Tasting some new releases from St. Francis Winery

While we were staying at the ski cabin with friends this weekend, we tasted a couple of newly released wines from St. Francis Winery & Vineyards that delicious life PR had sent me.

Located in Kenwood at the northern end of Sonoma Valley, St. Francis winery produces big, full-bodied wines from a variety of vineyards through out Sonoma County. What I particularly appreciate about St. Francis is the fact that since 2004, the winery is engaged in serious green and sustainable practices, including the installation of solar panels on the roof of the winery, the use of electric cart for the maintenance crews, water conservation programs in the vineyard and the winery, and several recycling programs. “With success comes responsibility to future generations who will live and work here as well”, says Christopher Silva, President & CEO of the winery on the company's website. “Engaging in green practices is the right thing to do, which makes it the right way to run a business.”

We first tasted the 2006 St. Francis Merlot Sonoma County with a assortment of country pâté and cheese. The wine is a blend of valley and mountain grown grapes, hand harvested and aged in American and French oak barrels for 23 months. Showing a dark red color, the wine had aromas of sweet blackberry and vanilla on the nose. On the palate, it was full-bodied and still young and tannic with a pleasant lingering finish of spices, pepper and earthy flavors. The wine was good with the pâté but the best match was with the surprisingly sweet (for the season) strawberries that we had for dessert.

The other wine was the 2007 St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel Sonoma County. This “Old Vines” blend is made of grapes from at least 50 year old dry-farmed vines with many as old as one hundred years old. These vines come from small family-owned plots dating from the early 20th century and planted with a field blend of Zinfandel intermixed with some Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet. The grapes are hand-picked and aged in new American oak barrels for twelve to fifteen months.

The wine had a deep color and a nose of red berry and citrus. On the palate, it was full-bodied, strong, and sweet, with floral and sour cherry notes. It was a good accompaniment to our Pasta Bolognese, especially after I added a handful of black olives to the sauce.

Technorati tags: wine food & drink

Warm up with a glass of 2006 St. Francis Red

It's dark and cold outside and I have a bottle of wine that should warm me up: a 2006 St. Francis RED that was recently sent to me by Kobrand Corporation.

The wine, made by St. Francis Winery, is a proprietary blend of 48% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 3% Zinfandel and 6 % Mixed Blacks (Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Alicante, Malbec), from Sonoma County.

“RED is for all red wine lovers who simply want a tasty bottle of wine with a fun package at a great value. It's my job to worry about clones, soil conditions, vintage and Vinification” says St. Francis Winemaker Tom Mackey on the winery's website, “so that the consumer doesn't have to. We've created a dependable, versatile wine — No lessons needed &mdash uncork and enjoy.”

The St. Francis RED is made to be fun: if you buy the wine by the case, each bottle comes with a different red patterned label. If you buy only one bottle, you can pick and choose the label you like the best.

The wine has a deep color and a nose of spiced cherries and sweet berries. On the palate, it is full-bodied, fruity, juicy, slightly tannic with a peppery aftertaste. For a retail price around $10, it's a steal.

The RED website has also some hearty recipes that should go well with the wine. I noticed their Braised Short Ribs recipe that looks delicious and perfect for the season. Just make sure you have enough braising sauce to pour over your mashed potatoes!

Technorati tags: wine food & drink

A taste of Sonoma from St. Francis Winery

Founded in 1971, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards is a winery located in the heart of Sonoma Valley, in Santa Rosa, California. It was named in honor of St. Francis of Assisi in recognition of the saint's love of the natural world. The Saint is also credited with bringing European grape cultivation to the new world.

The winery's President, Christopher Silva, is a fifth generation Sonoma County native that believes that the best wines can be grown in Sonoma County. His mission is for St. Francis Winery to become the premier producer of Sonoma wine. He is also seriously engaged in green practices such as water and energy conservation, wild life and natural resource preservtion, and use of solar energy.

I recently received a sample of the winery's new releases sent to me for review by Kobrand Corporation and so here are my tasting notes:



• 2005 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County: made from grapes coming from five Sonoma County appellations: Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Rockpile. My notes: dark red color, black and wild berries on the nose, firm backbone on the palate, young but well balanced, good acidity, food-friendy. Try it with a Southwest Blackened Beef Rib Eye.

• 2005 St. Francis Merlot Sonoma County: the fruits come from selected vineyards through out Sonoma County, with diverse micro-climates ranging from the hillsides of the Mayacamas Mountains to the cooler Sonoma Valley floor. My notes: dark color, sweet berry and vanilla on the nose, softer and sweeter on the palate than the Cabernet, smoky finish. Try it with Pork Chop with Caramelized Onion

• 2006 St. Francis Zinfandel Old Vines Sonoma County: comes from head-trained and dry farmed vines that must be at least 50 years old, with many as old as hundred years old. My notes: medium garnet color, sweet red fruit on the nose, berry compote on the palate, juicy, pleasant finish. I am usually not too crazy about Zinfandel but this one was actually very tasty and food friendly in spite of its 15.5% alcohol content. Try it with Sonoma Sausage Sauté with Peppers and Mushrooms

Wild Oak by St. Francis is a new line of hand-crafted, limited production, varietal wines, named for Sonoma's Heritage oak trees.



• 2004 Wild Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County: according to the winery's notes, the fruits for this wine come from diverse locations: Lagomarsino Vineyard in the Russian River Valley for generous power and luscious mouthfeel, the red volcanic soil and high altitude climate of Nuns Canyon Vineyard for firm structure, dark color, rich berrylike character and ample tannin, the McCoy Ranch in the Mayacamas Mountains for intense Cabernet and firm chewy Merlot, more Merlot coming from the estate Behler Vineyard, and a touch of Rockpile's Petit Verdot to deepen the color and expands the texture and finish. My notes: dark garnet color, blackberry and wild berry on the nose, rich, firm, and oaky on the palate with some good acidity, promising but needs more cellaring time. The wine was actually better the day after opening. Try it (in a few years) with Braised Lamb Shank Osso Buco

• 2005 Wild Oak Merlot Sonoma County: according to the winery's notes, the grapes coming from the 35-year-old estate Behler Vineyard in Sonoma Valley bring intense, rich, fleshy fruit typical of Merlot grown on cooler valley floor vineyards. Additionally, a small amount of Merlot and Cabernet from Nuns Canyon Vineyard located along the Mayacamas provides the mountain grown fruit possessing the tannins needed to give the wine structure and complexity. My notes: deep purple color, sweet berry and tobacco on the nose, full-bodied on the palate, quite young and oaky right now. Try it with Five Spice Spare Ribs

Technorati tags: wine food & drink