Press Kit

 V. Sattui Winery Backgrounder A California Icon V. Sattui Winery is a family-­‐owned estate located in the heart of Napa Valley, with a history that spans three centuries. Founded in 1885 by Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant who got his start by making and selling his own wine on Columbus Avenue in San Francisco’s North Beach, it is now overseen by Dario Sattui, the great-­‐grandson of the winery’s namesake. Today, under Dario Sattui’s vision and guidance, and now located on a 38-­‐acre organically farmed vineyard in St. Helena, the Winery produces more than 60 different highly rated wines from 20 different varieties of grapes, and is also a stunning, must-­‐see Napa Valley destination for picnics, weddings and events. A consistently welcoming, delicious and authentic Wine Country experience for guests, V. Sattui provides an impressively robust marketplace and cheese shop, gift store, multiple tasting rooms, and expansive picnic grounds, which make it a destination unlike any other in Wine Country. The V. Sattui Experience The now-­‐iconic 38-­‐acre Napa Valley V. Sattui estate, which opened in 1976, was fashioned after the style of traditional winemaking estates in Italy that were built of stone and hand-­‐hewn timber, with underground cellars and terraces offering breathtaking views. The Winery at once evokes the Old World, while offering an undeniably modern California winetasting experience that makes guests feel that they have truly arrived in Wine Country. The picnic experience at V. Sattui is unmatched by any other property in the area, featuring more than 200 types of cheese and a wide array of housemade salads, sandwiches and desserts available in the deli; dozens of highly rated and award-­‐winning wines sold on site; and a sprawling two acres of picnic grounds that include two dozen tables nestled beneath ancient Valley Oak trees, and tri-­‐level terraces that overlook beautifully manicured gardens and vineyards. V. Sattui is a pet-­‐passionate property, where visitors are welcome to bring their well-­‐
behaved dogs to enjoy the picnic grounds. V. Sattui is also one of the few wineries in Napa Valley that can host weddings, which makes it a popular destination for couples seeking the quintessential Napa Valley experience for their special day. Corporate meeting and event planners select the Winery for dinners, meetings and team building events on a regular basis. The new Museum exhibit in the underground barrel cellars offers guests an in-­‐depth education on the history and legacy of the Winery. Innovation The acclaimed Winery, which was the most highly awarded winery in both the 2012 and 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competitions, is a Napa Valley pioneer on many levels. V. Sattui was the first in the region to offer wines sold exclusively direct-­‐to-­‐consumer, the first in the country to offer a wine futures program, and among the first in the Valley to offer a wine-­‐of-­‐the-­‐
month club, a members-­‐only tasting room, and to have a dedicated social media manager and smart phone app. -­‐more-­‐ V. Sattui Winery Backgrounder/page 2 More than 70 percent of V. Sattui wines are sourced from the Winery’s estate vineyards: three in the Napa Valley, one in the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County and another in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley. This careful selection of vineyards provides an optimal range of terroir-­‐focused, high-­‐quality grapes used to produce a rich portfolio of highly rated wines. The People at V. Sattui Hospitality and quality are at the heart of the V. Sattui experience. Inspired by the passion and vision of Dario Sattui, the V. Sattui team – from the cellar to the tasting room and events staff – shares a dedication to creating an unforgettable experience for visitors, offered with warmth, charm and authenticity. Many members of the V. Sattui team are celebrating decades of service. It’s this experience that continues to draw some 400,000-­‐plus guests to V. Sattui each year. A few key members of the team include: Director of Winemaking Brooks Painter, who was recently awarded “Winemaker of the Year” at the 2013 San Francisco International Wine Competition, has directed V. Sattui’s wine program since 2005. In his role, Brooks oversees the Winery’s extensive portfolio of wines, as well its viticultural and grape growing operations, its 230 acres of estate vineyards and outside grower relationships. He is responsible for growing or sourcing ultra-­‐premium grapes from throughout California, acquiring more than 20 grape varieties, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, among others. Chef Gerardo Sainato hails from Sapri, Italy, and directs the food program at V. Sattui. He brings an authentic Italian culinary background to the Winery’s deli offerings, which include perennial favorites such as the fresh House Made Mozzarella which is pulled several times daily, a Broccoli Almond Salad, Pesto Pasta and seasonally-­‐inspired soups and salads. Each weekend during the warmer months of the year, V. Sattui opens up the outdoor barbeque and pizza oven and guests are invited to purchase Tri-­‐Tip, Salmon, Grilled Prawns, Ribs, Barbequed Oysters and made-­‐to-­‐
