History

1897

The town of Victor, CA traces its beginnings to when German immigrants settled in North Dakota migrated to the Lodi area in 1897. They heard about a place in California that had good sandy soil that was suitable for vineyards and orchards. So they loaded up their wagons and set out to start a new life.

1920

Not too many years later, the railroad arrived and the town of Victor became famous for it’s fruit packing companies that supplied east coast cites with fresh fruit and grapes for producing homemade wines. Victor Fruit Growers Inc. was one of the first fruit packing and cold storage houses and was established in 1920. As the company grew, they built large icehouses to keep the grapes cool prior to shipping. The Victor Vineyards tasting room is located in one of these historic buildings and still has the ice troughs that were used to cool the building back in the 1940’s.

1993

Our owner Robert Lawson considers himself a newcomer to the area (he’s only been there 50+ years) and always had a dream of owning his own vineyards and winery located where he grew up and raised his family. So in 1993 he purchased 90 acres in the Mokelumne River AVA, now know as our Lawson Vineyard.

1999

After successfully building a reputation for supplying grapes to some of the best wineries throughout the United States, Lawson purchased the historic Victor Fruit Growers Company location in 1999 to house his dream of crafting wines he could call his own.

2011

In 2011 Victor Vineyards bottled its first vintage for national distribution. Specializing in classic Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, Victor Vineyards also produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and their Roadside Red a Zinfandel based red blend.

2012

If you have never seen a thirty-foot palm tree transplanted, it’s truly a sight to see. Victor Vineyards rescued 37, century-old date palms from a vacant lot in Stockton California and re-located them to our winery along East Highway 12 in Victor, CA. Needless to say, it was a huge event for the small town with locals coming by to congratulate the owner Rob Lawsons revitalization program. Be sure to swing by the winery and enjoy the shade these great palms produce on a hot summer day.

2013

Why did the chicken cross the road? To drop off a bottle of Roadside Red to the wine critics at The Wine Enthusiast of course! They rated our 2011 Roadside Red “88 Points, Editor’s Choice” our label and review was proudly featured in The Wine Enthusiast’s June 2011 edition. We’re all doing the happy dance here at the winery so why don’t you go out and grab a bottle and join us! Here’s the Review:

“A blend of undisclosed varieties from the Central Valley, and a great bargain. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the lush red fruit, spice, mocha and anise flavors, and how easy this wine is to like. Editors’ Choice” – SH

2015

Victor Vineyards received Best in Class 2015 from the Sunset International Wine Competition. Join with us in celebrating by purchasing a bottle of our Old Vine Zinfandel today.

2020

Celebrating the launch of our new website with new wine club and store experiences. Stay up to date on all the new additions to Victor Vineyards and we transition into the next chapter of our global reach.