Day 1 – Sacramento to Lodi (Back-Road Route & Pietro’s Feast)
2:00 PM – Sacramento ➜ Lodi (Back-Roads for Time)
Skipped Hwy 99 for vineyard-lined side roads that look like Temu New Zealand if you squint. Zero traffic, zero regrets.
4:00 PM – Check-In @ Wine & Roses
Seamless—keycards in hand before the conversations with the parents got awkward. Did have an issue with the keycard working initially, but I’m not going to hold that against the place. I had to have ensure the guy who helped us get into the room that I actually know how to enter a hotel room… “I promise, I’ve done this before without issue.”
6:30 PM – Rehearsal-Dinner Crash @ Pietro’s
Hosted bar on the patio meant bottomless Zin and bruschetta. The kitchen went full Fogo-de-Chão playbook: overload you with starters before main dishes—lightly breaded pork cutlet (think schnitzel meets Italian nonna) still stole the show.
Family tradition highlight: Bride’s dad bought whiskey for the whole party so we could gargle before swallowing. White-tablecloth class with back-alley vibes—chef’s kiss.
10:00 PM – Lights Out
Uber back, tucked in early. Tomorrow’s tee time waits for no hangover.
Day 2 – Sunrise Golf & Wine-Country “I Do’s”
6:00 AM – Dawn Patrol @ Micke Grove Golf Links
Only idiots on the course; sunrise bouncing off dew-covered fairways. Signature par-3 (“mini-Sawgrass”) forces an 8-iron over water—makes or breaks wagers instantly.
Downside: Clubhouse locked until 8 AM, so we detoured to McDonald’s for caffeine and Gatorades. Pros play through; geniuses order hash browns.
12:00 PM – Thai Spices Power-Lunch
Yellow curry + drunken noodles + two Sapporos. $50 all-in and the place was packed at 12 PM—always trust the locals’ lunch choices.
2:00 PM – Suit-Up & Glam
Quick steam, cufflink snap, and property portraits with the wife under blooming roses—IG gold.
6:00 PM – Ceremony @ Wine & Roses
Outdoor arbor, zero sun-in-eyes complaints. Vows landed, tears shed, whiskey garglers behaved (mostly).
6:30 PM – Cocktail Hour & Photo Booth
Highlight: T-shirt toss instead of bouquet/garter. Shirt read “I went to Erik & Hailey’s wedding and all I got was this lousy shirt and a hangover.” Every wedding should steal this.
7:15 PM – Reception Buffet
Ravioli so good it earned seconds; braised short ribs fell apart faster than Uncle Bob’s two-step. Open bar = faces melted to Mr. Brightside (twice).
Skipped the post-reception pilgrimage to Nowhere Bar—pro tip: passing out at a dive after a wedding is never the play.
Day 3 – Sausage Lines, Wine Pours & The Drive Home
12:30 PM – Michael David Winery (or “Why Service Matters”)
Usually a go-to; this time the pours were fine, the staff acted like we’d interrupted their TikTok, and the vibe felt flat. Bought a bottle anyway, because habits die hard. Check out my quick review of our tasting.
2:30 PM – Lockeford Sausage Run
Line wrapped the building, but $150 later we had enough links, jerky, and beef sticks to feed the Kings’ front line. Worth every minute. You can read my full post about Lockeford Sausage here.
4:00 PM – Roll Home
Trunk Tetris: clubs + wine + ice-packed sausages. Calories: 9,000. Regrets: 0.
Key Takeaways
Lockeford line hack: send one friend to snag jerky samples while you inch forward.
Book dawn tee times—you’ll own the course and still make hair-and-makeup.
Skip the dive after the reception; sausage lines are easier without a 2 AM headache.
Wine & Roses pro move: bring $1 bills for the photo-booth tip jar—worth it.
