User:JLohrWines/J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines



Founded by Jerry Lohr in 1972, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is an estate-focused operation, with wineries and tasting rooms in Paso Robles, California, and San Jose, California. J. Lohr produces four tiers of wines —J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Cuvée Series and J. Lohr Gesture, in addition to specialty brands Cypress Vineyards, Painter Bridge and ARIEL Vineyards, a de-alcoholized wine.

J. Lohr’s winemaking program is supported by family-owned vineyards that span approximately 3,700 acres in Paso Robles, Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands American Viticultural Areas, and the St. Helena appellation of Napa Valley. J. Lohr is one family-owned and operated, with a staff of nearly 200 employees and an annual case production of approximately 1.5 million. In 2012, noted wine critic Dan Berger stated that “J. Lohr’s wines have improved steadily in quality over the last three decades, and in the last four years have taken a quantum leap forward…Today, J. Lohr has surpassed the 1-million-case mark in wine production, and the wines are better than ever.” J. Lohr has an international presence, with representation in over 30 countries,  and is sold in all 50 states.

History
In the late 1960s, founder Jerry Lohr began an extensive investigation of California winegrowing regions which led him to the Central Coast, which was at that time relatively unknown in the world of California wines.

Jerry Lohr selected the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County for his first vineyard. Lohr planted his original 280 acres of varietal grapes in 1972 and 1973 and opened his San Jose winery in 1974, after taking over the recently closed Falstaff Brewery keg filling facility.

Initially, Lohr planted eleven different varieties. He then narrowed the varietal selection down to those that had been most successful. Today, J. Lohr’s Arroyo Seco estate vineyards—which have expanded to 1,200 acres over the years—focus on producing Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié, and most recently, Pinot Noir. The winery has also established joint ventures to include 160 acres in Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands.

In 1984, J. Lohr purchased land just north of the City of St. Helena and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc, varieties used in the wines bottled under the J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard label.

Lohr then expanded south of Monterey County and began planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other red varieties in San Luis Obispo County’s then little-known Paso Robles appellation. At the same time, he worked toward the establishment of an adjacent winery and barrel facility, the initial phase of which was completed in 1988.

Jerry Lohr, Founder of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Founder Jerry Lohr was born near Raymond in Clark County, South Dakota. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from South Dakota State University in 1958, and his master’s degree in civil engineering from Stanford University in 1959. From 1961 to 1965, Lohr served as a research scientist and captain in the U.S. Air Force with duty at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field. In 1965, Lohr returned to civilian life and opened a land development and custom home building business.

Lohr began looking into California grape growing regions in the late 1960s, selecting the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County for his first vineyard in 1971. In the late 1980s, he decided to plant red wine varieties in Paso Robles, which became the home of the J. Lohr Paso Robles Winery, where all of the J. Lohr red wines are produced. Steve Heimoff, of Wine Enthusiast, noted that “what makes [J. Lohr] distinctive is not only its ubiquitous presence on restaurant wine lists and store shelves, or the trust the consumer has come to place in the brand name, but less known, the extent to which J. Lohr – both the company and the man whose name it bears – has been responsible for the historical development of two of California’s most important wine regions: Monterey County and Paso Robles. The two Central Coast winegrowing areas would not have become what they are without the concerted efforts of Jerry Lohr.”

Steve Lohr, Chairman and CEO
In August 2013, second-generation family member, Steve Lohr, was named chairman and CEO of J. Lohr Winery. Steve Lohr grew up in the family wine business, and at the age of 10, he helped his father, Jerry Lohr, plant their first vineyards in Greenfield, in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in civil engineering and economics, Steve split his time between winegrowing, and designing and building high-end custom homes on the San Francisco Peninsula.

In 2003, Steve joined J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines full-time as the company’s VP of planning & development. In 2009, Steve was named EVP/COO for J. Lohr Vineyards. Steve completed a three-term chairmanship of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in 2009. Steve chairs J. Lohr’s Sustainability Committee and sits on the San Luis Obispo County Water Resources Advisory Committee. He is currently a director and officer of both the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and Wine Institute.

Family Involvement
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a family-run business, with all three of Jerry Lohr’s children involved. In addition to Steve Lohr, this next generation consists of Cynthia Lohr, vice president marketing, and Lawrence Lohr, director of wine education.

