Behind the Vines invites you to step beyond the tasting room and into the heart of St. Francis Winery and Vineyards. This isn’t a tour — it’s a rare invitation to spend real time with the people who grow and craft our wines, not across a counter, but alongside them in the places most guests never see.
Barrel & Bordeaux:
The Cooper’s Influence on Style
Hosted by Winemakers
Katie Madigan & Chris Louton
Go behind the scenes in our winery as you move through the cellar and into the heart of barrel aging, where the influence of oak quietly shapes the character of our Bordeaux-style wines. Throughout the experience, select wines are poured not just to taste, but to reveal how barrel selection, toast levels, and cooperage decisions transform structure, texture, and aromatics in the final blend.
Guided through a focused barrel and cooperage tasting, guests will explore how oak can elevate, soften, and define the identity of Bordeaux varietals.
Offered only a few times each year in an intimate setting, this limited experience invites you to come curious, come with questions, and leave with a deeper understanding of how barrel influence shapes some of our most expressive Bordeaux-style wines.