GREAT ESCAPE: J. Lohr Winery

For wine-lovers, there’s something about walking into a winery that makes everyday stresses suddenly seem very far away. Grab your BFF, your spouse or a few other soccer-weary moms and indulge in a mini-wine-country afternoon without that long drive. 

The J. Lohr Winery, near the Shark Tank, lets you take a break mid-week–or before a hockey game–to inhale that distinctive winery fragrance and taste a few choice vintages.

What to do here: Choose six vintages to taste from a list of more than a dozen wines, many of them medal-winners. 

We're partial to the black cherry and currant flavors in the 2005 Carol's Vineyard Cabernet, as well as the Cypress line of wines from grapes grown along the Central Coast.

You can even soak in the wine-country ambience without alcohol. Lohr introduced his Ariel non-alcoholic wines in 1985, and they’ve been top-sellers ever since. Ideal for pregnant women or anyone who doesn’t wish to drink alcohol, the Ariel line is offered in six different vintages, made from grapes grown in three different wine regions.

Why we like it: J. Lohr owns vineyards in three different wine regions: Arroyo Seco, Paso Robles and the Napa Valley, so there are many different vintages to try. And this is a decades-old, very established winery. Wine Enthusiast Magazine named J. Lohr the American Winery of the Year for 2010. A nicely appointed tasting room welcomes guests; tours are available if you call ahead. And, unlike Napa, there is no fee to taste unless you'd like to try their limited-edition wines or the Cuvee series.

And even more to like: Jerry Lohr has partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation and donated $2 from every bottle of wine that's been produced from the Carol Vineyards for the last few years. This money provides free mammograms for many women who otherwise couldn't afford them. It's a way to honor his wife, Carol, who died in 2008 from complications due to breast cancer. 

About the winery: Lohr opened his winery on this spot in the 1970s, although wineries have existed in this area since 1917. Arroyo Seco was Lohr’s first vineyard. The wines did so well that Lohr bought land in Paso Robles, before it became known as a wine region. He planted cabernet sauvignon and other red varietals and when those wines, too, won awards, Lohr’s wife, Carol, suggested he start a third vineyard near St. Helena, where the Lohrs planted cabernet and sauvignon blanc grapes. All of the Lohr vineyards follow the strict rules of grape growing that qualify J. Lohr Winery to be one of only 17 California wineries to receive sustainability certification.

1000 Lenzen Ave.
San Jose
408-288-5057