In the 1960s California's central coast had yet to emerge as a premier winegrowing region. With little history or viticultural precedent, growing grapes there was considered a gamble.Jerry Lohr was one of the first to realize the potential of this now-acclaimed region with the establishment of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines.Lohr's California trailblazing emulated his proud Dakota Territory pioneer grandparents who more than a century before were pioneering Dakota's farming flatlands.Born during a January 1937 blizzard in Clark, S.D. a few miles from his forefather's Valley View Farm, Lohr acquired an appreciation and a farmer's love for the land. One of nine graduates at tiny Logan Consolidated rural school in 1954, Lohr headed off to college at South Dakota State University.A brilliant student, he earned honors and graduated with a Civil Engineering degree in 1958, continuing at California's Stanford University and completing work for a doctorate in Civil Engineering, Fulfilling his Air Force ROTC commitment as a scientist at Ames' National Aeronautics and Space Administration Research Center, he continued as a civilian NASA researcher in the challenges of the approaching Apollo space flights.Lohr later established his Saratoga Foothills Development Corporation to build custom homes. He also pioneered vineyards in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, became a strong advocate for the California wine industry and for his beloved alma mater, South Dakota State University.