St. Francis Winery and Vineyards

In 1971, Joe Martin, a San Francisco businessman and his wife Emma purchased the 100 acre Behler Ranch Vineyard in Sonoma Valley, located in the historic town of Kenwood. In 1979, after several years of growing and selling grapes to local wineries, the decision was made by Joe and partner Lloyd Canton to build their own winery. St. Francis Winery was established and christened after St. Francis of Assisi, in recognition of the Saint’s role as a protector of the natural world and as acknowledgement of the Franciscan order, believed to have been the first to bring European grape cultivation to the new world.

St. Francis Winery 1979

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The Tradition Continues
In the Fall 1999 the construction of St. Francis’ new state of the art Winery facility was completed just in time for the 1999 harvest. The new Winery, with Hood Mountain as its picturesque backdrop is located on the Wild Oak Vineyard 1 mile west of the original Winery site in Sonoma Valley. Much care and thought was involved in the creation of this immaculate facility, allowing St. Francis winemaking team the luxury of expanding their winemaking capabilities.

With the completion of St. Francis Visitors Center in 2001, the transformation was complete. This stunning mission style Visitors Center located at the entrance of the Wild Oak Vineyard, offers three separate tasting bars, a beautiful slate patio with panoramic views of the surrounding Wild Oak Vineyards, lavender dotted gardens and vistas of the Sonoma Valley
---www.stfranciswine.com