order Wood-­‐Fired Pizzas. V. Sattui has recently opened a Salumeria led by Franco Ghiringhelli and now offers house-­‐cured meats, hand sliced to order, as well as whole cuts of Salumi and Bresaola. Cheesemonger Keith Idle has spent more than 30 years working in the V. Sattui Deli, where he oversees one of the largest cheese selections in Northern California, with a refrigerated case that measures 150 square feet, offering more than 200 types of cheese from all over the world at any given time. (The Deli sold nearly 500 different types of cheese in 2013.) V. Sattui is the place where people can learn about cheese just as extensively as they can learn about wine; every employee in the cheese shop is thoroughly trained by the V. Sattui “Cheeses Freaks” manual, and is encouraged to freely give guests samples and share their knowledge of cheese. Commitment to Sustainability Sustainability is an important value at V. Sattui Winery. Long before it became a buzzword, the Winery has employed ecologically friendly practices “campus wide” since opening in 1976, including: a solar array in the warehouse, composting picnic supplies, corrugated shipping containers, recycling wine bottles, best practices in organic farming and paper and energy conservation. The value of sustainability extends beyond the ecological sense of the word, and into the ethos of employee (and guest) relations at V. Sattui, where members of the staff are valued as family.. The environment at V. Sattui provides such a healthy work/life balance that many employees stay at the Winery for decades. April 2014 OWNER: PRESIDENT: DIRECTOR OF WINEMAKING: VINEYARDS: Dario Sattui Tom Davies Brooks Painter More than 230 estate acres; additional grape sourcing from Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Amador, Lodi and Mendocino counties for single-­‐vineyard wines VINEYARD MANAGER: David Béjar CONSULTING VITICULTURIST: Larry Bradley PRODUCTION: WINES: 50,000 cases annually ESTABLISHED: 1885 LOCATION: V. Sattui Winery is located on a 34-­‐acre parcel in the center of the Napa Valley along Highway 29 at White Lane in St. Helena. ADDRESS: PHONE: FAX: WEBSITE: FACEBOOK: TWITTER: TASTING ROOM: 1111 White Lane, St. Helena, California 94574 707-­‐963-­‐7774 707-­‐963-­‐4324 www.vsattui.com http://www.facebook.com/vsattui1885 @vsattui Produces more than 60 wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Pinot Noir HOSPITALITY: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (until 5 p.m. November through February) Closed Christmas Day. GROUP ACTIVITIES: Several different options for wine tasting; ample picnic grounds to enjoy after purchasing from an extensive deli/marketplace with house-­‐made dishes, bbq’d foods, desserts and more than 200 cheeses By appointment. Please call the winery for details. PARTNER WINERY: Castello di Amorosa, www.castellodiamorosa.com V. Sattui Winery History San Francisco Italian winemaker Vittorio Sattui arrived in San Francisco in 1882 with his new bride, Kattarina, to begin their life in America. Born in Genoa, Vittorio, like his father before him, was by trade a baker from the small hilltown of Carsi. At first, Vittorio indeed worked as a baker and made wine in his spare time while Kattarina took in washing. Soon the industrious Sattui family had saved enough money to start a boarding house in the Italian colony of North Beach. Vittorio continued to make wine, serving it to his patrons at the boarding house and, by 1885, the reputation of Vittorio’s wines allowed him to quit the bakery and devote himself full-­‐time to his real passion: winemaking. Vittorio quickly established a thriving commercial venture (located at 722 Montgomery, now Columbus Avenue) called the St. Helena Wine Cellars, taking the name of the small, bucolic, Napa Valley town were he obtained his grapes. Vittorio always said, “There is nothing like St. Helena grapes.” He would personally select the grapes during the harvest and then haul them by horse-­‐
drawn wagon to Napa for transfer to San Francisco by ferry. When Vittorio moved his expanding winemaking business and family (Kattarina and Vittorio eventually had six children) to the Mission district at 2507 Bryant Ave. near the corner of 23rd Street, he adopted the new name V. Sattui Wine Company. Vittorio continued to ferry his grapes to the city from St. Helena, crushing them at his new winery. The V. Sattui Wine Company’s high quality wines were sold directly to its customers and delivered to their houses in barrels and demijohns (one to 25 gallon sizes) throughout the Bay Area by horse-­‐drawn wagon. Eventually, Vittorio’s clients reached as far north as Oregon and Washington. The family business thrived. In 1921, Prohibition sounded the death knell for Vittorio Sattui’s family business. “I’ll do nothing against the law,” Vittorio said, and V. Sattui Wine Company lay dormant, a dream deferred and half-­‐forgotten. Napa Valley Dario Sattui remembers visiting Vittorio, his great-­‐grandfather, who continued to live upstairs at the long-­‐closed Bryant Street winery until his death at age 94. “As a small child, my first recollection was the aroma of wine emanating from the old building as soon as I entered,” recalls Dario. -­‐more-­‐ V. Sattui Winery History/page 2 He played among the barrels and ovals in the cellars, stories of the old family wine business ringing in his ears. It