INSIDE
The best of Sonoma Valley living
Farm to Table
Stay and Play
Taste
Spring 2015
Happenings
About the Wine
Spring in Sonoma
Spring is upon us here in Sonoma Valley, bud-break has begun, the flowers are blooming and the weather is warming. We are delighted to release the Spring Wine Club Wines. This hand-picked selection includes some extremely limited, award-winning wines, such as our 2012 Dry Creek Petite Sirah rated 94 points by Robert Parker, our 2013 Behler Chardonnay a Double Gold Medal winner at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and our 2012 Three Valleys Zinfandel which received 90 points from Wine Spectator, just to name a few. With the spring shipment we are also thrilled to share the first issue of Wine Country Lifestyle a publication created exclusively for St. Francis Patrons Society Members. This special publication features everything Sonoma County, from articles featuring local purveyors, to county-wide events. In each biannual issue we will bring a little Sonoma Wine Country to your life. Look for the next issue in your Fall Wine Club Shipment. Cheers, St. Francis Wine Club Team Lauren, Leyburn & Tanya (left to right)
QUESTIONS? Whether you have questions about your membership, need to add to your cellar or need help planning your next visit to Wine Country, we love hearing from you.
800-650-5437 wineclub@stfranciswinery.com
Contents 2
ABOUT THE WINE
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FROM THE EDITOR
Award-winning wines
Celebrating spring in the Sonoma Valley
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FARM TO TABLE
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STAY AND PLAY
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TASTE
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HAPPENINGS
“Leading the Way” with Bellwether Farms
A PERFECT PAIRING An epicurean recipe pairs perfectly with chardonnay
Sonoma Valley Inn is just steps from fabulous shopping and eateries
the girl & the fig: Country food with a French passion
Drink up some local culture and get out and about this spring.
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| Wine Country Lifestyle | Spring 2015 |
Publisher
From the Editor We kick off the Spring 2015 issue of Wine Country Lifestyle with great anticipation for what lies ahead. Last year we were inspired to feature mushrooms, cheese, and olive oil sourced from Sonoma County. This year is no exception as we have some great topics to feature in our “Farm to Table” section of the magazine, including our feature this month on Bellwether Farms. The Callahan family, who has run the farm since since 1986, is a fantastic story about an American farming family right here in Sonoma County. A visit to their farm should be on top of everyone’s list but unfortunately they are not open to the public so in this issue of Wine Country Lifestyle we will give you a peek inside their award-winning cheese production facility. The secret to their success? It’s all about the sheep. For our readers who look forward to the spring issue to plan their next wine country trip, we are delighted to feature the Sonoma Valley Inn in our “Stay and Play” section. Located near downtown Sonoma, this hotel is a perfect take off point for a weekend full of adventure. After a wonderful day of wine tasting in beautiful Sonoma Valley make sure to reserve a table at the girl and the fig restaurant, located in downtown Sonoma which is this month’s “Taste” feature. Owners Sondra and John exemplify the Wine Country culinary experience through their ever changing seasonal menu and wine selection. Call St. Francis Winery & Vineyards today to book your next visit and don’t forget to bring along your copy of Wine Country Lifestyle as we have included an action packed list of entertainment in the “Happenings” section.
Left Coast Marketing Editor Dan Chapin
Creative Designer Marcy Joyce Contributing Editors Marcy Joyce Lydia Shafer Elizabeth Cosin Features Elizabeth Cosin Photos Allen Campbell Dan Chapin Jessamyn Harris Sales Left Coast Marketing P.O. Box 1001 Healdsburg, CA 95448 (707) 479-5385 www.leftcoastmarketing.com
Safe travels! Dan Chapin Founder, Wine Country Lifestyle
Contributors Dan Chapin founder Founder of Wine Country Lifestyle Magazine and Left Coast Marketing, Dan spends most of his days between his photography studio and visiting his winery clients when he is not cycling through wine country.
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Marcy Joyce managing editor Marcy is an avid reader and artist who enjoys painting and exploring North Coast hiking trails. Well-versed in publishing, she contributes her talents across web & print design and copywriting & editing.
Elizabeth Cosin writer Elizabeth Cosin is a published novelist, produced TV writer and an award-winning journalist based in Sonoma County.
