Jerry Lohr

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Jerry Lohr
Jerry Lohr cropped.jpg
Founder Jerry Lohr, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Born (1937-01-01) January 1, 1937 (age 87)
Clark, South Dakota
Occupation(s)Builder, Agriculturist, Winegrower
Years active64
Known forFounder of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Notable workVariable stiffness polymeric damper (for solar panels that powered satellites) [1]

Jerome Julian Lohr (born January 1, 1937) is an American real estate developer, agriculturist, and winegrower. [2] Lohr is the founder of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, a winegrowing, and winemaking company based in San Jose, California. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines operates vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Seco AVA in Monterey County, and the St. Helena AVA in Napa Valley, California. Lohr has earned a reputation as a pioneer of winegrowing on the Central Coast of California. The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering opened at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in June 2013 in his honor. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Lohr was born to Walter and Frances Lohr in Clark, South Dakota. He grew up on their family farm in Raymond, South Dakota, with his four siblings Alan, Sharon, James, and Lynn. [2] During his senior year of high school, he attended an event at SDSU and won the Edgar M. Soreng full-tuition scholarship for his first year of college. [4]

During his freshman year, he joined the Air Force ROTC program at SDSU, a requirement for males in the 1950s. Lohr was named Distinguished Air Force Cadet in the ROTC program. U.S. Senator Karl Mundt nominated Lohr for admission to West Point. South Dakota Rep. Harold Lovre nominated Lohr for admission to the Naval Academy. Lohr declined the invitations and continued his studies at SDSU. [5]

Lohr worked part-time as a surveyor during college for J.T. Banner and Associates, an engineering and consulting firm. In 1958, Lohr earned a degree in civil engineering from South Dakota State College, now South Dakota State University (SDSU). He then earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 1959. [6]

Engineering career

After pursuing[ clarification needed ] a Ph.D. in civil engineering at Stanford University until 1961, Lohr began active-duty service for the U.S. Air Force and served as a research scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. [7]

Early Jerry Lohr and Bernie Turgeon Early Jerry Lohr and Bernie Turgeon.jpg
Early Jerry Lohr and Bernie Turgeon

Lohr was honorably discharged, with the rank of captain, from the U.S. Air Force in 1964. He continued as a civilian research scientist at NASA Ames until 1967, focusing on "heat shield technology" for crewed U.S. spacecraft, including the Apollo 11 mission in which man landed on the moon in 1969. Lohr also focused on improving the efficiency of solar panels that powered satellites. Lohr earned a U.S. patent in his name for his "energy damper system" to reduce that oscillation. [8]

Before leaving Ames, Lohr realized that the population of what is known today as Silicon Valley was expanding and that people would need more homes. [9] He partnered with Bernie Turgeon to create Saratoga Foothills Development Corp., a custom home building business, in 1965. From 1963 to 2003, Lohr's homebuilding business built over 900 custom homes and 15 apartment and condominium projects in Santa Clara, Alameda, and Monterey counties. [10]

Winegrowing career

Turgeon & Lohr Winery Turgeon & Lohr Winery.png
Turgeon & Lohr Winery

During the late 1960s, Lohr began a decades-long investigation into the winegrowing regions of California. Lohr developed his first 280-acre vineyard in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County in 1972. [2] He is credited as being among the first to realize the potential of Monterey County's soil and climate for growing white wine grapes. In 1986, Lohr expanded operations to the Paso Robles AVA of California by planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other red varieties. [11]

"What Robert Mondavi was to Napa Valley, Jerry Lohr is to the Central Coast, leading and elevating an entire viticultural region from Monterey County to Paso Robles with perseverance, dedication and a passion for quality," said Adam Strum, the chairman of Wine Enthusiast Companies. [12]

In 1975, Lohr co-founded and was later chairman of Monterey County Winegrowers, which eventually became Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. Lohr is a former director and chairman of Wine Institute and was a founding member of Wine Vision, which promoted making wine more a part of American culture. Lohr also was founding chairman and former director of the National Grape and Wine Initiative, now NGRA, or National Grape Research Alliance. [13] [14]

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines owns and cultivates over 4,000 acres of vineyards across the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands AVAs in Monterey County, and the St. Helena AVA in Napa Valley, California. [15]

In 2013, Lohr's son, Steve Lohr, succeeded his father as CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Jerry Lohr continues his work as an advocate, philanthropist, and educator in the wine industry and at his alma mater, SDSU. [16]

Philanthropy and university leadership

In 1976, Lohr was among the original donors for the new Alumni Center at SDSU. Lohr joined the SDSU Foundation in 1987 and served as its chairman from 1992 to 1994. He funded the Jerome J. Lohr Award for Volunteer Leadership. [7]

