Welcome to September! While at home we are still battling warm temperatures, the California Wine industry is welcoming a somewhat cooler month and more importantly, the beginning of their harvest. During September California comes alive with events, festivals, and vineyard tours paying homage to their bustling wine community. This month we will bring you five in-depth features of well-known and highly acclaimed California wineries. Regarded as one of the top wineries in the state of California and selected as one of Wine & Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Wineries two years in a row, J. Lohr Vineyard & Winery is a fabulous way to open this month’s highlights. Fifty years ago, Jerry Lohr embarked on a career change which would reshape the landscape of the California wine industry and create one of the country’s most popular wine brands.

In the early 1970s, Jerry Lohr first planted grapes in Monterey’s Arroyo Seco district. In the 1980s, he saw the potential for great Cabernet Sauvignon in the Paso Robles region and began vineyards there. For more than four decades, Jerry Lohr has been synonymous with pioneering innovation on the Central Coast.

“What Robert Mondavi was to Napa Valley, Jerry Lohr is to the Central Coast, leading and elevating an entire viticultural region from Monterey to Paso Robles."

— Adam Strum, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Even after almost fifty years of winegrowing and celebrating eighty years on the planet, Jerry Lohr is not slowing down. He continues to explore, learn, and lead in all aspects of the industry. Being honoured by Wine Business Monthly with the ‘Innovator of the Year’ Award reflects the admiration and respect of his peers and an acknowledgment of Jerry’s place in California wine history.