Farm to Table | food + business |
LEADING THE WAY ARTISAN CHEESE MAKER GAINS WORLD RENOWN By Elizabeth Cosin
A few years after they started making cheese from sheep milk, they began doing cow milk cheeses, including a signature aged Carmody, Fromage Blanc, Crème Fraîche, Ricotta, and Crescenza.
O
The Callahan family
ne of the definitions of “bellwether” is someone or something that leads or shows the way to the future. Back in 1986 when Bellwether Farms first got started, nobody really knew how prescient that name would be. They started raising small herds of sheep and making artisan cheese before farm totable became as important to wine country as grapes. Now almost 30 years later, the Callahan family still looks back with surprise at how much they got right about the future, without even trying to predict it. “We never felt like we were setting any trends,” said Liam Callahan, owner and cheese maker of the awardwinning farm. “We had no real sense we were at the cusp of any kind of movement.” In truth, the cheese making for which Bellwether has become known throughout the world began almost accidentally when a friend of Liam’s mother was admiring their new farmland and made an innocent suggestion. Continued, page 6
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Farm to Table | food + business |
A L L T H E SE YEARS LATER, IT’S STILL A FAMILY AFFA I R
Continued from page 5
“He was from Syria and he was visiting my parents on the farm,” said Liam. “He said everyone in Syria milks their sheep. Up to that point, we didn’t really know you could even milk a sheep.”
if they would share their expertise. “I would go to the local markets where they would have these mobile cheese trucks and just ask them for labels,” he said, adding the labels
Cindy, who started the farm in her 50s after a career as a nurse, had gotten sheep to help keep the grass from overgrowing. Now, here was a friend suggesting they milk them and use the milk to make cheese. She called Liam to see if he wanted to come on board to help. Liam was finishing a degree in political economy at Berkeley and secretly dreaded the office jobs all his peers were heading for. An avid camper and outdoors man, he thought his mom’s crazy idea sounded like fun. Not that he knew a thing about cheese making. “None of us knew what we were doing then,” he said. “It’s been an ongoing process, you really never stop learning.” The Callahans spent those early years just trying to learn the ancient art of cheese making, not only by trial and error but by attending classes and consulting experts. Liam took two week long trips to Italy without any plans except to hit up local cheese makers and ask them 6
“Our goal was always to make cheese we liked to eat and hope that it resonated with others,” said Liam. would have the address of the farms where the cheeses were made.
“It was a powerful experience,” he said. “At the end of the trip, I was exhausted but it was the best kind of education.” Now, Liam oversees one of the most respected small-scale cheese making operations in the country, known for its sheep milk products, including yogurt, Ricotta, San Andreas from raw sheeps milk, Pepato, also a raw sheep milk spiked with peppercorn. A few years after they started making cheese from sheep milk, they began doing cow milk cheeses, including a signature aged Carmody, Fromage Blanc, Crème Fraîche, Ricotta, and Crescenza. They were the first area farm to offer lambs to local restaurants and their cheeses have been staples on some of the best menus in the Bay Area since they began making it in the early 90s. All these years later, it’s still a family affair. Liam’s wife, Diana, joined the operation in 1996. In truth, that’s one big reason for Bellwether’s success.
“Humans have been making cheese for centuries and very little has changed,” said Liam. “Our goal was always to make cheese we liked to eat and hope that it resonated with others. We started out just seeing if we could do this. It was a challenge. We never thought it would turn out Liam said he’d show up the next morning and work alongside the cheese like this.” maker, taking in as much as he could.
“We would drive around until we found the place and then introduce ourselves and explain what we were doing. I would just ask if I could come the next day and see what they were doing.”
Maple Nut-Filled Dates with Crescenza Perfect for your wine pairing party, serve them at your next party. The sweet, tart, nutty flavors all pair well with fruit forward wines, particularly sparkling white, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or some rosés. Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes
Above and below: The making of Crescenza, a cow milk cheese.
