Emma Swain, President of St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, has announced the appointment of Michael Scholz to winemaker of the family-owned, estate winery located in the Napa Valley.
Scholz is not a newcomer to the Napa Valley nor to St. Supery. He returns to St. Supery after serving as the winery’s winemaker from 1996 to 2001.
During his first tenure, he created the distinctive style that made St. Supery a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The Cabernet Sauvignon wines Scholz created for St. Supery also garnered acclaim, with five Cabs securing ratings of 90 points or higher from Wine Spectator magazine.
Scholz’s credentials include accolades from some of the most esteemed experts in the industry. Oenologist and consultant Michel Rolland, with whom Scholz worked at St. Supery, says, “Michael Scholz is on my list of great winemakers from around the world.”
“It’s not often you get the opportunity to bring back a winemaker who had such a profound impact on your winery’s success,” notes Swain. “When you open a bottle of our Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, you can smell and taste Michael’s legacy. So, when looking for a winemaker who could retain our leadership in Sauvignon Blanc and take our red wines to an even greater level, Michael became a natural choice. He brings valuable knowledge and continuity to the position, plus a vision and natural curiosity that sets him apart. I can’t wait to see what he does with estate fruit this year and in the future.”
Says Scholz: “This opportunity to return as St. Supery winemaker is like coming home. I look back fondly on the period from 1996 to 2001 as a time of great accomplishment for me and St. Supery.
“Since 2001,” he adds, “the winery has replanted much of Dollarhide Vineyard to optimum clones and spacing. Vineyard Manager Josh Anstey has nurtured the ranch into a spectacular and mature estate, and I’m thrilled to get a chance to work with the fruit and the St. Supery team again, and see where we can take the wines in the future.”
Originally from Australia, Scholz represents the sixth generation to grow up on his family’s vineyard in the Barossa Valley. His winemaking career, which began in the mid-1980s, has progressed from cellar worker to vice president in charge of building a state-of-the-art winery, and he has held every position in-between.
