J. Lohr

First published in the Benicia Herald on August 24, 2008.

Living so close to California's Wine Mecca, it's sometimes hard to remember that there is lots of great grappa besides in the Napa Valley. I though, if you'll indulge me, that I'd take a week away discuss a winery just a quick drive South, in San Jose, where I grew up.

The J. Lohr Winery has been in San Jose since 1974, when Jerry Lohr first expanded his business beyond the 280 of vineyards he planted in the previous two years in Monterey County's Arroyo Seco. The tasting room is conveniently located just blocks from downtown, in the Rose Garden neighborhood. It's the kind of little place where the staff recognize the wine club members and other regulars when they walk through the door. My best friend Emily being one of their wine club members, I like to pop in with her when I am in town because it has a very welcoming atmosphere and generally, the wines are pretty good.

I paid a visit to my hometown last weekend to attend to some family business. I hadn't seen Emily in a while, and we decided a nice little tasting a J. Lohr would make for a fun thing to do while catching up.

Now, since Emily gets monthly selections from the club, I let her take the lead on the 21 options listed on the day's tasting list. Anyway, she is my best friend and knows a lot about what I like in a wine. We decided we'd go for five samplings this time, and maybe sample the ones she likes best so I could share them with all of my devoted readers, both of you.

As hot as it has been in San Jose lately, we started off with the chilled 2007 Carol's Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Emily told me that she likes this particular wine in the summer because it has a wonderful aroma of fresh peaches and honeysuckle. When I dropped my nose in the glass, I instantly understood what she meant. The fruitiness carried over well into the flavor, and yet the sweetness was well balanced by the crispness of the varietal. The winery has a two-bottle limit on purchases, and each bottle runs $24.

Next, we grabbed a pour of the 2006 Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay. Our server described this particular chardonnay by saying, "this is as buttery as it gets at J. Lohr!" When I tasted it, he did have the company line down. The 2008 California State Fair silver medal winner did have a creamy flavor, but it was far from the most intense I have tasted (Chateau Ste. Michelle, located just outside of Seattle, WA makes a varietal that rivals butter itself for the most buttery flavor!). Overall, it was good, but it didn't have me scrambling for $25 to bring a bottle home.

The 2006 Late Harvest Riesling was the final white we tasted. Emily was really excited about it, explaining to me that she was sure I'd love it. I was not as convinced, just because I know my friend can be partial to the rieslings (one of her favorites wines is the riesling made by Bonny Doon), but I had to concede that she knows me too well. The thickness of the sweet wine made it perfect for sipping on a warm evening. Emily was quick to make sure I took note of the lightness of it - indeed, it was sweet in a way that kept it from being too much like a syrup. Again, our server chimed in, calling it "poetry in a bottle." Em, add this $25 bottle to my Christmas list please!

I insisted we try the 2006 Los Osos Merlot, if only because it raked in two gold medals at this year's state fair. The purple pour gave off a strong cherry aroma and yet maintained a good amount of earthiness in its flavor. I liked the pour and was surprised to see that it goes for only $15 a bottle. In my opinion, that is more than reasonable for a good wine I could see bringing to a dinner party host.

Finally, we tasted the 2006 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon. What came to mind as soon as the wine hit my palate was how great it would be with a nice plate of spaghetti topped with a hearty meat sauce. Now, I will admit that it was getting close to dinner time, but I think my initial reaction stands. The dry, not too peppery flavor was coupled with a subdued oak undertone that really appealed to me. Emily told me she often debates between this and the Hilltop Vineyard Cab when bringing a wine to family steak dinners, but personally, I would go for this over the other. The Seven Oaks sells for $17 per bottle, which is considerably less than the $35 price tag on the Hilltop.

If you would like to learn more about J. Lohr wines, check them out online at www.jlohr.com or visit one of their tasting rooms. The San Jose tasting room is located at 1000 Lenzen Avenue, just off The Alameda. A second tasting room in Paso Robles is at 6169 Airport Road. And of course, if you happen to see Emily picking up her monthly club bottles, feel free to ask her for some suggestions.