How We Got Here

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It started with a small, neglected, unprofitable 3-acre Zinfandel vineyard behind the family home on Alpine Road.  It was time to tear it out and plant Cabernet sauvignon to sell to a ridiculously huge winery for a ridiculously low price.  Before investing tens of thousands of dollars to replant, we decided to see if this tired old vineyard could do anything.  It was also the family's 100th anniversary of owning the land, so a "commemorative vintage" sounded like a good idea.   We harvested a ton and delivered it to Estate Crush in Lodi.  They did their magic.  Eighteen months later, we had something very special:  60 cases of Zinfandel that tasted as good as any Lodi Zin in the $20 price range.  

It wasn't a big deal that it won a silver medal at America's largest wine competition.   The big deal was that it won in the $24-$28 price category.  This at a time when only a handful of Lodi Zins sold for more than $30 a bottle.  With a little work, maybe we could make something of these tired old vines!  Wanting to make sure that 2013 wasn't a fluke (and wanting more of that great wine for our friends and family), we harvested another ton in 2016.  People liked it even better than our 2013!  Then came another silver medal.

Buoyed by the hope of producing truly great wine from our own vines, our proprietor began personally tending the block North of the house in order to squeeze the highest quality out of the fruit.  In 2018, we collaborated with Big Dog Vineyards in Milpitas to produce a beautiful Zinfandel matured in Appalachian Oak.  In 2019, we designated this award winning vineyard block as "Block V," teamed up with one of California's top winemakers, and produced 125 cases of some of the finest Lodi Zinfandel we had ever tasted.  Our 2019 Block V Zinfandel won a 92 point gold medal at the Orange County Fair, placing 13th out of 144 Zinfandel medal winners from every wine region in California.

We didn't stop there.  Because of an early harvest to avoid the smoke from wildfires in the hills, we didn't think our 2020 Block V Zin would stand up to our 2019, but a unique field blend of grapes from different parts of Block V, a few extra months in the barrels, and a touch of Petite sirah just before bottling created an unusual Zin that surprised everyone who tasted it.  The following year, all the stars aligned, and our 2021 fruit was so amazing that we chose new French oak barrels to mature it.   This special reserve wine, Harold's Reserve Zinfandel, commemorates our patriarch, Harold Jenner, and was made on his 100th birthday.

In December of 2022, we joined the tasting room at The Lounge at Lodi Crush, which featured our 2019 Block V Zinfandel, our 2021 "Harold's Reserve" Zinfandel, and our 2022 "Opal's Table" Chenin blanc.  In 2024, we used our 2022 and 2023 Zinfandel harvests with small amounts of other wines to create three exciting new red blends that showcase the depth, diversity, quality, and versatility of our tiny vineyard.

On September 13, 2024, Jenner Family Estates became a licensed  winery.  Though our wines are no longer featured at The Lounge, we can now sell our wines directly to you.  In 2025, we launched the Jenner Friends and Family wine club.   A limited number of "founder's" memberships are available.   Founder's club members get additional discounts on cased wine, access to library wines, and personalized wine experiences.