was then, Dario believes, that the dream of reopening the winery began. In 1972, after two years in Europe beyond college, Dario began his apprenticeship at various Napa Valley wineries. He still had his dream, the same dream he’d had as a child: that he “would re-­‐establish V. Sattui Winery to its former glory.” But just how to do this was the problem. Dario had almost no capital and little practical knowledge of the wine industry. So he dedicated himself to developing the tools and skills he’d need to make the dream become a reality. Soon he had a business plan and began looking for prospective investors. Later, he found a parcel of land for sale that had a small walnut orchard with an old house on it. Dario remembers bringing prospective investors to the property telling them, “’Here is where we will build our Winery,’ all the while being afraid that the people living on the property would throw me off for trespassing.” Since he couldn’t afford to purchase the property outright, he managed to get a lease-­‐
option for $500 a month. “The house was in such bad condition that we lived in my VW bus for more than a month while making it suitable enough to live in.” Time passed as Dario continued to look for investors, but there were no takers. He’d only raised half the capital he needed to begin the Winery. With his last $500, he paid for one more month on the property. He managed during that “last” month to talk a Napa real estate broker into buying the property, building a small winery on it, and then leasing it to Dario with an option to purchase it back sometime in the future. Still short of funds, Dario took investors with skill, but no money, who helped him create the Winery building. They began the building in the summer of 1975 and it was finished in early 1976. Renting the winemaking equipment he needed, and using his great-­‐grandfather’s hand-­‐corking machine and Vittorio’s original design for the wine bottle labels, the Winery was open for business. When Dario was living in Europe, he’d seen small, family-­‐run neighborhood delicatessens filled with freshly made foods and wonderful selections of cheese. He was able to convert this memory into what was to become the perfect match for great wine, the now-­‐famous Cheese Shop and Deli. Years passed and the struggle continued. Slowly, the winemaking process improved and success came. In those first few years, times were hard and Dario lived frugally, sometimes spending his nights sleeping on the floor of the Winery so he could put what money he had into the new business. This original Winery building is now the main tasting room. As the business grew, Dario began to be able to accumulate the best equipment available. By 1985, V. Sattui Winery was able to build, amid 300-­‐year-­‐old oak trees, a beautiful stone Winery, reminiscent of late 19th century wineries in Italy and France. With its two stories, tower, wine caves and underground aging cellars, it was a fitting tribute to help celebrate the centennial of Vittorio Sattui’s dream. That same year, the 34-­‐acre vineyard adjacent to the Winery became available. Renamed Suzanne’s Vineyard after his wife, it was soon joined by 30-­‐acre Carsi Vineyard in Yountville. Then, in 1994, the Winery was able to acquire the 556-­‐acre Henry Ranch property in the Carneros grape-­‐growing region. And in 1998, the purchase of a 128-­‐acre ranch in Solano County secured Napa Gamay (Valdiguie) grapes for its most popular wine. As recently as 2013, the Winery acquired an old apple orchard in Sonoma County near Forestville, and is being prepared to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These, along with other acquisitions, will in the near future allow V. Sattui Winery to supply over 85% of its grape needs from six very distinct microclimates. -­‐more-­‐ V. Sattui Winery History/page 3 From the very beginning, Dario refused to compromise on the quality of the wine. The production and retailing concept offers insight into the reason for V. Sattui Winery’s success. Dario’s vision has always been to fully integrate the process of winemaking from the grape to the consumer. This vertical control over all aspects of viticulture and winemaking is the future for V. Sattui Winery. It is because of Dario Sattui’s dream that V. Sattui Winery has been able to provide the finest wines possible while continuing to sell them at a fair price directly to the consumer. Dario’s enthusiasm and passion for the venture that Vittorio began so many years ago has contributed to the renaissance of the small family business of today. The traditional, family-­‐
business approach remains the Winery’s commitment to the highest-­‐
