E 2 Family Winery

E 2 Family Winery
P.O. Box 2239
Lodi, California
USA 95241
Phone: 209.334.5911
http://www.e2familywinery.com

Contact: Mardy Ehlers
Email: [email protected]

The Ehlers family history, within the wine business, began during the early days of prohibition. Some of the first, family ancestors arrived in California in 1835 where they settled in the town of Lockeford and in the town of Courtland, along the Sacramento river. The more recent family migrated to California after a brief stay in Minnesota after arriving from Germany.

However, our father, grandfather and great grandfather, Herman Walter Ehlers, began his education in wine, in 1921, working at the “National Fruit Product Company” which later became the Shewan-Jones Winery in Lodi. His first job was moving wine around in the cellar as a young teenager, where he remembers the grapes being brought to the winery by horse and wagon. Eight years later, while gaining experience working in the laboratory with E.H. Brown, protégé of Professor W. V. Cruess, a noted enologist of the day, Herman Ehlers became a winemaker for Shewan-Jones.

During his time as winemaker for Shewan Jones, he had an opportunity to be involved with the wineries two largest contributions to the wine industry. The first innovation was the use of sulfur dioxide to prevent the growth of bacteria in wine with the second innovation being the first winery in California to use refrigeration, to maintain the stabilization of wines.

Since this period was during prohibition, the only wines bottled and made were sacramental wines. After the repeal of prohibition, however, the winery began making a variety of red and white wines while continuing to concentrate heavily on sweet vintages.

In 1934, as the newly formed FBI looked for the Chicago mobster John Dillinger and, in Germany, Adolph Hitler rose to power, Lodi saw the completion of the new East Side Winery, which was just in time for the 1934 crush. The winery installed Herman Ehlers as East Side’s first master winemaker, a position he held for over 41 years along with serving on the wineries board of directors for 7. Herman Ehlers had also returned to Germany a few times to explore and assist with winemaking at the request of a few German wineries.

In 1936, East Side Winery built their brandy production and bottling room along with the installation of new storage tanks. Thus, began East Side Wineries reputation as California’s leader in the production of the finest brandies. 1954 saw the inception of a joint venture between East Side Winery and Korbel Brothers of Napa. This venture operated with Herman Ehlers making the brandy and East Side Winery providing the bottling services. Korbel, in turn, provided the bottles, labels and marketing of the brandy. The success of this association lasted until 1975.

During the peak production period for East Side Winery, along with their bottling of brandy, they were producing 50 varieties of dry wines and from 16 to 20 sweet wines.

Four winemakers developed under the skillful training of our grandfather, Herman Ehlers, during his time as master winemaker for East Side. They were Leo Berta of Paul Masson; Lawrence Quaccia and Delford Seeman of the Guild Company; and Reggie Gianelli, who took Herman’s place as winemaker at East Side. Ultimately, the last people to be tutored by Herman Ehlers were his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Winemaker: Steven Ehlers

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