St. Francis Winery

About Winery: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, founded in 1971 by Joe Martin, has been producing premium wines from Sonoma County for over 50 years. The winery, known for its sustainable practices and commitment to quality, is led today by winemakers Katie Madigan and Chris Louton. St. Francis farms over 400 acres of certified sustainable vineyards featuring Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel. Their estate dining room offers a renowned Wine & Food Pairing experience, praised for its use of fresh, local ingredients.

Aggie Connection: A chemistry major at UC Santa Barbara, Katie joined St. Francis as a harvest intern. Two years later, Katie became a full-time lab tech at St. Francis and began studying Enology & Viticulture at UC Davis. Promoted to Assistant Winemaker in 2006, she focused on Chardonnay production and championed night picking of all Chardonnay fruit to preserve flavors, aromas, and acid levels. 

Chris was studying biology at UC Davis with every intention of becoming a veterinarian when he took a winemaking class his senior year. That class hooked him, and instead of applying to vet school after graduation, he went back to UC Davis to study enology and took a job as a harvest intern at Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga. Four years later, Chris left Schramsberg as Assistant Winemaker and having built their Cabernet Sauvignon program. 
 

Aggies Uncorked Featured Wine: Chardonnay, Tannat

Alum: Katie Madigan and Chris Louton