Lohr is former chairman of the UC Davis Executive Leadership Board, and former member of the UC Davis Chancellor's Advisory Committee. [7]

Donations to National Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of his late wife, Carol, are one of several philanthropic efforts. Lohr has focused much of his philanthropy on his alma mater, SDSU. He contributed to building projects on campus, including $4 million in 2003 to rebuild Stolberg Hall, home of the College of Engineering, where Lohr did most of his studying. In 2004, Lohr's $2.3 million donation built the Jerome J. Lohr Building at the SDSU Foundation. [17] Lohr raised $254 million for other building projects on campus in 2013. In the same year, SDSU named the engineering building the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering. [3] Lohr was a donor to the UC Davis LEED Platinum Research and Teaching Winery at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. [18] In 2021, Lohr donated $5 million to the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering's endowment. [19] In 2021, Lohr donated $2.5 million to fund the Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. [20]

Personal life

Lohr lives in Saratoga, California, where he lived with his first wife, Carol Waldorf Lohr. [2] They met when they both attended Stanford University and married in 1959. Lohr had three children with Carol; Steve, Cynthia, and Lawrence, all of whom share ownership of and manage J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Carol Waldorf Lohr died in 2008 from breast cancer. [21] Jerry and the Lohr family have released two wine brands highlighting "Carol's Vineyard", the vineyard named after her in the St. Helena appellation of Napa Valley. [2]

In 2009, Lohr married Jolene Johnson Barber, whom he dated while attending SDSU. They were married at Jolene's church in Garretson, South Dakota. [22]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Dakota State University</span> Public university in Brookings, South Dakota, US

South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually operating university in South Dakota. The university is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the state's six public universities and two special schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmel Valley AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in California

Carmel Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Monterey County, California, southeast of Carmel-by-the-Sea and it is one of the ten AVAs in the county. Approximately 100 miles (161 km) south of San Francisco, the AVA was recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on January 13, 1983 after reviewing the petition submitted by Mr. David Armanasco, General Manager of Dumey Vineyard, located in Carmel, to propose a viticultural area named “Carmel Valley.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chalone AVA</span> Appelation that designates wine in Monterey County, CA

Chalone identifies the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) established in Monterey County, California straddling its border with San Benito County where it is the second established AVA. Chalone viticultural area is located in the Gabilan Mountains east of Soledad. It was recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) effective on July 14, 1982 after reviewing the petition submitted by the Gavilan Vineyards, Inc. to establish a viticultural area in Monterey and San Benito counties to be named "The Pinnacles." The area encompasses 8,640 acres (14 sq mi) and the proposed name was recognition of the nearby Chalone peaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firestone Vineyard</span>

Firestone Vineyard is a family-owned estate winery on the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, founded in 1972 as Santa Barbara County's first estate winery. Firestone Vineyard is one of the wineries along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail.

French Camp Vineyards is a vineyard in Paso Robles, California, U.S. which is in the Paso Robles AVA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines</span>

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a winemaking company headquartered in San Jose, California, with over 4,000 acres of estate vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands AVAs in Monterey County, and the St. Helena AVA in Napa Valley, California. The family-owned and operated company was founded by Jerry Lohr in 1974. The company operates wineries in San Jose, Paso Robles, and Greenfield, California. In 2013, Steve Lohr was appointed CEO of the company. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines’ product portfolio includes eight tiers of wine: J. Lohr Signature, J. Lohr Cuvée Series, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Gesture, J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine, J. Lohr Monterey Roots, J. Lohr Estates and ARIEL Vineyards. The portfolio also includes specialty brands Cypress Vineyards and Painter Bridge. J. Lohr ranks among the top 25 wine producers in the United States, with annual US sales exceeding 1.8 million cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paso Robles AVA</span> Appelation that designates wine in San Luis Obispo County, California

Paso Robles is the third American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on November 3, 1983 based on a petition submitted by Martin-Brothers Winery. The area encompasses 609,673 acres (953 sq mi) with approximately 18,500 acres (7,487 ha) cultivated with wine grapes known for their heritage varietal Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rhône-style wines.

