Love wine and podcasts? Popular SLO County winery launches new show on industry

Calling all wine and podcast enthusiasts: California wine staple, J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, recently launched the “Share The Lohr” podcast to reach a new generation of wine lovers.

A family-owned winery for over 50 years, J. Lohr operates over 4,200 acres of Certified California Sustainable vineyards, meaning that they follow measurable standards for environmental, social and economic viability, according to a news release.

J. Lohr has wine centers in Paso Robles and San Jose.

The new podcast will feature conversations with industry experts to highlight the excitement of the wine world, according to the release. The winery wants to give listeners a peek behind the curtain to showcase industry personalities.

“Beverages play a central role from a storytelling standpoint,” co-owner and chief brand officer Cynthia Lohr told The Tribune. “People have historically come together to break bread, why not do that over wine?”

Discussions range from what it takes to make it in the Paso Robles wine community with the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance to how to thrive as a woman in the wine industry with vice president of sales at BreakThru Beverage California, Kristen Demergian.

Upcoming guests include Meridith May, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Tasting Panel Magazine and SOMM Journal and Sukience Maxwell, marketing director at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

“Wine is the great icebreaker,” Lohr said.

The podcast’s name draws inspiration from the company’s social media catchphrase, #ShareTheLohr. Many of the episodes include “taste along” recommendations to encourage listeners to pour a glass and feel a part of the conversation.

Hosted by the J. Lohr family and members of their team, they record each episode in their podcasting studio at their San Jose location. On the podcast, guests share their opinions to demystify wine tasting by discussing aromas, taste and everything in between, Lohr said.

When J. Lohr was named American Winery of the Year in 2010 by “Wine Enthusiast Magazine,” podcasts were not a thing, Lohr said.

Now that the way people get their information has shifted, Lohr sees the podcast as a way to connect with and build a “tribe” who will think about the winery in a new way, she said.

“Wine is for everybody,” Lohr said.

The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and on J. Lohr’s website.