Jerry Lohr achieved so much in his life that one could easily write an entire column about his accomplishments. Yet he remains modest and prefers to speak about his wines and to praise his winemaker, Jeff Meier.
Before founding a notable wine enterprise, Jerry Lohr built varied careers: civil engineer, captain in the U.S. Air Force and research scientist at NASA, and later a successful building entrepreneur. In the 1970s he became an early pioneer of California’s Central Coast, planting vineyards in Monterey County long before the region gained recognition as a distinguished wine area. Raised on a farm in South Dakota, he knew the importance of matching grape varieties to the soils and microclimates that suit them best. Today J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines spans more than 3,700 acres across the Central Coast and Napa Valley, a scale that helps the winery produce a wide range of high-quality wines at fair prices.
Among the current releases is a 2011 Chardonnay from Monterey’s Arroyo Seco area, priced around $25. From a cool vintage, the wine shows a bright yellow color and aromas of pear and orchard fruit, with a touch of toast, lively acidity and a clean, well-balanced finish.
The 2012 Riesling is pale in color with peach and apricot notes accompanied by delicate floral tones. It offers crisp acidity and a gentle, pleasant sweetness—an accessible and enjoyable wine at roughly $10.
Lohr’s 2011 Pinot Noir, also from Arroyo Seco and generally available for about $30, benefited from the cold weather and low yields of that year. The wine displays a deeper color than many Pinot Noirs, along with an attractive bouquet of red and dark berries and elegant balance on the palate.
The 2011 Syrah, sourced from warmer Paso Robles sites and typically priced near $14, presents a dark hue with aromas of black pepper and toast. Medium-bodied with a supple texture, it captures the classic Syrah profile—peppery, savory and approachable.
Lohr’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, usually offered for about $25, immediately reveals dark berries, ripe fruit and subtle nutty notes on the nose. The wine is ripe and full-bodied, yet well balanced, with the structure to pair with heartier fare or to cellar for a few years.
Beyond the wines themselves, Jerry Lohr’s legacy includes a reputation for ethical business practices and numerous honors and awards earned over decades of involvement in the wine industry. Those achievements could fill many pages on their own, but Lohr prefers to let the wines speak for his work and vision.