The San Antonio Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area centered on San Antonio Valley, California in southern Monterey County, California. The AVA was approved in July 2006 by the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Arroyo Grande Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Luis Obispo County, California approximately 12 miles (19 km) southeast of the county seat San Luis Obispo. Arroyo Grande Valley was recognized on February 5, 1990 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as the state's 60th AVA based on the petition filed in 1987 by Don Talley of Talley Vineyards and William S. Greenough of Saucelito Canyon Vineyard for the establishment of the "Arroyo Grande Valley" viticultural area in San Luis Obispo County. The 16 miles (26 km) long, approximately 67 square miles valley appellation benefits from its east-northeast orientation allowing the breeze from the Pacific Ocean to moderate the climate of the area. The valley is divided by a fog line produced by the cool maritime layer where Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Rhône varietals are grown on the higher elevations near Lopez Lake and the cooler mid-valley vineyards being home to Chardonnay and Pinot noir. On April 8, 2022, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the designation of the expansive San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast AVA overlapping the boundaries of Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley viticultural areas because they share common features. However, these two previously established areas still have unique characteristics to retain their viticultural area distinctions within SLO Coast. Edna Valley lies immediately to the northwest, the Los Padres National Forest straddles the north leg boundary, the Santa Maria Valley AVA lies to the southeast of Arroyo Grande Valley, and the Pacific Ocean communities of Oceano, Grover City and Arroyo Grande abut its southwestern border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California wine</span> Wine made from grapes grown in California, United States

California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Monterey AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in eastern Monterey County, California. It was recognized on July 16, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Monterey Winegrowers Council to establish the "Monterey" viticultural area. It is within the multi-county Central Coast AVA encompassing about 100 miles (160 km) from the northern shore of Monterey Bay to its southern point near the vicinity of Paso Robles, California. Approximately 40,000 acres (16,187 ha) of wine grapes are currently cultivated in the Monterey AVA.

The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Monterey County, California. It is part of the larger Monterey AVA, and located in the Santa Lucia Mountains above the Salinas Valley. Over 2,300 acres (931 ha) of vineyards are planted in the AVA, some as high as 1,200 feet (366 m) above sea level, with about half of them planted to the Pinot noir grape. The region enjoys cool morning fog and breezes from Monterey Bay followed by warm afternoons thanks to direct southern exposures to the sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Mountain AVA</span> Appelation that designates wine in San Luis Obispo County, CA

York Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California. It lies within the larger Central Coast AVA located on the eastern side of the Santa Lucia Mountains and west of Paso Robles viticultural area. The mountainous terrain features vineyards that are mostly cultivated at an elevation around 1,500 feet (460 m). York Mountain climate is cooler and wetter than Paso Robles being just 8 miles (13 km) from the Pacific Ocean. York Mountain viticultural area was recognized as the county’s second AVA by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) effective on September 23, 1983 after reviewing the petition submitted by Stephen and Max Goldman, owners of York Mountain Winery, to establish a area known as “York Mountain.” Historically, Andrew York, a British immigrant, planted the first vineyard on York Mountain in the 1870s and established Ascension Winery, the first bonded winery in the Central Coast. It survived through Prohibtion and later renamed York Mountain Winery, staying in the York family until 1970 when it was purchased by Max Goldman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paso Robles, California</span> City in California, United States

Paso Robles, officially El Paso de Robles, is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River about 30 mi (48 km) north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its hot springs, abundance of wineries, production of olive oil, almond orchards, and playing host to the California Mid-State Fair. At the 2020 census, the population was 31,490.

Adelaida District is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located on the north west portion of the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California. It was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on November 10, 2014 after reviewing the TTB petition submitted by The Paso Robles Viticultural Area Committee (PRVAC) to establish 11 new distinct viticultural areas located within the spacious Paso Robles AVA. The 59 wine industry members who constitute PRVAC cumulatively own or manage over 10,000 acres (4,047 ha) of cultivated vineyards within the proposed AVAs. Wineries located within the Adelaida District are: The Farm Winery, Peachy Canyon Winery, Le Cuvier, Alta Colina, Carmody McKnight Estate Wines, Wild Coyote, Villicana, McPrice Myers, Jacob Toft, Chronic Cellars, Vines on the Marycrest, Nenow Family Wines, Hawks Hill Ranch, Adelaida Cellars, DAOU, Calcareous, Law Estate, Nadeau, Minassian Young, Michael Gill, Villa Creek, Brecon, HammerSky, Oso Libre, Poallilo, Thacher Winery, Whalebone Vineyard, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Halter Ranch, Rangeland, Justin, Kukkula, Dubost, and Starr Ranch.

Creston District is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the south east portion of the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California. It is located in the vicinity of the small community of Creston, California and was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on November 10, 2014. The Paso Robles Viticultural Area Committee (PRVAC) petitioned TTB to establish 11 new AVAs located entirely within the existing Paso Robles viticultural area.

