J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is pleased to announce the promotion of Brenden Wood from assistant winemaker to red winemaker, the position formerly held by Steve Peck, who was promoted in September 2018 to director of winemaking. Celebrating his 15th anniversary with J. Lohr this year, Brenden will be responsible for all tiers of red wine in the family-owned-and-operated winery’s portfolio, and will continue to work alongside the winemaking leadership group that includes Director of Winemaking Steve Peck, Winemaker, White Wines Kristen Barnhisel, Production Winemaker Karl Antink, and President/COO Jeff Meier.
“Our team has never been in a better position to deliver the exceptional quality and consistency that J. Lohr is known for,” said J. Lohr Director of Winemaking Steve Peck. “Brenden has long been relied upon for his thoughtful design and delivery of the winemaking plan that leads to the successful house style found in all of our red wines. This well-deserved promotion represents a natural evolution of his responsibilities.”
Brenden cultivated an interest in wine and beer as a student at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) while pursuing his B.S. degree in biochemistry. Armed with scientific knowledge and an appreciation of fermentation science, Brenden began crafting his own small lots of wine as a student. As his passion for wine grew, so did his travels, which led him to explore the great winegrowing regions of France and Italy. After working two harvests in Paso Robles to gain practical winemaking experience, Brenden joined J. Lohr in 2004 as a lab technician, where he ran daily quality control analyses while helping to develop several leading-edge tools for color and tannin analysis. In 2007, Brenden was promoted to enologist and began working closely with Steve Peck and Jeff Meier to further enhance quality in every aspect of J. Lohr’s red winemaking program. Recognized for his deep foundation in the technical aspects of winemaking–coupled with his appreciation for the artistry of the blend–Brenden was promoted to assistant winemaker in 2010.