Yield: Makes 20 date halves; 8 to 10 servings
Gather
▶ 10 Medjool dates ▶ 1/4 cup Bellwether Farms Crescenza ▶ 1 tablespoon butter ▶ 1/4 cup chopped walnuts ▶ 1/4 cup maple syrup
Prepare
▶ Cut dates in half lengthwise and remove pits. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon cheese into the cavity of each date half. ▶ Arrange dates on a serving plate. ▶ Melt butter in a 1- to 2-quart pan over low heat, then increase heat to medium and cook until butter is foamy and starting to brown. ▶ Add nuts and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add syrup and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. ▶ Lift nuts from the syrup with a slotted spoon and press a few pieces into the soft cheese in each date. ▶ Drizzle syrup over the dates and serve warm.
Family owned and operated, Bellwether Farms is located in Sonoma County, California, about an hour north of San Francisco, and a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Our cheeses are used by chefs in many of the finest restaurants across the country, and are regularly featured in The New York Times, Martha Stewart, Sunset Magazine, and gourmet food publications everywhere. You see, good taste always travels well.
H a n d c r a f t e d C h e e s e s & Yo g u rt s WWW.BELLWETHERFARMS.COM
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Specializing in Napa & Sonoma Wine Country
remembering our founder JOSEPH THOMAS MARTIN
(1934-2015)
Joe was an integral part of Sonoma County for both his contributions to the wine industry and his numerous charitable acts. For nearly 45 years, Joe Martin inspired so many of us by his passion and dedication to Sonoma County, quality wines, and above all, the people he so enjoyed and admired.
Joe stayed on with St. Francis as a consultant until his retirement in 2008.
Joe was born in California’s Central Valley on June 19, 1934 to a family of dairy farmers. Over time Joe discovered his true passion lied in Sonoma Valley’s wine country. In 1971 Joe and his wife Emma (died 2001) sold their furniture business in San Francisco and purchased a 100-acre orchard in Kenwood. Together over the next 6 years they planted the Behler Vineyard and sold their grapes to various wineries. After seeing the accolades numerous wineries were receiving for his grapes, Joe decided it was time to start marking his own wines. In 1979 Joe and his partner Lloyd Canton founded St. Francis Winery & Vineyards and hired Winemaker Tom Mackey in 1983.
Recently he was honored by Santa Rosa Junior College for “his highly consequential and distinguished career, his key role in the success of the Sonoma County wine industry, and his lifetime of service to others.” Joe is survived by his wife Nancy, his nieces, nephews, grand-children and great grandchildren.
After Joe retired he was able to devote more of his time to the various charities that were near and dear to him. He served on a number of boards including the Catholic Charities and Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Foundation and was a founder of the Star of the Valley Church. Joe and his second wife Nancy were also key donors and participants at Kids’ Street Learning Center, where each Thanksgiving they would donate turkeys and cook and serve them to those in need.
Joe accomplished everything in life with a deep sense of humility, kindness, and faith and is already dearly missed.
Joe and Tom decided to focus mostly on two grape varietals they were most passionate about, Merlot and Zinfandel. The 1980’s brought much acclaim for both Joe and the Winery. He was named “Father of Merlot Madness” and St. Francis gained recognition as a premier “Old Vines” Zinfandel producer. At the suggestion of Wine Critic Robert Parker, national distributor Kobrand was looking to expand their portfolio to include Sonoma County wines and in the late 1980’s Joe and Lloyd entered into a partnership with them. St. Francis quickly became one of the most requested suppliers on visits across the country. Kobrand’s owners, the Kopf Family, soon entered into a partnership with Joe and Lloyd to purchase St. Francis Winery & Vineyards and by 2004 the Kopf Family became the sole owners.
