The harsh winds and cool climate of Arroyo Seco allow Jerry Lohr
to produce Chardonnay in a classic, elegant style.
Arroyo Seco (AVA)
Three decades defining the Arroyo Seco appellation: An interview with Jerry Lohr
"Although our J. Lohr Estates Bay Mist White Riesling and J. Lohr Estates Wildflower Valdiguié wines receive many medals, we think our J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay does best in the Arroyo Seco."
by
Laurie Daniel
November 7, 2006
In 1972, when Jerry Lohr and his business partner, Bernie Turgeon, bought nearly 300 acres in Greenfield,
Monterey County, it was seen as a bit of a gamble. At the time, commercial viticulture in the county was only about 10 years old. In those early days, growers tended to plant what was selling rather than matching grape varieties to a suitable site. In
Monterey, that meant a lot of
Cabernet growing in too-cool areas, which resulted in vegetal wines. The “Monterey veggie” reputation has been tough to live down.
At first, Lohr and Turgeon planted 11 grape varieties, including Cabernet, but by 1979 they had settled on four:
Chardonnay,
Riesling,
Pinot Blanc and
Valdiguié, previously known as Napa Gamay. In 1974, they opened the Turgeon & Lohr Winery in an old brewery, just outside downtown San Jose. In 1984, Lohr bought out Turgeon, who went on to found Trout Gulch Vineyards in the
Santa Cruz Mountains. The winery’s name was then changed to
J. Lohr.
Since then, Lohr has planted vineyards in
Paso Robles for warm climate grape varieties, in addition to buying Carol’s Vineyard near
St. Helena. He’s also tripled his vineyard holdings in Greenfield, in the area that became the
Arroyo Seco AVA in 1983. Lohr talked recently about what he’s learned about growing grapes in Arroyo Seco with Appellation America’s Monterey correspondent, Laurie Daniel.
Laurie Daniel (LD): In what way is the Arroyo Seco AVA distinct from the broader Monterey AVA? Does the Arroyo Seco AVA have a defining characteristic such as climate, soil or something else?
