Vinous Inspiration

Sanford’s New Winemaker Steve Fennell is Gaining Ground

The opportunity to interview and meet with Sanford’s new Winemaker was a scoop for me, and despite the torrential rains last month, Patterson’s partnered with WineTV to meet the man who would shape the future of one of the most acclaimed wineries in the Central Coast.
   With the dramatic Sta. Rita Hills as a backdrop to Sanford’s home base – La Rinconada Vineyards – the stunning, five-year old Adobe-bricked winery made a well-propped
stage to understand the nature of the inner workings of Tony Terlato’s owned and operated property.
   Steve Fennell’s 12 years in the Napa Valley familiarized him with Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Viognier, and even some small lot Pinot Noir he made for Trefethen. “I think the point here is that I consumed a lot of Pinot Noir at the time,” Fennell laughed. “My friends make the best Pinot Noir in the State!”
   Aiming high – and not to disappoint his buddies – Fennell is ready to make his mark at Sanford. “I plan an integrated approach from the vineyard to the winery – but most of all, the Pinot Noir will be treated gently.”
   Spending quality time with his fruit will deliver a regime of healthy balance; that will mean using cover crops, adding nitrogen to the soil and techniques to preventing
erosion or the addition of stylet oil to stave off powdery mildew.
   “I am coming in at a strategic point,” admitted Fennell, whose timing parallels the majority ownership of the brand by Terlato Wine Group. “We’re going to take Sanford to the next level, incorporating the longstanding Terlato philosophy: Making the best wines with the best fruit.”

Subtly in Play
Steve Fennell would rather take the kid glove approach to Sanford Pinot Noir than the bigger-the-better attack. “My goal is to formulate Pinot with a silky richness, without edge or obvious tannins.”
   Sanford Winery has been recently updated – a beautiful structure amidst acres and acres of vineyards that represent the Sta. Rita Hills, probably the most prominent region in the Santa Ynez Valley for opulent Burgundian fruit. “This is the best cool climate viticultural site in all of California,” attested Fennell of the 100 square mile AVA that allows a meteorological ebb-and-flow between the mountains and the sea that is ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Sta. Rita Hills established AVA status in 1971, led by the efforts of Sanford Winery.
   With 21 open tank fermenters and a hydraulic-driven elevator tank system that utilizes gravity rather than pumps, Fennell is well equipped for the task. His idyllic architectural surroundings complement the technology: handmade adobe brick, local quarried stone and reclaimed timber set the scene for vinous inspiration.

In Good Company
Tony Terlato Receives Horatio Alger Award

There were nine outstanding people chosen by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in 2006, and among the reverent set was Terlato Wine group Chairman, Tony Terlato. “Anthony Terlato provides a modern day example that hard work, perseverance and integrity are the cornerstones upon which success in our great nation and the realization of the American dream are built,” remarked Dennis Washington, President and CEO of the Horatio Alger Association.
   Terlato shares the honor with such notables from former years as Colin Powell, Maya Angelou, and Senator Robert Dole.

- By Meridith May
©2006 PATTERSON’S BEVERAGE JOURNAL.