J. Lohr Winery, March 25th, 2012

Winery - 6 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Intimate tasting room convenient to downtown San Jose.  A wide variety of white wines and red wines.
www.jlohr.com

Is there really a winery by downtown San Jose?  J. Lohr winery has been in downtown San Jose for decades.  (There is a newer tasting room just outside of Paso Robles too.)  They make a variety of wines, most of which you can taste free of charge.  One thing I appreciate about J. Lohr, beyond the quality of their wines, is that they accept wine corks for recycling.  That was my guise for visiting today.  I walk in with a bag full of wine-stained corks, deposit them into a box, taste a few wines, and walk out with a few bottles of wine.  Who knew wine-tasting could be so environmentally friendly?

The winery tasting room is housed in an older, brick-faced building that is covered with vines.  There is ample parking in spite of its proximity to downtown San Jose.  And, unlike most wineries, there is frequent public transit service just steps away.  Inside, the building exudes a well-maintained old-world charm.  Floors are a light-colored polished tile.  The walls are done in a tasteful cream color.  A tall tasting counter has a natural stone surface.  In addition to wine, there is a variety of winery-branded merchandise, including wine glasses that are nearly ideal for drinking Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.  If you are expecting a call on your cell phone, forget it – the winery building creates a dead-zone inside (and a welcome one at that).  Your phone works perfectly just outside the door.

J. Lohr makes a number of very good wines at a variety or price-points.  All of their super-market wines can be previewed here, along with their gold-label wines (which I recommend tasting).  This visit, I tasted their Merlot, Highlands Pinot Noir, and two of their premium cuvee’s.  While the Merlot could not compare to the other wines, it was priced accordingly.  My favorite was the 2007 Cuvee Pau (primarily Cabernet).  The quality of these Cuvee’s rivals that of many Napa Valley wines, even though the grapes are sourced from Paso Robles.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 6 and the wines offered as a 7.  This has been consistent as long as I have been visiting J. Lohr’s San Jose tasting room.