Cynthia joined J. Lohr as director of communications in 2002, after a career in strategic marketing and public relations with Internet and technology companies. These companies included Niehaus Ryan Wong where she led Yahoo!’s pre-IPO strategic messaging efforts, and Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where she was vice president of a division that served clients including Covad Communications, TurboLinux, HomePNA, iPIX, Preview Systems, and Vicinium Systems. In 2009, Cynthia was named marketing vice president. Cynthia serves on the board of the Paso Robles CAB Collective, the trade committee for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and the communications committee for Wine Institute.

Lawrence Lohr joined J. Lohr in 2004, working with the winemaking production team. In 2006, he became one of J. Lohr’s Northern California area managers where he worked with a team of over 50 distributor in on- and off-premise accounts. In 2009, Lawrence was named director of wine education. In this position, Lawrence guides the company’s educational efforts by creating and presenting programs such as varietal symposiums and descriptor seminars.

Jerry Lohr is still involved as the founder of the winery, and remains a wine industry icon. Jerry, Steve, Cynthia and Lawrence are all owners of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines and serve on the company’s board of directors.

Winemaking Team
Jeff Meier has worked for J. Lohr since 1984, and is currently the director of winemaking, president and COO. Jeff attended UC Davis, worked harvest for J. Lohr a year and half after graduation, and has been with the winery since. Jeff says, “One important secret to J. Lohr’s success is the longevity of our staff. We have a few staff with 30 years [of] experience, a larger group with greater than 20 years with the winery and a huge number with greater than 10 years at J. Lohr. The consistency and success of J. Lohr in large part is due to the dedication and service of its employees.”

Steve Peck, red winemaker for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, produced his first vintage for J. Lohr in 2007. Steve also attended UC Davis, and worked at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena and Fetzer Vineyards’ Five Rivers Winery in Paso Robles prior to joining the J. Lohr team. Steve is responsible for the portfolio of red wines for J. Lohr, Bordeaux and Rhône varietals, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and red blends, amounting to around 65% of the total wine production for J. Lohr.

J. Lohr’s white winemaker is Karl Antink. After a career that included positions as assistant winemaker at St. Helena’s Folie à Deux, and winemaker for Von Strasser Winery in Calistoga, Karl joined J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in 2006 as assistant winemaker. In 2013, Karl was named white winemaker. Karl holds a degree in fermentation science from U.C. Davis, and is also a graduate of the U.C. Davis Master Brewers Extension Program.

Sustainable Certifications and Practices
In February of 2009, J. Lohr unveiled a 3-acre, 756- kilowatt solar photovoltaic tracking system adjacent to its J. Lohr Paso Robles Wine Center and winery. It is the largest system of its kind in the wine industry and currently provides approximately 85% of the winery’s annual power.

In January of 2010, J. Lohr was among the first seventeen wineries in California to earn the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) designation from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA). J. Lohr earned this certification for the sustainable practices adopted in its estate vineyards in the Paso Robles and Arroyo Seco AVAs, as well as for its two wineries located in Paso Robles and San Jose. CCSW certification is achieved by meeting a set of 191 best practices and 58 pre-requisites from the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook, which is then verified by an independent third-party auditor. In 2013, J. Lohr’s Carol’s Vineyard in Napa Valley also earned this certification.

Wines
J. Lohr currently produces four signature tiers of wines and three specialty brands. The signature tiers include J. Lohr Estates, the J. Lohr Vineyard Series, the J. Lohr Cuvée Series and J. Lohr Gesture.

Signature Tiers
J. Lohr Estates wines include Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Riverstone Chardonnay, Los Osos Merlot, South Ridge Syrah, Bay Mist White Riesling, Falcon’s Perch Pinot Noir, Wildflower Valdiguié, and as of Spring 2013, Flume Crossing Sauvignon Blanc.

Wines crafted in J. Lohr’s winery designated for estate fruit for small-lot production include J. Lohr Vineyard Series Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, Arroyo Vista Chardonnay, Fog’s Reach Pinot Noir, Tower Road Petite Sirah, October Night Chardonnay, Late Harvest White Riesling, Highlands Bench Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

The J. Lohr Cuvée series includes three Bordeaux-inspired blends made from varying blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The wines include Cuvée PAU, a blend named after the Premier Grand Cru Classé wines of Pauillac; Cuvée POM, made in the style of the wines of Pomerol; and Cuvée St. E, named for the wines of St. Émilion.

J. Lohr Gesture, which debuted in 2009, focuses on Rhône-varietal wines including a Grenache Rosé, Viognier, GSM (a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre), Syrah, Mourvèdre and RVG (a blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc). The tier also includes Zinfandel. These wines are considered limited production and are available at the J. Lohr Wine Centers, to wine club members and online.

