Interview: Steve Lohr, CEO Of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
August 4, 2025California’s J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a leader among accessibly priced wines in America, with the company owning more than 4,000 acres of land, primarily in the Central Coast region, and producing above 1.5 million cases annually. Last year, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. The J. Lohr Estates tier—at 1.4 million cases in 2024, according to Impact Databank—is among a handful of million-case brands retailing at above $15 in the U.S. market, and managed to hold roughly flat last year despite the tough conditions. Shanken News Daily senior editor Shane English recently met with J. Lohr president and CEO Steve Lohr for an update on the business, as well as the wider wine market landscape.
SND: Where are you seeing growth opportunities within your portfolio this year?
Lohr: Pure Paso, that’s growing. It’s got the right flavor profile and value proposition. We call it Pure, because it’s a hundred percent Paso Robles, and it saw a double-digit increase last year. It’s slowing a little bit now but still positive this year as it laps those strong numbers from last year.
We’ve seen double-digit increases in our Chardonnay, specifically for Riverstone. Our Arroyo Vista, the reserve level of Riverstone, has continued to do well. It was up over 30% last year and is up by lower double digits this year. Chardonnay is working for us.
SND: Is your success with white wines extending across price tiers?
Lohr: I would say so. Whites in general are doing better than reds. There’s been this gradual shift from red wines to white wines. Red wines are still very popular, but they don’t have the growth right now. I think also as younger folks do start to get into wine, they’re gravitating towards white wine.
SND: What makes white wines appealing to younger consumers?
Lohr: Interestingly enough, I would say it has a bit in common with their focus on RTDs. RTDs are obviously much sweeter than wines, but if people are concerned about how much sugar they’re partaking of, white wines offer that nice little balance. It’s refreshing like an RTD would be. At the same time, it’s also a little more friendly from a tannin standpoint.
SND: How does your portfolio look in the $20+ price tier?
Lohr: Our Hilltop Cabernet is a lovely Cabernet. It’s $35, but it’s down a little bit this year. I think that’s because restaurateurs are contracting their wine lists typically by a third or more. What they will do is take out the secondary varieties and focus more on Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot, Sauvignon Blanc, and they may reduce the number of SKUs while adding to the number of Cabernets on the list. We’re experiencing that with some of our national accounts where we’ve been the lead dog and then somebody else gets brought in, and now sales are diluted.
SND: What is the wider picture for the on-premise?
Lohr: In general, on-premise is becoming increasingly selective. I think they’re marking their wines up too much and that’s hurting sales. You’re less inclined to buy a bottle and you’re just going to go for that glass and think, I’m paying 30% more than I did just a few years ago for that same exact wine.
We’ll have more with J. Lohr CEO Steve Lohr in the second part of this interview.
| J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines—Leading Brands in the U.S. (thousands of 9-liter cases) |
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| Brand | 2023 | 2024 | Percent Change1 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Lohr Estates | 1,413 | 1,382 | -2.2% | |||
| Ariel | 74 | 81 | 9.7% | |||
| J. Lohr Vineyard Series | 51 | 51 | -1.6% | |||
| Pure Paso | 30 | 34 | 11.9% | |||
| Monterey Roots | 25 | 25 | -1.5% | |||
| Total Leading Brands2 | 1,594 | 1,573 | -1.4% | |||
| 1 Based on unrounded data. 2 Addition of columns may not agree due to rounding. Source: IMPACT DATABANK © 2025 |
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Tagged : J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