possible quality wines and foods for its customers. This shared vision, stretching over four generations of the Sattui family, is a fitting tribute to the success and continuing possibilities of the American dream. V. Sattui Winery Backgrounder Wines & Winemaking “Great wine starts in the vineyards.” – Dario Sattui Deep Roots – Three Generations of Family Winemaking Napa Valley’s V. Sattui Winery is the manifestation of a family dream that began in San Francisco in the late 1800s. Italian immigrant Vittorio Sattui opened a small winery in San Francisco’s North Beach in 1885, marking the birth of what would become, after four generations, V. Sattui Winery. Today, under the vision and guidance of great-­‐grandson Dario Sattui, the Winery, located on a 38-­‐acre organically farmed vineyard, produces a diverse portfolio of highly rated, terroir-­‐driven wines. The Wines Under the direction of award-­‐winning winemaker Brooks Painter, V. Sattui produces an exceptional portfolio of more than 60 different highly rated wines, and leverages more than 20 sustainably-­‐farmed grape varieties, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah, Gewurztraminer, Moscato, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir, among others. V. Sattui wines are sold exclusively from the Winery. By bypassing outside distribution, V. Sattui is able to offer its wines at an exceptional value to its customers. Wine sales are comprised of 46% red, 20% white, 18% rosé, 16% dessert and 2-­‐3% sparkling. Winemaking Philosophy: Commitment to Excellence from Vine to Bottle The V. Sattui philosophy is that “great wine starts in the vineyard” – beginning with farming and vineyard practices designed to optimize the intensity of flavor and varietal characteristics of the grapes and produce the most elegant and distinctive wines. V. Sattui’s winemakers are able to produce a diverse number of single vineyard and varietal wines by employing a stringent rotation of focus throughout the production cycle. The Winery combines traditional winemaking methods with technologically advanced equipment and practices, resulting in wines with exceptional depth of flavor, complexity and richness. Grapes are harvested at peak flavor development and maturity, followed by time-­‐
honored winemaking techniques such as: hand-­‐sorting the grape harvest; “punching-­‐down” red wines in open top tanks instead of pumping must; and oak aging in small French barrels at the desired humidity and temperatures found in underground caves and cellars —all designed to maintain and promote the natural flavors and characteristics of the grapes. White Wines For V. Sattui’s white wines, whole cluster pressing techniques are employed with fractional separation of free run juice from all press juice to maintain the most delicate balance in the finished wines. Cold temperature fermentation (in stainless steel and/or concrete tanks) using specialty yeasts ensures that the aromatics and character of each varietal are preserved. For chardonnay, barrel fermentation is employed using only the finest French oak casks, in combination with batonnage (a gentle weekly stirring of the yeast sediment, or lees, during aging.) Red Wines From start to finish, only the gentlest processing is employed with reds. Grapes are hand sorted to ensure that only fully ripened, whole berries make it into the crusher. Must and juice are moved mainly through gravity flow to small-­‐lot open top fermentation tanks or dual-­‐jacketed stainless steel fermenters, allowing the winery to use minimal pumping. After fermentation, a gentle transfer method is used to bring the pomace (spent skins and seeds) to the wine press, ensuring limited extraction of harsh flavors and promoting silky smooth tannins. Free run wine is separated from press wine, and aged separately, with a goal of targeting a perfect balance of tannin and flavor in the finished wines. The new red wines are allowed to settle briefly and then racked to barrels with light yeast lees and grape solids to promote a natural malolactic fermentation in barrel. This slow, secondary fermentation enhances the integration of the oak and grape aromas and helps to fix the red wine color. Barrel manufacturers are selected based upon stylistic goals for each variety and also to enhance the varietal, vineyard character and flavor profiles of the wines. After malolactic fermentation, the wines are racked and the first of many opportunities for blending and consolidation of small individual lots take place. The racked wine is then returned to barrel for an extended barrel aging process. Sustainability Sustainability has been a core value at V. Sattui throughout all aspects of Winery and vineyard operations since it was founded in 1976. As a California Certified Sustainable winery, V. Sattui’s commitment to stewardship of the land is inherent in all techniques it employs from soil and vine to the bottle. The viticulture team is constantly evaluating the environmental impact of its farming practices– promoting a complex vineyard environment with diverse habitat and species components, and looking to reduce the impact on the environment. This dedication extends beyond the Winery to a family of private grape growers who tend their vineyards with the same care and concern required to make the distinctive wines for which V. Sattui is known. In the vineyards, vine balancing techniques are used to preserve overall flavor profile, maturity and acid balance of the grapes at harvest – as well as to ensure that temperature and humidity are controlled, minimizing mildews and other diseases and reducing the need for spray applications and materials. Cover crops are introduced to control soil erosion and noxious weeds, reducing soil moisture and adding important nutrients back to the soil to enrich a healthy micro-­‐environment. Certified through the Fish-­‐Friendly Farming program, V. Sattui introduces beneficial predators and organisms in the vineyards to