(Recordnet) - Phil Abba has a working relationship with E&J Gallo. His family has sold grapes to the Modesto-based winemaker since the 1960s.

That doesn’t mean he wants Gallo, the largest exporter of California wine, building a massive new winery in the vineyards across the road from his own rural home in the Acampo area.

“It’s a little awkward to say the least,” Abba said last week. “We’re not opposed to Gallo. We’re not opposed to this project. We’re just opposed to where they’re going to put it.”

Gallo’s proposal has not yet been vetted by county planners and is a long way from becoming reality. But the story raises a question that is pertinent now: How big is too big in tranquil Lodi wine country?

The new 65-acre winery is supposed to eventually employ 330 people full time, and even more during the harvest. Someday, if built to full capacity, it could process 150,000 tons of grapes per year.

For perspective, even a winery processing a mere 555 tons per year is classified as “large” by county officials.