Bios
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Jerry Lohr, President/Owner
The son of a hard-working South Dakota farming family, Jerry Lohr was born and raised on what would now be called an organic farm. The importance of planting each individual crop in its appropriate place was instilled in him from an early age. Jerry grew to understand that every crop has a natural ability to excel under very specific growing conditions. This knowledge would later become instrumental in his success as a winegrower.

Jerry graduated from South Dakota State University in 1958. He received an M.S. from Stanford in 1959 and completed all coursework for a Ph.D. in civil engineering by 1961.   As an Air Force captain, Jerry was posted as research scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, from 1961-1964.   Returning to civilian life, Jerry opened a land development and custom home building business, but his passion for farming and an appreciation of wine soon led him to take on a new challenge: winegrowing.

Jerry dove headfirst into his new endeavor with an extensive investigation of California grape growing regions in the late 1960s. Aware of the importance of climate, soil quality, and location, Jerry finally selected the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County for his first vineyard in 1971. Jerry was also among the first to realize the tremendous untapped promise of Paso Robles, in San Luis Obispo County and, in 1986, he began planting cabernet sauvignon, merlot and other red varietals on what is now 2,000 acres of vineyards. Since then, many noted winemakers have come to realize what Jerry saw early on. Although others have followed in his footsteps, Jerry remains one of the few who can regularly be found riding a tractor, or with his hands on the vines.   

Respected universally by his peers for his intimate understanding of California winegrowing, Jerry's knowledge on the subject is vast. He can address any facet of the winegrowing process, be it scientific or agricultural. An industry leader and one of the few remaining substantial independents, Jerry is a fervent advocate for the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County and Paso Robles, regularly investing his energy and resources to champion these regions.

For Jerry, sustainable business practices aren't limited to winegrowing; they apply to the people who work beside him. To support this philosophy, in 1994, Jerry instituted an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), and listed the title "co-owner" on employees' business cards. In addition, J. Lohr employees enjoy the benefits of a profit sharing program. By being a man of integrity, Jerry has guaranteed J. Lohr the loyalty and best efforts of its team. These two ingredients have a profound effect on the wine in the bottle.

Jerry's dedication goes beyond J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. His work on behalf of the entire industry has included posts as former chair of the Wine Institute and former chairman of the Regional Winegrower's Council. He is also one of the four founding members of Wine Vision, an industry group that promotes a long-range view of the wine industry. Over the course of his career, Jerry has served as founding director, four-time president, and chairman of the marketing committee of the Monterey Vintners and Growers Association. He has also served as director and chairman of the marketing committee for the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association.

Jeff Meier, VP Winemaking
Viticulture has been a part of Jeff Meier's life since his childhood. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jeff would often accompany his parents on wine tasting trips to Napa and Sonoma counties during his youth. Although he was too young to taste, Jeff fell in love with the beauty and tranquility of the vineyards, which led to a lifelong passion for wine. This passion eventually steered Jeff to UC Davis, where he was inspired to become a winemaker and earn a degree in viticulture and enology.

In 1984, after a brief stint as a sales representative for a wine and spirits distributor, Jeff went to work the harvest at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Recognized for his aptitude and education, Jeff was offered the position of bottling line supervisor. Two years later, Jeff was promoted to assistant winemaker. Jeff became active in every aspect of the winemaking process and in 1995, eleven years after he worked his first harvest at J. Lohr, Jeff was appointed winemaker.

With over twenty years in the California wine industry, Jeff understands that some of his most valuable time is spent in the vineyards. Jeff's winemaking values go to the core of Jerry Lohr's grape growing philosophy: that the quality of wine is directly related to what goes into the vineyards. Jeff believes a winemaker is truly a tenant of the earth, acknowledging, "There's not a heck of a lot I can do as a winemaker to make great wine out of poor starting material."

Jeff asserts, "Having estate vineyards gives J. Lohr an advantage. Because we have complete control over our vineyards, we can develop each block with the right clones and rootstock, and monitor our yields to maximize grape flavor. With experience and experimentation, we can harvest better grapes and make wines of greater intensity and finesse."