reduce the need for use of damaging pesticides or herbicides, in line with its commitment to preserving natural wildlife habitats. Throughout the Winery, energy conservation is prioritized – from the use of solar power to adherence to a stringent composting and glass recycling program – and the selection of organic and biodegradable products reduces the use of fossil fuels. The Winery Nestled among venerable 250-­‐year-­‐old oak trees, the now-­‐iconic 38-­‐acre V. Sattui Winery and Estate, which opened in 1976, was fashioned after the style of traditional winemaking estates in Italy and France that were built of stone and hand-­‐hewn timber, with underground cellars and terraces offering breathtaking views. The acclaimed Winery, which was the most highly awarded winery in both the 2012 and 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competitions, is strategically designed and equipped to accommodate the ever-­‐expanding array of highly rated wines. The cave and subterranean cellars are constructed to provide ideal aging conditions, with year-­‐round, stable temperatures of 58-­‐60° F and naturally high humidity of 80%. The barrels are “nested” on runners, in keeping with the traditions of many fine French châteaux and Italian castelli. The multitude of small rooms in the cave allows the winemakers to maintain numerous small lots separately in order to observe their evolution and flavor development during aging, and to carefully assemble the blends closer to their final maturity and bottling date. The use of both stainless steel and concrete tanks enables the winemaking team to constantly innovate and experiment during fermentation and storage. V. Sattui Winery is a Napa Valley pioneer and innovator on many levels. V. Sattui was the first in the region to offer wines sold exclusively direct-­‐to-­‐consumer, the first in the country to offer a wine futures program, the first to focus on producing dessert Muscat and among the first in the Valley to offer a wine-­‐of-­‐the-­‐month club and a members-­‐only tasting room. The Estate Vineyards More than 70 percent of V. Sattui wines are sourced from the winery’s estate vineyards: three in the Napa Valley, one in Anderson Valley in Mendocino County and another in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley. By having Estate Vineyards in multiple regions of the Valley and beyond, V. Sattui is able to plant varieties that are ideally suited to a particular site: providing an optimal range of terroir-­‐focused, high-­‐quality grapes used to produce a rich portfolio of award-­‐winning wines. Vittorio’s Estate Vineyard Comprising just over 30 acres at the heart of Napa Valley in St. Helena (adjacent to the Winery), this is the home vineyard for V. Sattui, on which multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon; Petit Verdot, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouchet and Zinfandel are grown. The Henry Ranch V. Sattui’s southern-­‐most estate vineyard, historic Henry Ranch encompasses 556 acres of both hillside and lowland property spanning two Napa Valley appellations: Los Carneros and Mt. Veeder. The property’s unique positioning, accessible to cooling coastal breezes and nestled below protective mountains, creates a well-­‐balanced microclimate ideal for growing a diverse range of varietals, from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Once home to Wappo Indians, and then Spanish and Mexican settlers living on one of General Vallejo’s grants, the land was acquired by the Henry Family in 1850. It operated as a dairy ranch with an ingenious tram system of moving hay into the barn and taking milk out when Carneros Creek made road passage impossible during the winter months. The barn, containing hand prints of generations of the Henry Family in the concrete floor as well as other outbuildings and fences built by the Mexicans in the 1800s, have been carefully restored and maintained. In order to ensure that the rich history and agricultural heritage of this land was preserved, Dario Sattui signed a conservation agreement with the Napa Valley Land Trust in 2000 to preserve the property’s agricultural value and protect 80% of the land from commercial and residential development for generations to come. The Carsi Vineyard This 27-­‐acre vineyard is located just south of the town of Yountville between the Napa River and Highway 29. Further north in the Valley than Henry Ranch, there is great diversity to be found in this vineyard, including three clonal selections of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, three clonal selections of Chardonnay, two clonal selections of Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Grenache. Boonville Vineyard Located in the renowned Anderson Valley Appellation of Mendocino County, this 17-­‐acre vineyard is the source for V. Sattui Rieslings and four clones of Pinot Noir, including 777, 667, 115, and the rare Calera-­‐Domaine Romanée Conti clone. Forestville Vineyards Currently under development is V.Sattui’s most recent acquisition, which was an organically farmed, yet derelict, Gravenstein apple orchard in Sonoma County. Featuring Goldridge soil in the highly acclaimed Russian River appellation, this 15-­‐acre site will be planted to the finest clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. ###