Three decades ago, the California Central Coast had yet to emerge as one of North America's world-class

 winegrowing regions. With little history or viticultural precedent, planting on the Central Coast was a gamble.

 One of an early handful of pioneers, Jerry Lohr was among the first to realize the vast, untapped potential

 of this now-acclaimed region with the establishment of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.

In the late 1960s, Jerry began an extensive investigation of California grape growing regions while searching

 for the ideal location for a vineyard. Raised on a South Dakota farm, his agricultural roots armed him with an

 innate sense for the intricacies of climate, soil quality and location. His research and instincts led him to the

 Central Coast, a unique location with one of the longest growing seasons in all of California. Selecting the

 Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County for his first vineyard, Jerry planted his original 280 acres of

varietal grapes in 1972 and 1973, and unveiled his San Jose winery in 1974.

Borrowing a lesson from the French- that great Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon excel in very different

 growing conditions-Jerry began planting Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varietals in San Luis Obispo

 County's little-known Paso Robles region in 1986. With the hands-on devotion of an artisan farmer, Jerry

 tended to the vines while diligently working toward the creation and development of an adjacent winery

and barreling facility, which was completed in 1988.

Today, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines includes more than 900 acres of cool-climate estate vineyards in Monterey

 County, with an emphasis on Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié and Pinot Noir, 2,000 acres in Paso Robles

dedicated to Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and other red varietals, and 33 acres in Napa Valley,

highlighting Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc. From this rich and diverse palette of sustainably farmed estate

 fruit, J. Lohr crafts wines showcasing bold, concentrated flavors and a vibrant sense of place. The winery

 offers four tiers of award-winning wines - J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyard Series and J. Lohr Cuvée Series.

 New to the signature portfolio is J. Lohr Gesture, limited-release wines available solely to tasting room

visitors and wine club members.

J. Lohr remains one of the few estate-focused wineries of its size, and one of the last substantial

 independents to benefit from the longevity of management and the passion of a second generation

of family members. Though it is operated with the loving care of a boutique winery, J. Lohr welcomes

 guests at two wine centers, one in San Jose and another in Paso Robles.

Our Mission
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is dedicated to producing flavorful wines that are the finest examples of

 quality and flavor from our given appellations.  We are committed to honesty, excellence and service,

 with a respect for our employees, suppliers, customers, and the long-term health of our company and

 the environment.

Our People

Working alongside Jerry Lohr is a skilled and dedicated team of individuals, many of whom have been

 with J. Lohr for decades.  EVP/COO and Director of Winemaking Jeff Meier has partnered with Jerry

 for 25 years to create wines that are the artistic expression of Jerry's vision. Rounding out Jeff's

 team are Red Winemaker Steve Peck and Assistant Winemaker Karl Antink, whose collective technical

 knowledge of winemaking practices, viticulture and fermentation science define a trio whose breadth

and passion is unrivaled in the industry. Complementing their efforts is VP of Production David Mezynski,

31 years with J. Lohr;  Paso Robles Vineyard Manager Steve Carter, 22 years;  Senior VP of Sales Ken Lee,

23 years; and Arroyo Seco Vineyard Manager Agapito Vasquez, 20 years at J. Lohr.  This longevity in

leadership and expertise ensures the continuity of flavors, wine quality and long-standing industry

 relationships which have become the hallmark of J. Lohr wines.

J. Lohr has also been shaped by the acumen and commitment of a second generation of the Lohr

 family.  Eldest son Steve Lohr is EVP/COO of the company's growing vineyard holdings, while sole

 daughter Cynthia Lohr spearheads corporate and product visibility efforts as vice president of marketing.

 Youngest son Lawrence Lohr is advocating wine appreciation as director of wine education. Together,

 they have joined Jerry with an eye toward preserving family involvement in the winery (and the

 involvement of J. Lohr's extended employee family) for generations to come.

History

1966
Jerry Lohr begins investigating Monterey's Arroyo Seco and other prime California winegrowing regions

1972-1973
The first 280 of J. Lohr's eventual 900 acres of estate vineyards are planted in Monterey's Arroyo Seco region

1974
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines San Jose Wine Center is open for business, and produces its first wine, a Petite Sirah

1975
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir wines are produced from J. Lohr's Monterey

 appellation

1976
J. Lohr produces its first vintage of Chardonnay and Johannisberg Riesling from its Monterey vineyards

1978-1979
Jerry Lohr hires three key cellar and bottling employees still with the winery today: Steve Lands, who today

 manages J. Lohr's 180,000 sq. ft. warehouse and one million cases of wine inventory; David Mezynski, now

 vice president of production, and Bruce Arkley, now vice president of human resources

1979
J. Lohr wines achieve national distribution

1984   
Winemaker Jeff Meier joins J. Lohr as member of the harvest staff and today is executive vice president/chief

 operating officer and director of winemaking for J. Lohr

1985
J. Lohr produces its vintage year Napa Valley Cabernet, called J. Lohr Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon,

 named after Jerry's wife

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines begins its first consumer wine club, called Wine Lohr Enthusiasts, or WLE

