St. Supery names new winemaker

Napa Valley’s St. Supery Vineyards and Winery has announced its new head winemaker today.

Michael Scholz, who Michel Rolland said was ‘on my list of great winemakers’, comes from Wattle Creek estate in Mendocino. He succeeds longtime winemaker Michael Beaulac.

Scholz was in fact head winemaker at St. Supery from 1996 to 2001, and was replaced by Beaulac when Scholz went to Wattle Creek.

Now Scholz is returning to St. Supery and replacing Beaulac, who has moved on to Pine Ridge.

Scholz, a native of Barossa, is credited with helping to define the style of St. Supery’s flagship Dollarhide Ranch Sauvignon Blanc.

Having ‘set the style of the Sauvignon Blanc’, and with his knowledge of the vineyards, Scholz was ‘the top choice,’ St Supery CEO Emma Swain told decanter.com.

The winery, which is owned by France’s Skalli family, is also known for producing the Bordeaux-inspired Meritage blends Élu and Virtú.

The announcement caps a series of personnel changes at St Supery which include the departure of longtime president and CEO, Michaela Rodeno. Rodeno was succeeded by Swain, from Sebastiani.

The Skalli family owns three other wineries in France: Les Vins Skalli in the south of France, Coteaux de Diana in Corsica, and Maison Bouachon in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Written by Tim Teichgraeber in San Francisco