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The original St. Francis Tasting Room
from the kitchen ARCTIC CHAR À LA BARIGOULE SUGGESTED PAIRING: CHARDONNAY | SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS: 4- 6 oz. portions of Arctic Char, skin on Lemon Marmalade Saffron Stock: 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly 2 yellow onions, medium diced 3 ribs celery, medium diced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 fennel bulb, medium diced 1 tablespoon whole coriander 1 lemon, zest only 2 cups Chardonnay ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped, reserve pod 1 large pinch saffron
1 quart water 1 tablespoon butter Celery Root Purée: 1 large celery root, peeled and diced 3 quarts water 3 tablespoons heavy cream Salt and white pepper to taste Finishing Vegetables: 3 baby carrots, peeled and sliced thinly 1 parsnip, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly 1 leek, outer leaves removed and diced 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
PREPARATION: Saffron Stock: Heat a large pot over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and fennel, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft and translucent (about 15 minutes). Add coriander, lemon zest and Chardonnay, bring to a boil and continue to cook for two more minutes. Add vanilla bean, seeds and pod, along with saffron. Cover with 1 quart of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and steep for ten minutes. Bring back to a simmer for another ten minutes. Remove from stove and strain through fine mesh sieve. Keep warm. Celery Root Purée: Place celery root in pot and cover with water. Add salt and cook over high heat until celery root becomes soft, then strain. Heat cream in sauce pan, add celery root and purée with a hand held emersion blender until smooth. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
Method: Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Blanch carrots, parsnips, leek and celery one at time until al dente, set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large sauté pan until almost smoking. Season fish with salt and place skin side down into pan. Keep heat on high for 1 minute then reduce to medium, cook for 4 minutes. Reduce to low heat for another 3 minutes. Once skin side looks crispy, turn fish over and turn off heat. Let stand in pan for 2 minutes to allow fish to cook through. In four pasta bowls, distribute celery root purée. Sprinkle the finishing vegetables around the purée. Heat the saffron stock to a simmer and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Spoon stock over celery root purée, top each bowl with one filet and a small amount of lemon marmalade. Visit stfranciswinery.com for more recipes.
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SONOMA VALLEY INN: STEPS FROM THE PLAZA, FAR FROM THE ORDINARY
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Stay & Play | hotels & inns |
SONOMA COUNTY IS ACCLAIMED FOR ITS SPECTACULAR WINERIES, BEAUTIFUL VINEYARDS, SHOPPING AND UNRIVALED CULINARY EXPERIENCES. AND RIGHT AT THE HEART OF IT IS THE WONDERFUL SONOMA VALLEY INN. Located just steps from Sonoma’s historic town plaza, the Sonoma Valley Inn welcomes visitors from all over the region, and the world. Family-owned and operated, the Sonoma Valley Inn prides itself on providing impeccable service and accommodations for visitors to Sonoma Wine Country.
the girl and the fig restaurant for an exquisite meal. Taste artisan cheese at The Epicurean Connection or delight in handmade confections at Wine Country Chocolates. From the hotel, you are minutes from over 100 wineries and tasting rooms. From the beautiful Jacuzzi Family Winery to Roche Winery and Vineyards just two blocks from the hotel, there is something for every palate. Plus, your pet can join you in wine country! The Sonoma Valley Inn welcomes pets. Upon check-in, you will get one of our “wag bags” complete with everything your pet might want during their stay in wine country. The Sonoma Valley Inn and the Dry Creek Inn, located in Healdsburg, are operated by the Krug family, who have been residents of Sonoma County for decades. Both family hotels embody the warmth, hospitality and friendliness that have made Sonoma famous. From the complimentary hot breakfast to a smile at the front desk, the focus is always on providing hotel guests with the best possible experience.
The property has undergone a $1 million renovation, which includes upgraded bathrooms with granite countertops, new guestroom furnishings, patio upgrades and a new firepit located in the courtyard of the Mission Suites. Built with a Mission-style architectural flair, the Sonoma Valley Inn surrounds a lush garden courtyard with a heated saltwater pool, gazebo spa, fountains and an outdoor fire pit. Guest rooms come with private patio or balcony and most feature wood-burning fireplaces. In Sonoma, location is everything. Mere steps from the Sonoma Valley Inn, you can find dozens of wineries and tasting rooms, shopping, art galleries and of course, Sonoma’s renowned farmto-fork cuisine. A short stroll will take you to Sonoma’s famous
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Taste | the girl & the fig |
