J Lohr Wines Available at Tastings

This holiday season there are a few social events around town which happen to be featuring some of my personal favorite California wines from J Lohr Vineyards and Wines. If you have heard of the winery and/or are at all curious about what they have to offer, this is an ideal time to get out there and try some of these finely crafted and interesting wines. J Lohr showcases some of the best that California has to offer, especially for those of us who don’t just rely on trendy labels with ridiculously high price tags. Whether you are looking to attend a casual wine tasting or a formal gala for charity, there are a lot of opportunities out there this month to sample a variety of selections and give you a pretty clear picture of just what J Lohr has to offer.

Jerry Lohr, the owner and namesake of J Lohr, grew up in South Dakota on what would now be considered an organic farm. From this upbringing he developed a love for the land and all it has to offer. When he decided to get into the wine business he not only took his love of the earth with him, by constantly striving towards a more sustainable winegrowing environment, but also his need to make the best out of what that land had to give. Since getting into the business in the 1960s, he has never been interested in making basic generic mass-produced wines. He has focused on quality, not quantity, with many of his wines being limited production offerings. The artisan winemaking techniques used produce wines of a high level of quality regardless of the price point. With vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco, and Napa Valley, he successfully produces a number of varietals and different flavor profiles. With a wide range of wine options, he is able to provide something for everyone.

Although it has already come and gone, hopefully some of you were able to participate in the 4th annual Bras on Broadway at the Hotel Donaldson on October 22nd. If so, you may have tasted the very limited production J Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard is named for the late wife of Jerry Lohr who died in 2008 of complications from breast cancer. From the 2005 vintage, $2.00 from every bottle of wine sold goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation with the goal of providing 500 mammograms to women who cannot afford to pay for them. This elegant deliciousness is not something you will get a chance to drink often since it is not widely available or mass produced. Although this is not a wine you can get at any liquor store at the moment, you may be fortunate enough to still sit down and enjoy a bottle at the HoDo.

This week, the Silver Moon featured the wines of J Lohr at their monthly wine tasting on December 2. They featured the J Lohr South Ridge Syrah, Wildflower Valdiguie, Fog Ranch Pinot Noir, and Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon. The Estate Syrah is an excellent wine with a decent price tag. At around $12-14 retail, this 100% Syrah from Paso Robles is vibrant and spicy, with all of the qualities a fine Syrah should exude. The vineyards this wine hails from include Australian and French clones, so all of the best aspects of Syrah really shine through.

If you are looking for something a little more complex, the Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon is another winner being featured. This limited production wine is hand harvested and hand sorted, demonstrating the level of quality that goes into making wine for Jerry Lohr. This one is a little more expensive at around $28-30 retail.

If you have never been to one of these tastings, I strongly suggest you check it out. Bar manager Jennifer Maxwell has really made these events something to mark on your calendar. The atmosphere is casual yet elegant and the price is right for the amount you get to sample. The pours are generous and you never leave without that healthy warmth of wine in your belly. Oftentimes the sampled wines come around a second time, so I would suggest saving room for a splash more of the Cabernet.

If you are looking to attend something a little fancier this holiday season, why not check out the FM Symphony Orchestra’s 53rd annual Symphony Ball on December 5th. At $100 a pop for tickets, this event is pretty damn spendy but the proceeds support something in this community that we should all be incredibly proud and supportive of! Also it is a great excuse to dress up and do something a little more festive. This event takes place at the Holiday Inn, with the wines being provided by Bernie’s Wines and Liquors.

This year, the featured wines will include the Riverstone Chardonnay and the Los Osos Merlot from the J Lohr Estate series of wines. The J Lohr Chardonnay, from the Arroyo Seco region, has been produced for the last 22 years, which has given it plenty of time to develop into the incredible wine that it is. Usually I am not a huge Chardonnay drinker, but this 100% Chardonnay, with its great balance of fresh fruit acidity, citrus and vanilla subtleties, is an exception to the rule for me. You can find this wine for around $11 per bottle which is seriously a steal.  I have no doubt that this one could hold its own in a blind tasting with all of the fancy California big name Chardonnays out there.

Although I really do love the J Lohr Estate Cabernet, I chose to go with the Los Osos Merlot for this event, with an entrée of pork. This medium-bodied Merlot is fairly light, which pairs nicely with the pork, but is also just a great sipper on its own. As someone who usually enjoys a bolder red, I am often surprised at how much I enjoy this wine. I chalk it up to the fact that J Lohr takes pride in every wine they make and the results are always amazing, regardless of the varietal.

There are so many new wines coming out these days that sometimes it’s hard to remember the great wines you have enjoyed in the past. But however many wines I try, I am always very happy to crack open a good old bottle of J Lohr.

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