SOMERSTON WINE CO. LAUNCHES AUTHENTIC NAPA VALLEY EXPERIENCE THROUGH ITS RANCH, YOUNTVILLE TASTING ROOM AND LUXURY WINES

(May 24, 2010; Napa Valley, CA)—Somerston is a bucolic, agricultural nirvana located high in the eastern mountains of Napa Valley. The 1,682-acre ranch came to fruition after proprietor Allan Chapman purchased the historic Priest Ranch in 2004, later acquiring Elder Valley in the mountains east of Rutherford to create one contiguous property in 2006. With over 280 acres of vineyards, a winery built out of a renovated 12,000 square-foot barn, 1,500 head of Dorper sheep, several spring-fed lakes, natural soda springs, an insectarium, a professional kitchen, and several acres dedicated to the farming of fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and gardens, Somerston promises to offer one of the most authentic Napa Valley experiences to locals and tourists alike.

On June 1, Somerston will open a tasting room and, in late 2010, a gourmet grocery as a virtual “window on the Somerston Ranch” featuring Somerston wines, produce and food products in downtown Yountville. Wine tastings at the Somerston Ranch will be made available in limited quantities via advance reservation later this summer. Those interested in experiencing all the ranch has to offer may also choose to partake in guided educational hikes and cycling tours of Somerston Ranch led by third-party geologists, culinary experts and nature guides. While each site will offer unique experiences tailored to their locations—one in town, the other in the country—both the tasting room in downtown Yountville and the ranch in the hills east of Lake Hennessey will serve as destinations focused on great wines that convey the history, the beauty and the holistic farming philosophy of Somerston.

Somerston Wines: Three Distinct Brands

Somerston Wine Co. encompasses three distinct wine brands, all made under the direction of General Manager and Winemaker Craig Becker: Somerston, Priest Ranch and Highflyer. Becker is a proponent of natural vineyard and winemaking practices. All of his wines undergo native fermentations and are unfiltered.

Somerston wines are selected from premier blocks on the Somerston estate. These include a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($120), a red Bordeaux blend ($90), and a Sauvignon Blanc ($40), each produced in extremely limited quantities using classic and natural winemaking practices to achieve the best expression of complexity, depth, structure and long-term aging potential. Production is capped at around 500 cases, and the wines are available for purchase direct from the winery, tasting room and on select restaurant wine lists.

The Priest Ranch brand of wines represents the diversity of the Somerston property: a Cabernet Sauvignon ($38), Petite Sirah ($38), Zinfandel ($28) and Sauvignon Blanc ($24) each exhibit the distinctiveness of Somerston’s microclimates with an intensely rich and approachable quality. With a production at 2,000 cases, Priest Ranch wines may be purchased in select retail shops and restaurants, as well as from Somerston tasting room and website www.somerstonwineco.com.

Highflyer wines are named for Somerston General Manager and Winemaker Craig Becker’s love of flying, and include an eclectic line-up of varietals from various vineyard sites. Wines in the Highflyer portfolio include Viognier ($17), Grenache Blanc ($17), Pinot Noir ($38), Somerston Syrah ($48), Vivio Syrah ($48) and a Red Blend called “Centerline” ($28). The premium vineyard sources for these wines are from Somerston Vineyards in the Napa Valley, and other top sites. 6,000 cases are currently produced and the wines are distributed in eight states nationwide, and are available for purchase at Somerston’s Yountville tasting room and website www.somerstonwineco.com.

Somerston Ranch: History, Beauty and Magic

There is no end to the wonder that is Highway 128. Most wine country travelers are familiar with the highway’s northern traverse from the Silverado trail in Calistoga, across the northern tip of the Napa Valley floor, and further into Knights Valley, then Alexander Valley before heading deep into dense redwood forests on a winding and scenic course towards Mendocino. What few wine lovers ever get to experience, however, is the highway’s easterly route along Lake Hennessey and the base of Pritchard Hill, home to arguably some of the most sought-after wines on earth. A small segue off of Soda Canyon Road just south of Rutherford, the highway quickly returns to its meandering self, careening past vistas of Lake Hennessey and skirting the lower slopes of Pritchard Hill. Where vistas vanish, Valley Oaks sprout thick from the horizon and loom large as canyon walls over the road. So it is with added expectation that one reaches the wall of gray riverstone that lines the driveway to Somerston Ranch (3450 Sage Canyon Road), across a pasture, around a collection pond, and finally, into the bowl-shaped valley that is home to over 280 acres of vines, a 1,500-head herd of Dorper sheep and their guard dogs, ducks, olive groves, an organically grown garden and fruit orchard, and an insectarium.

It’s also home to Somerston’s vineyard and winemaking team, many of whom have worked on the property for a decade or more, and have raised their families there under the bright sun and the quiet stars of the remote, eastern edge of the Napa Valley. Despite the many treasures to be found there, among the ranch’s greatest assets is that much of the property remains in an untouched state since settlers first began farming in the area in the late 19^th century.

Historically, Somerston was home to the 692-acre Priest Ranch, named for settler Joshua James Priest, who came to California in 1847 to seek his fortune in the gold mines. Priest Ranch remained in the Priest family for over 100 years, until it was sold in 1963. Vines were planted on site in 1970, and the property changed hands a few times before it was purchased by Chapman in 2004. In 2006, Chapman purchased the 990-acre property next door, a neighboring valley that was once part of the 8,000-acre Rancho Catacula owned by California pioneer Joseph Ballinger Chiles—the namesake for the Chiles Valley sub-appellation which neighbors Somerston today.

