Like the sound of a hit song from summers past or the scent of burning wood from a campfire, the thought of a special wine can evoke memories of the exact moment in time it was enjoyed. Years ago, my brother poured me a taste of Rosenblum Zinfandel – San Francisco label. The wine was such a revelation that memories of the day are still seared in my mind – from the rich drink of black cherry and ripe plum, to the lighting of the early evening sky, to where I was sitting and whom I was with.
But there are a finite number of bottles from each vintage and when they’re gone – they’re gone. Even wine made by the same winery can taste different from year to year – due to weather conditions, soil composition and especially if there happens to be a change in winemakers.
So what is most fun for me about wine tasting is the treasure hunt of finding another wine equally as good.
Local Winery Buzz
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, headquartered in downtown San Jose with a winery and tasting room, is the 15th largest winery in the United States, producing 1.4 million cases of wine per year. In 2010, Wine Enthusiast Magazine named it American Winery of the Year. And at last year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, of the 1,200-wineries who submitted wines for judging, J. Lohr was the only producer to earn three Double Gold medals and a Best of Class.
I met up with Lawrence Lohr, the son of Jerry Lohr (the “J” in J. Lohr) and director of education for his family’s winery. Anyone who meets Lawrence for the first time can tell you there is an immediate connection with his warmth and down-to-earth personality. According to Lawrence, “Every wine has a story” – and especially for the J. Lohr Winery. What a story it is.
Described by his son as a “one-in-a-million-man,” Jerry Lohr was born and raised on a farm in eastern South Dakota. At 21, he moved to California to attend Stanford and after receiving a master’s degree in civil engineering, went on to become a research scientist at Nasa Ames. In the 1960’s, Jerry started his own custom home-building business and, having developed an appreciation for California wines, took oenology and viticulture classes at UC Davis.
With amazing foresight, in 1972, Jerry planted 11 different grape varieties, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey, and in 1986, planted Cabernet and other heat-loving red varietals in Paso Robles.
As Lawrence walked me through the San Jose facility, we stopped to watch the bottling line in action. On that particular day, 5,000 cases of the 2013 Wildflower Valdiguié wine were being bottled. Valdiguié is a unique red varietal – fruity with bright acidity and soft tannins, it is one of only a few J. Lohr wines that never spend any time in oak barrels – within four months of harvest and after stainless-steel fermentation and aging, it goes straight into the bottle.
With two tasting rooms – in Paso Robles and San Jose – J. Lohr offers affordable wines with flavor profiles that showcase the bold flavors of the California style of winemaking. The Seven Oaks Cabernet, with flavors of black cherries and a soft finish, is its best-selling wine – taking up well over half of the entire production.
Celebrating 40 years in 2014, J. Lohr is family-owned and operated. Lawrence’s brother, Steve, recently took over the helm as chairman/CEO and Cynthia, their sister, is vice president of marketing. Lawrence says their success has been built by a long line of dedicated employees, such as Jeff Meier, president/COO and director of winemaking, who has 29 vintages there, along with many key employees who have been with J. Lohr for more than 25 years. These long-term employees are largely responsible for the consistent quality of the wines – with almost identical flavor profiles – year after year.
Another key to their success is: “There is always somebody home. Because family members work at the winery, we can often be found talking to customers about our wines. We are the antithesis of a no-name corporation.”
J. Lohr’s calendar is full of events, including wine and cheese Fridays, wine-pairing dinners and wine education classes.
Bev Stenehjem is a wine columnist for South Valley Newspapers. Reach her at [email protected] and check out her blog at www.gilroydispatch.com/blogs/grapevine_news/
