Winemaker: Lawrence Herder

We are privileged to have Lawrence Herder overseeing the development of our wines.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Lawrence Herder has been making wine since the age of 14. After acquiring a university business degree, Lawrence worked for a time in the food brokerage industry, where he realized that his true calling was winemaking. He returned to school, obtaining a B.Sc. in oenology with a minor in viticulture from Fresno State University, and spent time training under Merry Edwards. Lawrence began his career with B.R. Cohn in California, and later moved to B.C. where he has received accolades for his work as winemaker at Golden Mile Cellars and as the winemaker responsible for the VQA red wines program at Jackson-Triggs Okanagan.

Lawrence has produced premium wines from Lanny’s grapes since his arrival in the valley. He and his wife Sharon now run their own winery, Herder Winery and Vineyards in Cawston, which has drawn attention to the Similkameen Valley’s potential to produce high quality wines. Lawrence’s overall approach to winemaking focuses on innovation and full expression of the grape and its terroir. We are very fortunate to have Lawrence as our consulting winemaker and feel that his expertise brings out the best in our grapes. Over years of working together, Lanny and Lawrence have found that their philosophies towards grapes and wine, as well as their family values, are very similar. This relationship of high mutual regard has resulted in the distinctive, quality wines of Stoneboat Vineyards today.