St. Francis Winery has created hand-crafted wines from Sonoma County's best appellations for more than 30 years. Owners of over 415 acres of vineyard land in prime AVAs including Sonoma and Russian River Valleys, they produce fruit-forward, luscious, and well-balanced wines made from 100% handpicked fruit.

In 1971, businessman Joe Martin and his wife, Emma, purchased a 100-acre vineyard known as Behler Ranch in the Sonoma Valley town of Kenwood. The fruit from this vineyard was sold to area wineries until 1979, when a winery was built to produce estate-bottled wine. St. Francis Winery was named after St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and protector of the natural world.

The 2020 St Francis Old Vine Zinfandel comes from 50- to 100-year-old vines matured for 12 to 15 months in oak barrels. In the glass, the color offers medium red hues and deep aromas of ripe black cherry. It is laced in spice, a hint of compote and toasted oak that round out this medium bodied wine. The tannins are soft and silky leading to a long finish. St Francis wines are typically food friendly. The Old Vine Zinfandel is no exception. Love it with barbecue! It also represents great value for everyday drinking pleasure.

By Perry Miroballi