Food & Drink Awards 2018

Page 60 www.lux-review.com LUX 2018 Food & Drink Awards Stone Edge Farm is a Sonoma County winery dedicated to delivering artisanal Bordeaux style wines from the exceptional soils of our organic estate vineyards. We caught up with Philippe Thibault, Director of Hospitality, to find out more. Stone Edge Farm Winery: Best Artisan European Style Winery 2018 - California Drawing on a wealth of experience in winemaking, Stone Edge Farm Cabernet Sauvignon has a singular goal: to produce an extraordinary wine of balance, complexity and power. French in style but Californian in execution, Stone Edge Farm Cabernet Sauvignon is made with uncompromised attention to detail, from the manner in which its vineyards are planted and maintained, to the quality of the cork that seals the bottle. A wine collector since 1965, owner Mac McQuown's serious enthusiasm for fine wine was inspired by the promise of California vineyards in the early 1970's as an owner of Chalone Vineyard. In 1980, Mac began Carmenet Vineyard in Sonoma Valley. This was the beginning of an enduring friendship with winemaker Jeff Baker. In 2004, Mac and Jeff started Stone Edge Farm Winery. Today, they have created a winery dedicated to crafting a distinctive Bordeaux style Cabernet blended from the best lots from their respective organic harvests. Philippe begins by sharing a fascinating insight into the winery and his role in supporting drinkers and helping them enjoy the farm’s delicious produce to its fully advantage. “At Stone Edge Farm, we are a very small winery specializing in Bordeaux varietals. We have no distribution and we strictly sell our wines direct to the consumer (DTC). As the Director of Hospitality, I host private tastings and winery events to introduce our wines to some vetted clients. We appeal to wine consumers who are fans of expressive, high-end, concentrated, long-lived Cabernet Sauvignons. We encourage such consumers to become Collectors Cellar members with us, so they can receive regular allotments every year of our age-worthy wines. Making wines worthy of our customers’ sustained interest and appreciation over many years is essential to our philosophy. From grape to bottle, we are dedicated to sustainability and to the highest standards of quality.” The most intensely flavored grapes come from vines whose size and vigor are naturally limited to producing very small clusters. Their three estate vineyards—Stone Edge, Mount Pisgah, and Silver Cloud—share ideal conditions for growing such vines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon: rocky, highly permeable soils; extended warm summers with limited rainfall; and cool, foggy coastal mornings. The diverse and beautiful gardens of Stone Edge Farm are an integral part of the holistic vision for a unique vineyard residence nestled along Carriger Creek at the western edge of the Sonoma Valley. The soils can be 70% rock and the edges of most every road, garden bed and vineyard block are indeed made of stone. After decades of careful stewardship and compost-making, the garden team has built up enough fertility to harvest year-round some the most vibrant produce you’ll likely ever taste. This includes every color of peppers, okra, beans, melons, lettuce, radicchio, eggplant, figs, pears and on and on. However, it is without a doubt that the vineyard takes center stage and receives an attention to detail usually reserved for the most well-tended ornamental garden. In and around the vines are raised beds, olive and fruit trees and lots of habitat for native insects as well as thriving bee colonies. Looking ahead, Philippe believes that the secret to good business is to keep improving every year, and as such this is Stone Edge Farm’s ongoing focus moving forward. “As we look towards the future, Stone Edge Farm will continue to thrive to make the very best wines possible following the Bordeaux model. We will also continue to introduce new benefits to retain our collectors, including a Member get Member campaign and a tenure gift program, both intended to acquire like-minded wine consumers as well as to reward them. These developments will ensure that we continue to flourish over the years ahead.” Company: Stone Edge Farm Winery Contact: Philippe Thibault, Director of Hospitality Address: Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards and Winery, Sonoma, California Phone: (707)935-6520 Website: www.stoneedgefarm.com