I was born and raised in Kelseyville, Calif. (Lake Co.). I received a BS in Chemistry from San Jose State University in 1976 and subsequently went into the air pollution industry. In 1980 I quit that industry afterfinding myself stationed in Glendive, Montana for the winter. My search for a new career took me back to my hometown. I picked up a temporary job at the local winery (Konocti Winery) labeling bottles. They found out I was a chemist and asked me to do some lab work for them. The first day I was in the lab, I was introduced to their consultant, Andre Tchelistcheff, as the new enologist (I had no clue what that was). All day long, Andre kept telling the winemaker "Have Lane test this, have Lane check that". At the end of the day, the people at Konocti asked me to stay on because Mr. Tchelistchef definitely liked me and they didn't want to tell him that they had lied to him. My new career was born. 

Mr. Tchelistcheff recommended me for the enology job at Firestone Winery in Santa Barbara Co. in 1981. I took Alison Green's place when she became winemaker. While there, I continued to learn from Andre and Alison, as well as honing my sense of smell and taste.

In 1984 I started my own company with one client. I began making wines for the Hitching Post restaurant (A locally famous Santa Barbara Co. steak house). In 1989 I started the Lane Tanner label.

I started out making Pinot Noir and my methods for Pinot production have not changed much in the last 20 years. I use the best Pinot grapes available in Santa Barbara Co. I have the pleasure of working with Julia's Vineyard and Bien Nacido Vineyard fruit as well as the new, Melville Vineyard. I harvest the grapes when they taste right, not when the sugar hits a certain number. I look for maturity and complexion but still with the sparkle of youth. The grapes are gently crushed into 4' by 4' by 4' open top fermenters. In my punch down technique, I strive for maximum extract of flavors from the grape in the early stages of fermentation, before the alcohol content rises too high. In this way, I get the delicate flavors without the harsher alcohol soluble components. I press gently, leaving the last few gallons in the skins for the wine gods. The wine spends the next 12 to 18 months in French oak barrels. I use only a touch of new oak (20-30%) for flavoring.

Pinor Noir is my main wine but now I make a few cases of Syrah too. For those of you that love Pinot; you can understand. Pinor Noir is the most responsive, delicate, fickle, fragile grape to work with and I' hooked on it. My production is small because I can't stand the idea of someone else touching these babies. As with any parent, I feel that no one can understand their needs as I do.

To sum it up, I am making a product for people who are searching for the more subtle, elegant nuances of the Pinot Noir (and Syrah) grape.

My production level is about 1800 cases a year.

And, yes, the image behind this page is me, as "The Winemaker." A few copies of this beautifully crafted piece by Robert Houghtaling are still available.