The Malibu Coast is an American Viticulture Area located in the Santa Monica Mountains of western Los Angeles County. The appellation is 46 miles long and eight miles wide, rising from the Pacific Coast to an elevation of 3,111 feet. The National Agricultural Statistics Service's "California Grape Acreage Report Crop 2015" documented the most widely planted varietals in Los Angeles County as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Luis Obispo County wine</span> Appelation that designates wine in San Luis Obispo County, CA

San Luis Obispo (SLO) County wine is a appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, California which is sandwiched between Santa Barbara County to the south and Monterey County at the northern boundary on the Pacific coast. Its location sits halfway between the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles on the north–south axis of U.S. Route 101 and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The county lies entirely within the Central Coast viticultural area. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the Treasury Department. TTB was created in January of 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabilan Mountains AVA</span> Appelation that designates wine in Monterey County, CA

Gabilan Mountains is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the mountainous region on the border in Monterey and San Benito Counties in California. It is the tenth and newest AVA established in Monterey County by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on September 14, 2022, becoming the state's 147th official AVA after the TTB reviewed the petition from Parker Allen of Coastview Vineyards, proposing to establish the "Gabilan Mountains" viticultural area. Gabilan Mountains encompasses about 98,000 acres (153 sq mi) including the established Mt. Harlan and Chalone AVAs, and resident to 4 wineries and 6 commercial vineyards cultivating approximately 436 acres (176 ha). The average elevation within the region is 2,370 feet (722 m) placing it above the heavy fog and marine layer. As a result, Gabilan Mountains AVA has a cool air climate without the humidity from the fog and low-lying clouds.

References

  1. ↑ US 3430902,Lohr, Jerome J.,"Variable stiffness polymeric damper",published 1969-03-04, assigned to NASA
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Olson, Virginia. "California wine maker Jerry Lohr loves his South Dakota roots". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. 1 2 "Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering". South Dakota State University. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  4. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. p. 59. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. pp. 66–67. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. pp. 74–92. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. 1 2 3 Olson, Virginia. "California wine maker Jerry Lohr loves his South Dakota roots". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  8. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. pp. 96–97. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ↑ Staff, News (2019-07-20). "Cattleman, cattlewoman, agriculturalist of the year honored at Mid-State Fair". Paso Robles Daily News. Retrieved 2022-04-08.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  10. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. pp. 102–108. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. p. 117. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ↑ "Jerry Lohr named, 'American Wine Legend' by Wine Enthusiast". Paso Robles Daily News. 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  13. ↑ Fuhrman, Janice (2004-04-26). "Jerry Lohr Interview". Decanter. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  14. ↑ "Jerry Lohr Becomes the Third Person in the History of the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards to be Honored as an 'American Wine Legend'". www.businesswire.com. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  15. ↑ "J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines". San Jose. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  16. ↑ "J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Appoints Steve Lohr CEO And Board Chairman And Jeff Meier, President And COO (Press Release)". www.winebusiness.com. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  17. ↑ "Jerome J. Lohr Building (SDSU Foundation)". South Dakota State University. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  18. ↑ Nigro, Dana (Oct 27, 2010). "America's Leading Winemaking School Goes Platinum". Wine Spectator .
  19. ↑ "South Dakota State University receives $5 million for engineering". Philanthropy News Digest. September 4, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Cal Poly to Name Center for Wine and Viticulture in Recognition of Two Key Donors". www.businesswire.com. 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  21. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. pp. 120–144. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  22. ↑ Cecil, Chuck (2017). Homegrown. Brookings, SD. p. 151. ISBN   978-1-64007-821-5. OCLC   1003044846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ↑ "Jerome J. Lohr". South Dakota State University. May 1998. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  24. ↑ Doval, Calvin (2018-07-17). "2007 Award of Distinction Recipients". College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  25. ↑ "Wine Lifetime Achievement Award". Cal Expo & State Fair. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  26. ↑ "Jerry Lohr Awarded Professional Excellence in Oenology from New York Institute of Technology". www.winebusiness.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  27. ↑ "Jerry Lohr Selected to Receive ASEV's Highest Honor". American Society for Enology and Viticulture. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  28. ↑ "CAWG Recognizes Jerry Lohr for Lifetime of Achievement". www.winebusiness.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  29. ↑ Staff, News (2016-11-11). "Jerry Lohr named, 'American Wine Legend' by Wine Enthusiast". Paso Robles Daily News. Retrieved 2022-04-07.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  30. ↑ Staff, News (2019-07-20). "Cattleman, cattlewoman, agriculturalist of the year honored at Mid-State Fair". Paso Robles Daily News. Retrieved 2022-04-07.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)


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