M2 Wines

M2 wines have focused on producing dynamic artisan wines from unique vineyards in Lodi, the Sierra Foothills, and Napa Valley since 2004. Their wines are made to fully express the character of the vineyard and the fruit of the vine as a wine that is true to itself – balanced, complex, approachable, and age-worthy.

The winery and tasting room are one of a kind in Lodi. There are no sculptures or bocce ball courts. Since the beginning, their focus has been on the wine, and our resources have been directed toward producing the best wines possible.

History

Since 2004, m2 Wines has been a rapidly evolving winery in California, producing award-winning wines. They’ve become well-known for their Zinfandels, Rhone-style wines, and daring blends. It all began when Layne Montgomery decided at a young age that he could make wine as good as, if not better than, the other wineries. After dabbling in garage beer brewing, Layne sought out the wine-making process on the advice of a friend. He spent two years making wine in local wineries that were willing to let him use their facilities. In 2006, he decided enough was enough and relocated to a cramped industrial warehouse near the Lodi Waste Management Transfer Station. It wasn’t much, but it was the beginning of m2 wines’ identity. Without the frills of a traditional winery, we are completely dedicated to producing the best wine possible. It wasn’t long before the word got out. Layne received numerous awards for being one of the top 12 Zinfandel in Lodi, and m2 Wines rose to prominence in the Lodi area, attracting attention from around the world.

During the next decade, Layne partnered with a group of wine enthusiasts who were eager to assist him in expanding the winery into the vision he had always envisioned. As m2 Wines grew in popularity, the size of the first location became an issue. It was never going to be perfect from the start, and the winery has now literally used up every inch and the kitchen sink! Layne required his own vineyard and exceptional soil. The ground was broken for our new Lodi location, all 15 acres of it, in 2013. The concept was to create an indoor/outdoor tasting room within a vineyard. The building is made of corten steel and stands 20 feet tall, towering over the landscape.

VINEYARDS AND SOURCES

Since 2004, the majority of their wines have come from established vineyards in Lodi, Amador County, El Dorado County, and Napa Valley’s Rutherford district.

In June of 2014, they established their estate vineyard. They planted three acres of grapes, including Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Tannat. The first crop from those vines was harvested in 2016.

The 2017 vintage was a disaster due to very heavy rains in January and February, as well as overly optimistic expectations from our estate vineyard. New vines take time to grow, and they’ve learned a lot about grape growing since 2014.

In 2018, they planted an additional Vermentino block, and in 2020, they grafted a section of Zinfandel vines to Tannat.

What follows is an overly technical discussion of their estate vineyard, including soil types, irrigation methods, rootstocks, clonal variations, and viticulture techno-babble….

SUSTAINABILITY

SOLAR POWERED

When the sun shines, 244 square meters of solar panels provide nearly 100 percent of the winery and vineyard’s electrical needs! And the sun shines brightly most days in Lodi.

LODI RULES

Their estate vineyard is grown in accordance with the LODI RULES for Sustainable Winegrowing. It is the state of California’s first sustainable viticulture program. This program truly began from the ground up, with grape growers deciding it was critical for the Lodi region’s future. The certification process is rigorous, scientifically based, voluntary, and third-party accredited and audited. LODI RULES certified growers are an innovative community with a history and commitment to farming quality winegrapes by implementing viticulture practices that balance environmental, social, and economic goals. LODI RULES is intended to communicate wineries’ commitment to sustainable agriculture.