Country Food with THE GIRL AND THE FIG SERVES SEASONAL ENTRÉES IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE By Elizabeth Cosin
It’s
been nearly twenty years since Sondra Bernstein left Napa’s Viansa Winery where she was director of operations, to open a 42-seat restaurant in a “funky neighborhood” in Glen Ellen. But as the little place Bernstein dubbed the girl & the fig grew and then expanded There are product to a larger space in Sonoma and a minilines that feature empire that includes figs, like spa wine, jam and spa products and a thriving catering business, the products and philosophy of serving jams. They even delicious and fresh food in an inviting and have their own friendly environment wine label. hasn’t changed. “I like to call it ‘country food with a French passion,’” says Bernstein, who with the help of fellow Viansa staff member John Toulze started the girl & the fig in an old grill restaurant in 1997 on a budget that barely nipped into the six figures. “It’s not traditionally French but it has French hints throughout the menu. The Sonoma part is about what’s seasonable here and our menu reflects that throughout the year. The French are so passionate about the way they eat and I’ve always loved that. They go to work and close their shops and have a lovely lunch and go back to work – and they only work 35 hours a week. It’s civilized and it’s communal and it’s social and it’s how we approach what we do.” 14
A native of Philadelphia, Bernstein earned a degree in photography from the Philadelphia College of Art but quickly realized it was going to be hard to make a living as an art photographer. To make ends meet, she took a
Taste | the girl & the fig |
a French Passion
job as a server at the chain restaurant TGI Fridays and discovered she really liked the business. “It was my first restaurant experience and I thought, ‘wow, this is different,’ but it was also fun. I loved it,” she says. “I loved the job and the people. It was a really incredible experience.” Bernstein wanted to learn more and she did, rising up to management where she helped open restaurants in other cities and along the way learning everything she could about the industry. It led her back to school – this time an intensive one-year long course at a restaurant school in her hometown where she trained in almost every aspect of the food business. After graduating, she found herself working for restaurants in Los Angeles having moved there in part for a change of pace from the East Coast. But Bernstein didn’t really take to the Southern California vibe and in
1989, while on a weekend trip to wine country with her boyfriend, she found her home away from home. “We came up together on vacation and I just completely fell in love,” she said. “We actually decided to move up here together.”
Continued, page 16
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Taste | the girl & the fig |
Left: The dining room of the original location in Glen Ellen, which is now Fig Café. Below: Apricot Fig Chutney and Lavender Sea Salt are among the products the girl & the fig began to offer as the business grew.
Continued from page 15
While the pair are no longer a couple, Bernstein’s love for Sonoma has not diminished. She landed what she called the perfect job when she was hired at Viansa Winery where she was once again immersed in everything about the business, from wine and food to catering and marketing. It was, she says, the best kind of education for a girl who wanted to eventually do her own thing. That happened in 1997 when she convinced Toulze, then a colleague at Viansa who was pursing a degree in accounting and finance, to come along with her. They’ve been partners ever since. Toulze put aside his CPA aspirations to teach himself how to be a chef and eventually moved over to run the kitchen at the restaurant where he is now considered one of Sonoma County’s star chefs. As for that tiny little corner place, well, the girl & the fig, is now two restaurants. The original space in Glen Ellen is now the newly remodeled Fig Café while its big sister thrives in a downtown Sonoma spot that seats more than 100 people. The catering business is gearing up to work 40 weddings this coming spring and summer and there are product lines that feature figs, like spa products and jams. They even have their own wine label. All through the years, though, the one constant has been Bernstein and Toulze and their remarkably consistent devotion to what inspired them to go out 16
on their own in the first place. “It’s seasonal and we are very careful about where we get our ingredients. It doesn’t have to be organic but it has to be done in a way that we feel is appreciative of the food and the environment and the animals. After that, I want people to come to the girl & the fig and have a really good time,” Bernstein says. “Life is hard and we all have crap to deal with. At the very least, you should be able to come to a restaurant and sit back and enjoy the experience and not feel like you’ve wasted your time or your money. We want them to leave thinking they had something that was prepared with care and love by people who like what they’re doing.”
