Steve Lohr, Jerry Lohr, and Jeff Meier
–Each year Paso Robles Wine Country comes together to recognize one of their own who has exemplified the spirit of the Paso Robles wine community with outstanding leadership and vision in promoting the region. On Fri, Jan 19, Steve Lohr, CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines will receive the 2017 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year award at the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s (PRWCA) annual winter gathering.
A tireless advocate for the Central Coast, Steve has played an important role in introducing the wines of Paso Robles to a global audience, while championing practices that have established the California wine industry at the forefront of sustainable farming.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” said Lohr. “I also know that what we have achieved here in Paso Robles has been accomplished collectively. We are a community of independently spirited individuals who have come together to realize the potential of this remarkable place. Working side by side, we have achieved levels of quality that would have been undreamed of just a few decades ago, and established Paso Robles as one of the world’s great wine regions.”
Lohr has emerged as a visionary second-generation leader, culminating in his being named CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in 2013. During his tenure, Lohr has helped build one of California’s most acclaimed estate programs, spanning more than 3700 sustainably certified acres, including over 2300 acres in Paso Robles. Lohr cemented J. Lohr’s position as an industry leader, supporting pioneering viticultural research, building the wine industry’s largest photovoltaic solar tracking array, and as an early adopter of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) certification program.
Working locally, nationally, and internationally on behalf of Paso Robles and the American wine industry, Lohr has also held several other important positions. A three-time past chairman of the PRWCA Lohr worked with 57 vintners and growers on the petition process that established the region’s 11 AVAs, while leading the charge to ensure conjunctive labeling. Today, Steve is the chair of both the CSWA and Wine Institute (the only person to ever hold both positions simultaneously). At Wine Institute, Lohr brings together the resources of 1,000 wineries to support legislative and regulatory advocacy, market development, media relations, scientific research and education.
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance represents over 450 companies including wineries, vineyards and associated businesses. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 200 wineries. For more information visit the PRWAC website.