An active member of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Jeff is also working on tannin management experiments in conjunction with the University of California, Davis. Constantly challenging himself, he enjoys the freedom to experiment creatively.   Jeff's staunch commitment to making the absolute best wines he can is reflected in his work and the resulting wines.

Steve Peck, Red Winemaker
As the red winemaker for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Steve Peck combines a gifted palate, a passion for viticulture and a comprehensive technical knowledge of winemaking practices.

Born and raised in California, Steve began cultivating his love of viticulture and winemaking as a teenager while traveling to vineyards and working alongside his uncle. A dedicated home winemaker, Steve’s uncle taught him the importance of hands-on attention to detail at every step of the winemaking process. This early exposure to vineyards and winemaking inspired Steve to enroll at the University of California, Davis. While studying chemical engineering and fermentation sciences, Steve put himself through school as part of the team at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. This three-year experience augmented Steve’s academic studies with a practical understanding of premium Napa Valley winemaking methods.

After earning his degree, Steve pursued opportunities in the biotech industry, working for Merck and Co. and Genencor International. Throughout this period, Steve remained dedicated to the art of winemaking, crafting his own red wines nearly every vintage, including several Cabernet Sauvignons made from Paso Robles grapes. Eager to return to a career in winemaking, Steve joined Five Rivers Winery as winemaker in 2001. In addition to his role as winemaker for Five Rivers, Steve was also responsible for producing the red wines for Jekel Vineyards beginning with the 2004 vintage. In these capacities, Steve had the opportunity to work with an extensive array of vineyards in Monterey County, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County, and was responsible for orchestrating harvest scheduling for dozens of growers. During this period, Steve consistently earned acclaim for his red wines.

In 2007, Steve was appointed winemaker for the full portfolio of J. Lohr red wines including J. Lohr Estates, the J. Lohr Vineyard Series and the J. Lohr Cuvée Series, as well as red wines for Cypress Vineyards. Working with senior vice president of winemaking Jeff Meier, Steve strives to maintain the flavorful character of each wine by focusing on the natural characteristics embodied in J. Lohr’s estate vineyards. “Steve is inquisitive and intuitive,” says Jeff,” which are fundamental qualities in a superior winemaker. On top of that, he’s a genuinely personable leader with a great technical mind and a real passion for winemaking.”

Karl Antink, Assistant Winemaker
As the assistant winemaker for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Karl Antink combines a commitment to the hands-on approach that defines great winemaking, with a comprehensive understanding of viticulture and fermentation science.

Raised in Pleasant Hill, California, Karl’s road to becoming a winemaker grew from a simple interest in home beer brewing. In 1993, after graduating from the U.C. Davis Master Brewers Extension Program, Karl decided to combine his passion for the art of fermentation, with his growing love of wine. After pursuing additional studies at Diablo Valley College, Karl earned a degree in fermentation science from U.C. Davis.

In 1997, Karl began his career in the wine industry as the enologist for St. Helena’s Folie à Deux, where he gained extensive experience working with an array of varietals. Karl quickly made himself indispensable, and in January of 1999 was promoted to assistant winemaker. In this role, Karl supervised all of the winery’s day-to-day operations. Following his time at Folie à Deux, Karl was named winemaker for the family owned Von Strasser Winery in Calistoga. As Von Strasser’s winemaker for the next five years, Karl guided production of the winery’s esteemed portfolio of premium wines, while managing both the vineyard and winery crews.

Eager to pursue new challenges, Karl joined J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines as assistant winemaker in 2006. Working alongside senior vice president of winemaking, Jeff Meier, Karl focuses on the winery’s white wine program, and actively contributes to every aspect of the winemaking process from vineyard development through final blending. According to Jeff, “Karl is a perfect fit. He is a talented winemaker and a confident decision maker who understands J. Lohr’s quality focus, and believes in the small details that lead to excellence.”