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Spring 2015 Happenings
A t S t . F r a nci s 4th Ever ‘Luxury Bacon Dinner’ (2 nights available) Friday, May 8 | 6:30pm Saturday, May 9 | 6:30pm
April Annual Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival Bodega Bay Saturday, April 11 (All day) to Sunday, April 12 (All day) www.bbfishfest.org Wildflower Walk Jack London State Park Saturday, April 11 10:00am www.jacklondonpark.com/ midspringhikes.html
Sonoma Food Tour Thursdays through Sundays 11:00am to 2:00pm www.sonomafoodtour.com Cristina Pato and the Migrations Band - Weill Hall Sunday, May 10 3:00pm gmc.sonoma.edu/event/2314371cristina-pato-and-the-migrations-band Quarryhill Botanical Garden’s Wild Collections, Expeditions for Education Fundraiser Saturday, May 16 5:30pm 8:00pm www.quarryhillbg.org
June
Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival and Parade Saturday April 18th (all day) through Sunday April 19th (all day) www.appleblossomfest.com
2015 Sonoma Wine Country Games Thursday, June 4 (All day) to Sunday, June 14 (All day) www.winecountrygames.com
April in Carneros Saturday April 18th (all day) through Sunday April 19th (all day) www.carneroswineries.org/events
Country Summer Friday, June 5, 2015 (All day) until Sunday, June 7 countrysummer.com
Whale and Jazz Festival Saturdays in April & May (all day) http://gualalaarts.org
Incarnation100 Century Bike Ride Saturday, June 6 7:00am to 2:30pm incarnation100.org
May Santa Rosa Symphony Classical Concert Monumental Mahler Saturday, May 2 8:00pm to 10:00pm www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/ santa-rosa-symphony-classicalconcert-monumental-mahler-1
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BROADWAY UNDER THE STARS - Oh, What A Night! Friday, Saturday, Sunday June 19, until Friday, July 3 - 7:30pm to 10:00pm transcendencetheatre.org Giro Bello Saturday, June 27 girobello.com
Join us in our Dining Room as we celebrate St. Francis wine and the wonders of Bacon at our Fourth Ever Luxury Bacon Dinner. This multi-course Winery Dinner is so popular, we have decided to add a second night.
$195.69 Public/pp (Ticket price includes tax & gratuity) $156.55 Wine Club/pp (Ticket price includes tax & gratuity)
Zinfandel Blending Workshop & Lunch Saturday, May 23 11:30am-1:30pm
Join St. Francis Winemakers Katie Madigan and Chris Louton for a special blending workshop. The event begins with a Zinfandel component tasting, then equipped with all the necessary tools of the trade, you will be guided through the process of creating your very own custom bottle to take home! The event will conclude with a light lunch and glass of one of our amazing Zinfandels. $70.36 Wine Club Members $81.18 Guest of Members (ticket price includes tax)
13th Annual Fandango Wine Club Appreciation Party Sat, June 6 | 6:30-9pm
Join us for our 13th Annual Fandango, an unforgettable wine and culinary experience. Enjoy an evening of live music, farm to table cuisine provided by Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, award-winning St. Francis wines, exclusive library wines and special new releases, raffle prizes and more. This special event is exclusive to Wine Club Members and their guests. $48.71/pp Wine Club | $102.08/pp Guests (ticket price includes tax)
Make RESERVATIONS online for all St. Francis events at Stfranciswinery.com For more information, visit www.sonomacounty.com
spring FEATURED WINES 2012 Old Vines Zinfandel
2012 Petite Sirah Dry Creek Valley
Behler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
91+ Points Robert Parker
94 Points Robert Parker
Double Gold SF Chronicle Wine Competition
Giovanetti Vineyard, Russian River Valley
2013 Chardonnay
One of our most beloved old vines Zinfandels, the Giovanetti Vineyard is located in the heart of Russian River Valley. St Francis is the only winery that sources fruit from this small, 8-acre vineyard planted 100 years ago. Today the vineyard is owned and operated by Phyllis Giovanetti who, at over 80 years old, still does a bit of pruning and oversees a large vegetable garden, orchard and a covey of birds.
Quickly becoming a Club Member favorite, 80% of this plush wine is sourced from the 60 year old vines at Mounts Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The vineyard’s higher elevation and warmer temperatures are ideal for the small thick-skinned Petite Sirah grape. Winemaker Katie Madigan blends in a touch of Zinfandel from Banti Vineyard in Dry Creek and Syrah from our Wild Oak Estate Vineyard in Sonoma Valley.
This opulent Chardonnay comes from our Estate Behler Vineyard. It is one of our only chardonnays that goes through 100% malolactic fermentation giving it a smooth, full bodied mouth-feel. Our founder, Joe Martin, purchased the 100-acre Sonoma Valley vineyard in 1971 and named it after the Behler Family who cultivated the land in the 1900’s. In 1979 it became the site of the original St. Francis Winery.
Retail $48 Wine Club Members $38.40
Retail $45 Wine Club Members $36
Retail $26 Wine Club Members $20.80
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Taste Sonoma