In the early 1900s, Italian families Lorenzi and De Ambrogio planted Zinfandel vines in parts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. This region, now known as the Cucamonga Valley, still produces grapes from these 100-year-old vines. Don Lorenzi remembers the smell of fermenting grapes at his grandparents’ cellar as a young boy. In 2000, Don’s cousin, Steve De Ambrogio, gifted him 20 Zinfandel vines cloned from the original 100-yearold vines. With a little luck, these vines were fruitful and soon, Lorenzi was experimenting with small batches of wine for close family and friends. One barrel led to another and the family’s home garage was enlarged to create a dedicated winemaking area. Lorenzi began crafting small barrels of wine from a variety of grapes including Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah. His passion grew and soon he was making enough wine to gift to friends, clients and charitable groups. Grapes from legendary vineyards formed the genesis of the Lorenzi private label. From there, he set out to build one of Southern California’s premium wineries. Lorenzi boasts a simple hands-on approach: study the wines he loves, study how they are made, and source or grow the fruit needed to make them. Most importantly, he insists on shepherding the wine from fruit to bottle. What makes a great small lot, handcrafted artisan wine? A wine made by a wine lover. Don makes a wine lover’s wine. But he doesn’t do it alone. Partnered with his wife Brenda and his daughter Michelle, the trio remains committed to building the brand’s identity on the platform of excellence. In the day to day, you’ll often find Brenda in the tasting room overseeing the operations and wine club management. Michelle fuels the brand behind the scenes leveraging her expertise in marketing and social media management. Together, they grew Lorenzi Estate Wines from the backyard to the sprawling 16-acre estate. The team has expanded over the years to now include a full-time assistant wine maker and a team of five knowledgeable wine experts in the tasting room. As the family looks toward the future, they remain rooted in family tradition and exhibit an unrelenting pursuit toward unparalleled distinction.