company acts as an ecosystem, weaving together Ahmed’s expertise in strategic program development, her expansive community network, and her passion for bridging meaningful connections to boost revenue, improve retention, and strengthen brand reputation for clients.
Instagram: @maryamandcompany
Facebook: facebook.com/maryamandcompany
About Field Blends:
Maryam + Company also produces Field Blends, the immersive food and wine travel experience rooted in conversations that explore emergent and evolving movements in wine and agriculture, and the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum, which helps connect inclusive initiatives in the wine industry to foster collaborative efforts and problem-solving among advocates and leaders.
Field Blends combines Maryam’s programming talent with her passion for connecting socially conscious consumers to industry pioneers. The long-standing tradition of making field blends involves harvesting and co-fermenting different grape varietals grown together in the same field or vineyard. This often results in unexpected and intriguing blends, yielding a one-of-a-kind wine experience. That’s precisely what you’ll get with Field Blends—unique tastings and local provisions with educational experiences and critical discourse. You’ll hear from regional changemakers shifting the narrative on wine – or at the very least, challenging the dominant narrative.
Find out more at maryamandcompany.com/lodi