Strewn throughout the property are pieces of blue glass, remnants of a former era on the property when the natural soda springs that well up from secluded dells along the hillsides were tapped and bottled to be sold as healing waters in town. Visiting one of these spots and staring down into the clear artesian waters, on a soggy bank strewn with sparkling chips of antique blue glass, is a magical experience, and just one of many wonders to be found on the ranch. Plans are underway to bottle the proprietary mineral waters yet again and have them available for purchase at the winery or in the Yountville tasting room.

Adding to the sense of history and pastoral scenery at Somerston Ranch are 1,500 head of grass-fed, hormone-free Dorper sheep. The sheep, which were bred in South Africa for their drought resistance, graze the entire Somerston property and are rotated into new areas ahead of maturing invasive plants and weeds, helping to restore and enhance the landscape while maintaining the vineyard property in its most pristine state. They also help to keep fire pressure at a minimum. Somerston’s expert shepherd hails from the grasslands of Peru, and he moves the sheep new pastures daily to ensure them the finest nutrition of native grasses and grains.  Grazing them in various locations on the ranch also contributes to their delicate, tender and savory flavors. Somerston’s all-natural, completely pasture-raised lamb will be available for purchase at the Somerston winery and at the grocery in Yountville nine months out of the year, and by special request with wine orders from the Somerston website.

This property is the foundation of Somerston, Priest Ranch and Highflyer Wines, and the inspiration behind every aspect of Somerston—from the tasting room and grocery in downtown Yountville, to outdoor adventure tours and a mission of stewardship in all aspects of farming and grape growing. The property’s 1,682 acres of natural beauty includes 282 acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards and a state-of-the-art winery that will be off the power grid and operate with a minimal carbon footprint.

Vineyards

The diverse soils, micro-climates and sun exposures across the two valleys—Priest Ranch and Elder Valley—of the Somerston property are ideal for growing world-class grapes, and are planted to 11 varietals on elevations of 850 to 2,400 feet above sea level. 87 individual blocks are planted to tailor varietal characteristic to each site’s specific soil type, slope and sun exposure. Cool nights, low morning temperatures, late morning fog and warm afternoon temperatures give Somerston’s vineyards a slow and even ripening. For years, the fruit from Somerston has been and still is purchased by some of Napa Valley’s most renowned winemakers including David Ramey, Heidi Barrett, and David Phinney, plus a handful of well-respected wineries, including Balcom Family Cellars, Biale, Caymus, Duckhorn, Orin Swift, Pahlmeyer and Viader.

Winery

The Somerston winery is the main point of reception for visitors to the Somerston property. The renovated 12,000-square-foot barn is designed to be functional, practical, and energy-efficient, complete with a gray-water system and the goal of being carbon neutral in the next couple years. Sustainable operations at the winery include CO2 heat pumps, non-glycol based refrigerants, the elimination of a boiler for hot water, the first anaerobic process waste bio-filter in Napa County that delivers clean pH-adjusted processed water with over 90% BOD (biological oxygen demand) removed and solar power. Somerston winery’s carbon-neutral cooling, heating and hot water system will be among the first of its kind in use at a winery in the United States.

The front of the winery will feature a 1,000-square-foot tasting room with a 4,000-square-foot patio, that, like it’s counterpart in downtown Yountville, will offer food and wine pairings and farm-to-table bites created from ingredients grown on the Somerston property, ensuring a hyper-local food and wine experience. The winery tasting room will also feature a professional kitchen for the preparation of food and wine pairings at the property.

The Tasting Room: Window on the Ranch

The Somerston tasting room at 6490 Washington Street in downtown Yountville will bring the Somerston ranch to town. Complete with wine tasting, food pairings, an art gallery showcasing a rotating oeuvre of local, contemporary artists, a private event space, and a gourmet grocery, the Somerston tasting room will serve as a window into the world of the Somerston property and other local farms. The gourmet grocery will showcase organic produce, honey, olive oil, and lamb from the Somerston Ranch, as well as other local products and gourmet items from neighboring properties. A rooftop patio above the grocery, only one of three rooftop venues in the entire Napa Valley, will be open for seating and features views of downtown Yountville and the greater Napa Valley beyond. Plans are underway (in 2011) to offer a shuttle service between the Somerston ranch and the Somerston tasting room for visitors interested in experiencing the place behind the wines and returning home with a wine country memory like no other. Starting June 1, the tasting room will be open to visitors daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Coming in late 2010, the grocery will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Getting There

Somerston Tasting Room and Grocery:

From Napa, head north on Highway 29. Take the exit for Yountville/Veterans Home and turn right on California Drive. Take the first left on Washington Street. The Somerston tasting room, located at 6490 Washington Street, will be on the right.

From St. Helena, head south on Highway 29. Take the exit for Yountville/Veterans Home and turn left on California Drive. Take the first left on Washington Street. The Somerston tasting room, located at 6490 Washington Street, will be on the right.

Somerston Ranch:

Come August 2010, the ranch will be open to small groups of visitors by advance appointment for tastings. Wine lovers, families and outdoor enthusiasts who wish to explore the ranch further may also enjoy tours, picnics at the winery, garden tours, a drink from the natural mineral springs, hiking and Polaris buggy tours of the property and vineyards following the tasting.

From Napa, head north on Highway 29. Turn right on Rutherford Road, and left on Conn Creek Road. Turn right on Silverado Trail and make an immediate left on Highway 128/Soda Canyon Road. Follow it 9.2 miles to 3450 Sage Canyon Road.

From St. Helena, head south on Highway 29. Turn left on Rutherford Road, and left on Conn Creek Road. Turn right on Silverado Trail and make an immediate left on Highway 128/Soda Canyon Road. Follow it 9.2 miles to 3450 Sage Canyon Road.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE A MEDIA VISIT, PLEASE CONTACT JARVIS COMMUNICATIONS AT 310.313.6374