MEET OUR PEOPLE
Layne Montgomery
m2 Wines / Partner & Winemaker
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN MAKING WINE?
I’ve been making wine for 21 years.
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF WINE AND WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WINEMAKER?
The first wine I ever tasted was Pink Catawba. It was a blush, or rosé wine, made from the French/American hybrid varietal of the same name. It was like today’s White Zinfandel, but not as good. I figured there had to be better stuff than that wine, and that launched an intellectual curiosity that continues to push me to be better.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR VINEYARDS AND THE WINEGRAPES YOU GROW TODAY?
We have about four acres of vines on the m2 property: Tannat, Vermentino, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah. All of our vineyards are certified under the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing Program.
HOW HAS THE LODI WINE REGION CHANGED OVER THE YEARS OR SINCE YOU’VE BEEN HERE?
When we first opened, there were 22 wineries and tasting rooms. The growth has been amazing. People come to Lodi, on purpose, for the wine country experience. That did not happen when we were getting started.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING WINE, AND WHAT ARE THEY?
I run anti-clockwise six times around each tank when starting a fermentation, carrying a buckeye in each pocket of my pants while chanting “Shoebum, shoebum, shoebum.”
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT LODI?
Lodi is real – the folks in the wineries are the owners, operators, family, and co-workers.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I worked in television broadcasting for 15+ years.
