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St. Francis Winery & Vineyards: Taste Sonoma

For more than four decades, the wines of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards have reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County. Our founder, Joe Martin, fell in love with Sonoma Valley and established St. Francis Vineyard in 1971, planting 22 acres of Chardonnay and the first 60 acres of Merlot in Sonoma Valley. After achieving great success as a grower, Joe opened his own winery in 1979 with his business partner Lloyd Canton.

Our first winemaker, Tom Mackey, joined St. Francis in 1983 and was renowned for elevating both the quality and style of Sonoma Merlot as an ultra-premium, stand-alone varietal. He also cultivated an in-depth understanding of every Sonoma appellation, enabling us to acquire and develop new vineyards and expand our wine portfolio.

In 1988 St. Francis partnered with the Kopf family, long admired for their historic family legacy in the wine and spirits industry and a commitment to quality. That legacy began in 1933 upon the repeal of prohibition when Rudy Kopf founded the wine and spirits department of Macy’s Department Store in New York, turning it into what was then one of the finest wine and spirits retailers in the country. He later established his own wine and spirits company, now owned by his three daughters.

Today, a new generation of winemakers, Katie Madigan and Chris Louton, continues our long tradition of luscious, elegant, fruit-driven wines from Sonoma County grapes.  We farm more than 400 acres of Certified Sustainable estate vineyards in Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley, each with varying compositions of loam, clay and volcanic soils. We also nurture long-term relationships with top Sonoma County grape growers, giving the Winery access to some of the region’s most coveted old vines Zinfandel and other varietals from acclaimed vineyards.

“St. Francis Winery will consistently produce luscious, elegant, fruit driven wines that best interpret the richness and distinct varietal characteristics of Sonoma’s unique, diverse terroir.”

-St. Francis Winemaking Mission Statement

St. Francis is a Certified Sustainable, family-owned Winery, and we have worked throughout our 42-year history to preserve Sonoma County’s natural resources. The state-of-the art Winery we built in 1999 includes a 457-kilowatt solar energy system, and we have been recognized for our work to conserve nearby creeks and waterways. Preserving Sonoma County for future generations is very much a part of who we are, what we do, and how we run our business.

Our Winery and stunning mission-style Visitor Center is in the heart of Sonoma Valley surrounded by estate vineyards. The center’s bell tower houses a 1,000-pound bronze bell from the Marinelli Foundry in Italy. It chimes every hour and can be heard throughout the valley.

Our commitment to showcase the best of Sonoma extends to our Tasting Room, which pairs our award-winning wines with the most breathtaking view in Sonoma Valley, and to our ZAGAT-recommended Wine & Food Pairing, which has earned worldwide praise from legions of fans and was voted “#1 in America” in 2013 and 2015 by Open Table diners. In 2012, we planted a 2-acre Estate Garden, giving our chef access to fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs grown steps away from our kitchen, and giving our guests an unforgettable, farm-to-table Wine & Food Pairing experience in the heart of Sonoma Valley.