J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines proudly announces that founder Jerry Lohr has been named the recipient of Wine Enthusiast’s prestigious 2026 Wine Star Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor celebrates Lohr’s extraordinary contributions to the American wine industry over more than five decades, including his pioneering development of the Central Coast wine regions of Paso Robles and Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco, leadership in sustainable winegrowing, advancement of viticultural education and research, and unwavering commitment to family ownership and community engagement.
A visionary entrepreneur and one of the architects of modern California winegrowing, Jerry Lohr was among the first to recognize the world-class winegrowing potential of Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco and of Paso Robles. Beginning with his first vineyard plantings in the early 1970s, he helped transform these emerging regions into internationally respected appellations, creating opportunities for generations of winegrowers, winemakers, and agricultural communities.
Raised on a South Dakota family farm, Jerry Lohr developed an early appreciation for agriculture, hard work, and stewardship of the land. Drawing on his education and experience in civil engineering and homebuilding, he brought a unique combination of scientific curiosity, agricultural expertise, and entrepreneurial vision to California’s developing wine industry.
“I’m deeply honored to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Wine Enthusiast Magazine,” said J. Lohr Founder and CFO Jerry Lohr. “My singular vision when I started traveling to Monterey County in the late 1960s was to grow, produce and bottle the very best Chardonnay from the Arroyo Seco and then, later, Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. What followed was our family and team’s endless commitment to not only advance best practices in viticulture and enology but to enhance the lives of wine drinkers across the globe – a passion the Lohr family will continue to pursue well into the future.”
Long before sustainability became an industry-wide priority, Lohr recognized that the future of California wine depended on protecting natural resources while supporting the economic and social well-being of agricultural communities. Jerry Lohr participated in the development of the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices in 2002 in collaboration with Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, which later became the foundation of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.
Beyond the vineyards, Jerry Lohr’s commitment to education, mentorship, and scientific advancement has helped create a lasting foundation for the next generation of wine industry leaders. His infrastructure contributions include the J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Fermentation Room and J. Lohr Sensory Room at UC Davis, as well as the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine & Viticulture and the Lohr Family Winery at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, which opened in 2021. At South Dakota State University, Lohr’s philanthropy includes the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering and the Jerome J. Lohr Building. For Lohr, business success has always been inseparable from a responsibility to employees, families, and communities. Following the passing of his wife Carol in 2008 from complications related to breast cancer, the Lohr family established the J. Lohr Touching Lives® initiative in partnership with National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® Through the sale of J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard wines and the support of distributor, retail, and consumer partners, the initiative has contributed more than $1 million directly to the Foundation, helping fund more than 8,000 mammograms for women who might otherwise lack access to lifesaving screening services.
Throughout his career, Lohr has been an influential advocate for collaboration, research, and the long-term health of the American wine industry. His leadership has included serving as director and chair of Wine Institute, founding and serving four terms as chair of the Monterey Winegrowers Council, roles with the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association, and helping establish Wine Vision and the National Grape and Wine Initiative.
Today, Jerry’s children—Steve, Cynthia, and Lawrence—are co-owners, holding day-to-day executive roles and running the business to carry forward their father’s focus on quality at scale as one of the industry’s few remaining independent, fully vertically-integrated wineries.
“Our father has always believed that the true measure of success is not simply what you build, but what you leave for others,” said J. Lohr President & CEO Steve Lohr. “His vision helped establish the Central Coast as one of the world’s great winegrowing regions, but his greatest legacy may be the opportunities he has created for generations of growers, winemakers, students, and communities. We are incredibly proud to see his life’s work recognized with this honor.”
Turning 90 on January 1, 2027, Jerry Lohr remains actively engaged in the vineyards, wineries, educational institutions, and industry organizations that have defined his remarkable career. His enduring curiosity, generosity, and commitment to progress continue to inspire those who work alongside him.
About J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Founded in 1974 by Jerry Lohr and still family-owned and operated today, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines grows, produces, and bottles a full line of internationally recognized wines from more than 4,000 acres of Certified California Sustainable estate vineyards in Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, Paso Robles, and St. Helena in Napa Valley. Offering an expressive range of styles that showcase its estate fruit, J. Lohr crafts eight tiers of award-winning wines: J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Lohr Cuvée Series, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Gesture, J. Lohr Pure Paso® Proprietary Red Wine, J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Monterey Roots, and ARIEL Vineyards. The company’s online home is jlohr.com.
