Jorja Mettler Lerner was born and raised on this historic property that has its roots back five generations. That is some real Lodi cred! Before that it was the pioneering Joseph Harney family from Switzerland that raised grapes there – hence the winery name.
Jorja hails from a branch of the ubiquitous Mettler clan whose farming history is so well known in the region. Her parents raised all sorts of crops on their 120 acres but they got serious about producing a small lot of commercial wine in 2006 when her husband Kyle, with his extensive business education, started taking a shine instead to working the land and raising grapes with Jorja’s father, George. Kyle the businessman, George the old-school farmer, Jorja the marketer, all three with an unbounded work ethic. After patriarch George’s passing the Lerners remain stewards of their legacy and their land – tireless and committed to quality.
Today the Lerners farm 500 acres, 120 of it their estate, selling out of their small production estate wines made by Kyle and consultant Chad Joseph, while doling out most of their many varieties of grapes to outside winemakers. One estate vineyard is a certified historic vineyard they named Lizzy James after their now-sixth generation children. Lizzy James Vineyard was planted in 1904 and, like other legendary old vine Zinfandels of east Lodi, shows depth and concentration while maintaining the characteristic elegance that these deep sand soils impart. When visiting the tasting room don’t miss taking a stroll among the old Mettler estate’s gardens and pausing near the grand fountain to take in the majesty of the property’s giant Deodora cedars. In fact, following your guided tasting, purchase a glass of Zin, order a cheese platter and take a moment to drink in the history of this special Lodi landmark.
