This is the American dream of Jerry Lohr and his family. From a South Dakota farmer's son, he became a lauded West Coast winemaker. We visited the winery of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines to talk to the employees. One thing is clear from all the stories: the Lohrs still have both feet firmly on the ground. - TEXT MARJOLEIN SCHUMAN | IMAGE J. LOHR + CALIFORNIA WINE INSTITUTE
The Lohrs can safely be called pioneers of the Californian wine industry. It has been almost 50 years since their first vines went into the ground. Especially in Paso Robles, about 3 hours' drive south of San Francisco and then unexplored territory, pioneering work was done. California now plays on the international stage of the wine trade. Their secret is perhaps the combination of guts, common sense and technical ingenuity.
Perfect spot
Jerry Lohr learned as a child on the farm that every crop grows best in its own specific spot. Studying civil engineering at Stanford brought him technical insight and he even worked at the NASA research institute for several years. A career as a property developer turned into a career in wine when Jerry decided to stop selling land and instead cultivate it himself into the perfect spot for grape vines. For years, if necessary, with magnifying glasses and tweezers and pitch-black hands digging through the earth. Children Steve, Cynthia and Lawrence have since caught on and their vineyard acreage has grown to more than 1,600 hectares. As winemakers, the Lohrs have now had a leading role in Central Coast for two generations.
Curious about the whole article? You can read it in Winelife 72. Order this one here!
Don't want to miss a single edition? Subscribe then subscribe to Winelife Magazine now!
Want to stay up to date with the best articles? Follow Winelife magazine on Instagram, Facebook and sign up for our fortnightly newsletter.
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
Deutsch