Specialty Labels
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines produces specialty brands Painter Bridge, Cypress Vineyards and ARIEL Vineyards.

Painter Bridge is produced primarily for international export and includes Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cypress Vineyards includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

ARIEL Vineyards produces de-alcoholized wines. ARIEL includes four varietal wines (Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet) and one blend (ARIEL Rouge). In 1986 ARIEL Blanc became the first non-alcoholic wine to win a gold medal in a blind tasting against wines with alcohol.

Causes and Contributions
J. Lohr has a partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2009, J. Lohr began donating two dollars from the sale of every bottle of J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, providing 500 mammograms to women in need, during the first two years of the program. This partnership is now ongoing, and to date has funded over 3,500 mammograms.

Other social contributions include the support of organizations devoted to the health and well-being of children and families, as well as the advancement of the musical and performing arts. J. Lohr is also an ongoing sponsor of the American Heart Association.

Educational Advocacy
Jerry Lohr’s and the company’s educational advocacy efforts involve collaborations industry-wide, including Jerry Lohr’s leadership in support of the new teaching and research winery and vineyard at the University of California, Davis. Lohr provided additional funding and guidance for the project as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Founder. This funding was earmarked to help the project attain LEED-Platinum certification—the benchmark for sustainable building and design standards and the highest rating awarded by the United States Green Building Council. This was the first winery in the world to achieve this certification.

In 2010, J. Lohr made a financial pledge to California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, California, which is located in the same county as J. Lohr’s Paso Robles winery. Lohr said, “They have a viticulture and enology major, but they’ve never had a real winery facility. We’re going to help them build a teaching winery.”

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines has made contributions to the University of California, Davis, as well as the school’s Department of Viticulture and Enology. The winery’s fermentation room has been named the “J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Fermentation Room” and the sensory lab in the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science is named the “J. Lohr Wine Sensory Lab.”

In October 2013, South Dakota State, Jerry Lohr’s alma mater, named the College of Engineering the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering in recognition of his 25 years of fundraising and strategic planning efforts for the university.

Key Awards and Recognitions
In 2010, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines was named “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and was honored at the Eleventh Annual Wine Star Awards at the New York City Public Library in 2011.

The Quarterly Review of Wines honored J. Lohr with the 2010 Oenological Award of Excellence. They cited that “No other family winery in California produces value wines with such quality, vineyard wines with such substance, and Cuvée wines with such excellence.”

In June of 2013, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines was named the Tasting Panel Magazine “Winery of the Year,” and participated in The Tasting Panel Magazine’s Double Gold Tour, a 12-city national wine and spirits trade tour, in conjunction with The 2013 San Francisco International Wine Competition, where J. Lohr won Best in Show Red/Best Premium Bordeaux Blend for its 2009 J. Lohr Cuvée POM, as well as a Double Gold for its 2010 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2013, Director of Winemaking, President and COO Jeff Meier was named #51 of the “Top 100 Most Influential U.S. Winemakers” by IntoWine.com, which stated, “Jeff Meier of J. Lohr advocates for the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County and Paso Robles. As head winemaker for J. Lohr for nearly 30 years, Meier oversees a broad portfolio of highly successful wines, and makes Valdiguié and an award-winning non-alcoholic wine.”

Wine Tasting Centers
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines hosts visitors daily at their tasting room locations in Paso Robles, California and in San Jose, California. The winery provides wine club options for national consumers through the J. Lohr Vineyards Select Society and the J. Lohr Barrel Society.

The J. Lohr San Jose Wine Center, located in Silicon Valley, includes a venue for corporate meetings and private wine tasting events.

In 2010, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine for its efforts in education, industry leadership, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a Certified California Sustainable Winegrower and houses the largest solar tracking array in the American wine industry at its Paso Robles Wine Center. As part of J. Lohr's sustainability iniatives, the company also runs comprehensive water and energy conservation programs, uses biodegradeable inks and papers in its packaging, and preserves vineyard ecosystems through strategic vineyard planning. Since 2009, J. Lohr has partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to provide mammograms to women in need through the sales of J. Lohr Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, two single-vineyard wines made from grapes grown in J. Lohr's Carol's Vineyard in St. Helena, California. Carol's Vineyard is named after Jerry Lohr's wife, Carol Waldorf Lohr, who died of breast cancer in 2008.