Meet Our Vintners: Jeremy Wine Co.
A Conversation with Owner & Winemaker Jeremy Trettevik
Jeremy Trettevik never intended to become a farmer. For decades, he worked across every facet of the wine industry—cellar, lab, sales & marketing, and label design—but always resisted the pull of vineyard ownership. Then in 2022, when the opportunity arose to steward Choral's Vineyard, a 15-acre plot planted in 1925 with nearly 100 years of old vine Zinfandel history, everything changed. We sat down with Jeremy to understand what drew him back to his roots, how intuitive winemaking shapes his philosophy, and why accessibility matters more than perfection.
Intuitive Winemaking & The Best Fruit
At the heart of Jeremy's approach is a deceptively simple belief: get great quality fruit from the field, and let it do its thing. "I'm not a natural winemaker," he explains, "but I love to try to let the grapes do their thing. The best wine possible is made when you get good quality fruit out of the field and you just let it go."
This philosophy demands constant presence. Jeremy and his team spend as much time as possible in the vineyards, staying in touch with what the field is giving them. It's intuitive winemaking—less about imposing a vision and more about guiding fruit along its natural path. This approach extends across Jeremy Wine Co.'s portfolio, where a typical harvest includes 20+ distinct and unique grapes, from classic Italian varietals like Barbera and Sangiovese to the old vine Zinfandels that define the region.
Stewardship of Land with History
Choral's Vineyard carries the weight of nearly a century. Planted in 1925, these vines are living witnesses to Lodi's agricultural evolution—farmed first by mule teams and horse, later by some of the earliest tractors to touch the property. For Jeremy, stewardship means more than managing plants. It means honoring inheritance.
"There's a lot of pressure, but I'm proud of it," he says. "There's no replacing it. If I pull those vines out, there's no hundred-year-old vines to go in again. Those are heritage of our region, and they're living antiques."
This respect for history doesn't mean standing still. When Jeremy and his wife Choral took over the property, they made deliberate changes—installing modern surface drip irrigation with digital controls, implementing aggressive pruning techniques under expert guidance, even conducting what Jeremy calls a "clandestine grafting mission" to add Barbera vines to the field blend. It's a balance: honoring the past while reshaping the future with informed intention.
Lodi as Place, Lodi as Community
It's nearly impossible to separate Jeremy from Lodi. He grew up here, started working in wineries in 1994, and spent years helping develop the region's marketing efforts through his design studio work with the Lodi wine grape commission. When he thinks about his wines, he thinks about Lodi first.
But Jeremy's vision for the region pushes back against comparison. "Lodi really is like a young teenager," he reflects. "People say Lodi is like Napa 20 years ago, but it's quite different. What we can be is something really amazing and very accessible to many people."
This isn't settling for less. It's owning what makes Lodi distinct: approachable excellence, community-first values, wines that connect people rather than intimidate them. For Jeremy, the region's greatest asset isn't its climate or soil—it's the collaborative spirit of its farming community. Farmers here created the Lodi Rules program, share best practices, and understand that a rising tide lifts all boats.
Building a Business Together
Jeremy started Jeremy Wine Co. with a lean budget—roughly $1,500 in the bank and a small line of credit. He and Choral built everything through tight productions, strategic trades, and relentless learning. That foundation of partnership continues to shape both the wines and the experience.
Choral brings something Jeremy can't: the consumer's honest perspective. While Jeremy dives deep into technical details, she keeps him anchored to how people actually engage with wine. She doesn't articulate tasting notes; she says "I like it or I don't." It's a crucial gut check.
"The majority of people aren't sitting down to swirl and sniff," Jeremy explains. "Most people are just trying to get through their lives, keep kids in school, pay the bills, and enjoy themselves. And Choral has been really great at keeping me in that context."
This philosophy shows up in Jeremy Wine Co.’s two distinct tasting rooms. Rather than focusing on wine knowledge, the team connects with guests about what matters to them. "We try to meet customers where they are," Jeremy says. "Some want to dive deep into winemaking. Others just want to have a moment. We try to have it be positive and memorable either way."
The Person Behind The Wine
Ask Jeremy about his go-to wine at the end of a long day in the cellar, and he reaches for The Gentleman—an Italian blend of Barbera, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo. "It's irregular, and I love that part about it," he says. "It's got these layers of complexity that are gorgeous, and the tannins are these scruffy Italian food tannins that pair perfectly with what I cook."
It's a choice that says everything about his approach: not perfect, not polished, but genuine and deeply satisfying.
Beyond the winery, Jeremy finds inspiration in fermentation itself. Chocolate, coffee, pickles, kimchi—all fermented. But bread is his constant. Saturday mornings find him baking baguettes in his kitchen, on a 20-something year quest for perfection. Like winemaking, bread is an endless puzzle that demands presence, intuition, and respect for what nature already knows.
Jeremy Wine Co. and Appellation Lodi: Rooted in Shared Values
The partnership between Jeremy Wine Co. and Appellation Lodi feels natural—two operations committed to accessibility, community, and letting place define the experience. When guests visit the Downtown Lodi Tasting Room or the expansive Lockeford Barrel Room overlooking the vineyard, they're stepping into Jeremy's philosophy: impressive but unpretentious, expert but welcoming.
As Appellation continues to deepen its wine country presence, collaborations with Jeremy and other Lodi vintners create the kind of authentic experiences that transform visits into memories. When you taste Jeremy's wines at Americana House or Maison Lodi, you're not just experiencing a product—you're connecting with a person, a place, and a philosophy built on nearly a decade of learning, paired with a lifetime of belonging to Lodi.
Lodi needs more voices like Jeremy's: ones that push the region toward its own identity rather than chasing someone else's legacy.
*All images courtesy of Jeremy Wine Co.