Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/537687
68 / the tasting panel / july 2015 solar electrical system on the roof of the winery and barrel building which, over the next 30 years, will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 4,000 tons, a conservation of natural resources equivalent to planting 110 acres of trees. St. Francis indeed has been recognized by the EPA as a Green Power Partner for this solar installation. Each initiative helps in small ways that add up to big savings. Energy efficient T5 lighting fixtures with motion detectors in the winery use 55% less energy than standard lighting. Computerized electric carts are used within the winery building and natural night air cooling is used to regulate temperatures in storage areas. In terms of packaging, the glass bottles are made of 50% recycled material and are 100% recyclable, without any loss of purity or quality. They are also lighter and, therefore, more can be loaded into a truck, reducing the impact of transportation by 18%. In the vineyard, Terrell's focus has been to bring more detailed tech- niques and modernized technology to manage the winery's 400 acres. "Our goal is to make better wine through sustainability, which is made possible by better technology," he comments. He is applying new irrigation prac- tices and monitoring techniques to help conserve water; he has installed high-tech weather stations in the vineyards that can be monitored and controlled with an iPhone. Perhaps most important is the use of mapping techniques to determine vigor (the growth potential in a vine's canopy) so he can more accurately farm for uniformity within each block, particularly important for grapes like Zinfandel, one of Sonoma's most important varietals, which is notori- ous for ripening unevenly. "Sonoma has always been about farming," explains Christopher Silva, "and about caring for the land and natural resources for future generations. These have always been our values, and we are pleased to be recognized for our leadership role in Certified Sustainable farming." New Lines, New Wines "All these initiatives have created a whole new dynamic in the winery," says Silva. "First and foremost, the winemakers are getting better fruit from the vineyards. Second, with the ability to now focus on making wines within their expertise, the winemak- ing team is getting the opportunity to work, through aging and blending techniques, towards an even better finished product." It has also led to a re-structuring of the St. Francis portfolio, which aims towards the St. Francis mission state- ment: "To produce luscious, elegant, fruit-driven wines that best interpret the richness and distinct varietal characteristics of Sonoma's unique, diverse terroir." Nationally distributed wines consist of two lines: the Sonoma County Tier, with an on-and off premise mix, and the new, extremely limited- production Reserve Tier, with an on-premise focus. The Sonoma County Tier consists of Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and "Old Vines" Zinfandel, along with a Pinot Noir (releasing Fall 2016) and Sauvignon Blanc (launched in Spring 2014). All exclusively utilize French oak in the winemaking pro- cess, and for the Sauvignon Blanc, winemaker Chris Louton uses 12% oak fermentation to give the wine a slightly softer feel on the palate and better compatibility with food, a stylistic move away from previously released all-stainless steel versions. In answer to growing trends and a clientele moving towards moderniza- tion and a more efficiently monitored bottom line, another significant development with the Sonoma County Tier is that St. Francis has started to offer wine in keg form in select mar- kets. The first markets in the program are Arizona, Florida and California, with wider distribution planned as the program expands through demand. "It's a big step for us," says Silva. "Our on-premise partners make up a large part of our sales, and also help drive our retail sales, so being able to offer St. Francis in a form restaurants request is a no-brainer." Production of the new Reserve Tier is much smaller, around 400 cases each, and features Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel. All fruit for these wines is handpicked from top blocks in the winery's best vineyards, with grapes from the Alexander Valley for the Cabernet, Sonoma Valley for the Merlot, and Dry Creek Valley for the Zinfandel, which is made with grapes from 50- to 100-year-old-vines. All three wines are aged in French oak for 20 months before bottling. Due to its limited production, St. Francis is only marketing the Reserve Tier to on-premise accounts in the brand's top seven markets: Boston, New York, Florida, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. So why make a Reserve Tier? "Our plan was offer a higher end line that focused on the best restaurants in the country, and to launch the Reserve line with an incredible vintage; 2012 was certainly that. The St. Francis Reserve concept being Sonoma's best appellations, best vineyards, best winemaking. We had listened to a lot of restauranteurs who told us there was a sweet spot on lists between $80–120 per bottle where St. Francis could make an impact. From that, the Reserve Tier was born: a high-quality example of the best that Sonoma had to offer, offered with a $99 on-the-list price in key markets only." And how is this translating to sales? "On both price and packaging, the Reserve Tier is being received incredibly well," says Robert DeRoose, CEO of Kobrand Corporation, St. Francis' marketing partner, "and once the corks are pulled, the gatekeepers love the quality and value the wines offer their clientele." St. Francis's new, extremely limited-pro- duction Reserve Tier features Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel. PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG