Sonoma Home Winemakers host St. Francis vineyard manager

The Sonoma Home Winemakers will welcome guest speaker Jake Terrell, director of vineyards at St. Francis Winery & Vineyard, on Thursday, April 13. His talk will focus on vineyard management throughout the different seasons.

Terrell earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with a focus on viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It is here where his interest in regenerative farming and sustainability began. He was attracted to St. Francis Winery & Vineyard because of its commitment to sustainable practices. He is responsible for 400 acres of certified sustainable estate vineyards at St. Francis and oversees all aspects of maintaining healthy vines.

Terrell also works at Sequoia Grove Winery in Napa Valley as vineyard manager where he spearheaded the journey to Napa Green Vineyard Certification. The program requires a sustainable wine-growing program with comprehensive, systemic soil to bottle management. The program focuses on climate action, regenerative carbon farming and social equity. With 100 acres of estate vineyards under her stewardship, Sequoia Grove was one of the first five Napa Valley wineries to receive this certification.

As a recognized leader in green viticulture, Terrell’s philosophy is two-fold. Firstly, farm the vineyards with an eye towards producing the highest quality fruit to create wines that reflect the unique terroir. Secondly, do the right thing at the right time — from pruning to canopy management and everything in between.

The Sonoma Home Winemakers meet at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., in room 210. Prospective members are welcome to attend. For more information or to become a member, write to: SonomaHomeWine@gmail.com or visit SonomaHomeWine.org.