1986
ARIEL non-alcoholic wines are developed, with patent pending for its proprietary Reverse Osmosis process

The first of the Cypress wines is produced-1986 Cypress Chardonnay

1987
The first vintage of the Estates wines is produced: J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay

Cypress Cabernet Sauvignon is produced

1988
J. Lohr's 2,000 acres of estate vineyards are planted in Paso Robles.  J. Lohr Paso Robles winery is

completed, and international sales begin

1990
J. Lohr sales surpass 250,000 cases

1998
J. Lohr releases J. Lohr Vineyard Series wines, a brand of wines whose strength lies in the defining

characteristics of each of its estate-grown grapes in Monterey, Paso Robles and Napa Valley winegrowing

 regions

1999
J. Lohr sales surpass 500,000 cases

2001
J. Lohr Paso Robles Wine Center opens to the public, featuring a large event room and sweeping

 views of J. Lohr vineyards

2002
J. Lohr launches the J. Lohr Cuvée Series, a brand of three hand-crafted wines reflecting the wine

styles of the great regions of Bordeaux

Painter Bridge Zinfandel/Shiraz and Chardonnay are launched, wine targeted to the international market

2003
J. Lohr remodels the San Jose Wine Center and includes an event room for dinners and discussions

J. Lohr sales surpass 750,000 cases

2004
J. Lohr re-releases Cypress wines with a vibrant new wine style and bold packaging, including the

Stelvin screw cap closure, now known as Cypress Vineyards.

A second wine club, the Vineyards Select Wine Club, is launched

2005
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines announces over 10 million bottles shipped in 2004

2006
Former Von Strasser Winery and Folie à Deux Winemaker Karl Antink joins J. Lohr as assistant winemaker

2007
Steve Peck joins J. Lohr as red winemaker, hailing from brands including Jekel and Fetzer's Five Rivers

J. Lohr Vineyard Series expands to include new varietals Fog's Reach Pinot Noir, October Night Chardonnay,

 Tower Road Petite Sirah and Late Harvest White Riesling

2008
Jerry's wife of nearly 49 years, Carol Waldorf Lohr, passes due to complications from breast cancer.

A scholarship is established in her name at Middlebury College in Vermont

2009
J. Lohr unveils largest winery solar tracking array in North America-3 acres-in Paso Robles

J. Lohr names Director of Winemaking Jeff Meier the executive vice president/chief operating officer

 for J. Lohr Winery; Steve Lohr named executive vice president/chief operating officer for J. Lohr Vineyards

J. Lohr launches J. Lohr Gesture, limited-release wines available to wine club members and wine center

 visitors in San Jose and Paso Robles

Our Wines

Flavorful wines, quite literally "wines full of flavor" are the mission at J. Lohr. Our unwavering focus on

flavors sounds so simple, yet it's surprisingly complex. Achieving the best flavor demands total control,

 every step of the way, and is the result of planting each site to its ideal grape variety and applying

artisanal winemaking techniques, including extended maceration, barrel and malolactic fermentation,

among others.

We offer four tiers of J. Lohr signature wines which reflect our focus on flavor from vineyard to bottle:

J. Lohr Cuvée Series The Artistic Expression of Flavor This magnificent trio of wines features three distinct blends, and represents an artistic approach to winemaking using similar blending philosophies practiced by the Grand Cru Chateaux from Pauillac, St. Emilion and Pomerol-yet with a distinctly California accent. More...	J. Lohr Vineyard Series The Ultimate Expression of Flavor Also limited in production and finessed with meticulously-executed artisan winemaking techniques, wines from J. Lohr Vineyards Series showcase the highest-caliber fruit from small vineyard enclaves nestled in the world-class winegrowing regions of Paso Robles, Monterey County's Arroyo Seco, and St. Helena, Napa Valley. More...
J. Lohr Estates Flavor Second to None Wines from J. Lohr Estates are quality, estate-grown varietals from vineyards in Monterey County and Paso Robles. Each vineyard is planted to leverage the conditions that enable a particular varietal to thrive, resulting in optimal flavors. More...	J. Lohr Gesture A Unique Token of Thanks Originally conceived as a token of appreciation for our loyal wine club members and visitors to our two tasting rooms, J. Lohr Gesture debuted in August 2009 as three limited-release, Rhône-inspired varietals and blends showcasing the distinctive microclimates of western Paso Robles. More...
Cypress Vineyards Poetic wines from California's Central Coast From California's legendary Central Coast we present Cypress Vineyards, wines which translate the alchemy of fruit, climate, earth and water into a poetic expression of flavors so radiant and refreshing they taste as if they were kissed by sun and sea. More...	Painter Bridge International Acclaim for Everyday Wines Painter Bridge wines are remarkably flavorful alternatives to the mass-produced varietals bearing a California appellation. Internationally acclaimed and often judged "best of class", the Painter Bridge Chardonnay and Zinfandel are consistent with J. Lohr Winery's commitment to exceed quality standards with every brand that we produce. More...
ARIEL Non-Alcoholic Wines The Only De-alcoholized Wine to Win a Gold Medal Against Wines with Alcohol. ARIEL Vineyards is a pioneer in the production of super and ultra premium non-alcoholic wines. The wine world took notice when our ARIEL Blanc won a Gold Medal against wines with alcohol. More...