Ehret Family Winery

Ehret Family Winery’s Bavarian Lion Vineyards have been owned and farmed by the Ehret Family since the mid-1990’s. The estate vineyards showcase the best that Knights Valley has to offer. The Knights Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is protected from the marine influence of the Pacific Ocean, making it the warmest AVA in Sonoma County. The vineyards on the estate range from 400 feet to 800 feet in elevation and are located just north of Calistoga and east of Alexander Valley, on the foothills of Mount St. Helena. The unique topography and soil content make this an excellent area to grow grapes that are also planted in the famous Bordeaux region of France. The soil consists of well drained, very gravelly and sandy loams formed from mixed sedimentary and basic rock. The family is committed to outstanding viticulture practices producing some of the finest fruit in Northern California.

The Ehret’s have been producing premium since 2005. All of our sustainable vineyard practices 1 involve a minimalist approach. Grapes are planted to just under /3 of the entire Ranch holdings, leaving over half the ranch as natural wilderness for wildlife and insects. We believe in cultivating flowers and plants that attract beneficial insects, and planting cover crops to replenish the soil's nutrients. Our ecologically comprehensive approach to crafting great wines starts in our vineyards: the vineyards are sustainably water efficient by recycling rain water to irrigate the vines. No ground water is needed for vineyard irrigation. Likewise, our vineyards are also completely off the electrical grid, as electrical power is supplied by our solar panels on the vineyard ranch.

Ehret Family Winery Sales and Marketing: 2455 Bennett Valley Road Mr. Jason Robinson Santa Rosa, California 95404 Mobile: (916) 293-1384 [email protected] [email protected]

www.ehretwinery.com

Jason Robinson – Wholesale/Retail DTC Sales Manager • Cell: (916) 293-1384 [email protected] • www.ehretwinery.com

Pierre and Susan Ehret

Ehret Family Winery is the creation of the husband and wife Pierre and Susan Ehret. The Sonoma County winery sources all of its grapes from the family owned estate of Bavarian Lion Vineyards located in the esteemed Knights Valley AVA, just North of Napa Valley in Sonoma County, where hand-crafted, small lots of , , and syrah are harvested to create ultra-premium wines. It is the Ehrets' philosophy that winemaking starts in the vineyard.

Pierre Ehret is the owner of Sonoma County's renowned Flamingo Resort Hotel & Conference Center in Santa Rosa, California. In 1996 Pierre established the Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley, selling the high-quality fruit to the premier wineries in Sonoma County. His upbringing in Germany with business interests on both sides of the Atlantic allowed him to develop an appreciation and understanding of fine wines, both domestic and European. This experience, coupled with running Bavarian Lion Vineyard for the last decade, prompted him to establish Ehret Family Winery as a family business.

The Family

Pierre Ehret was born in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 1980 he moved from Berlin to Santa Rosa to attend the local Junior College. He graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Economics, and moved to Fontainebleau, France (his first immersion with ) to earn his MBA. In 1989 Pierre moved back to Santa Rosa to run the family owned Flamingo Resort Hotel & Conference Center, a local landmark building that until today reflects the architectural style of the day but boasting all the most modern amenities that are expected today of a top-class resort. Pierre is an avid sports car racer and is currently running the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup.

Pierre and Susan have three children, Alex, Christian, and Isabella Ehret, all born in Santa Rosa, California but raised bi-culturally with a strong European heritage. The family has lived and traveled throughout Europe with their children and have gained a great love and appreciation for fine wine and traditionally inspired food. That love for family, travel, fine wine, and food continue to inspire the dedication and development of the winery.

Jason Robinson – Wholesale/Retail DTC Sales Manager • Cell: (916) 293-1384 [email protected] • www.ehretwinery.com

Erin Green, Winemaking Consultant

Erin Green received a degree in Fermentation Science from UC Davis. Following graduation, she worked at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Vinwood Cellars, and, in the early 1990s, was instrumental in the launch of the Napa Wine Company as Director of Winemaking. She blended the wines for many years for the négociant label Stone Creek while assisting on ultra-premium projects such as Bryant Family Vineyard, Colgin Cellars, Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, and Pahlmeyer. From 2000-2012 she became Winemaker and Director of Winegrowing at Pahlmeyer and made their critically acclaimed wines through the 2010 vintage. Green returned to Sonoma County to become Consulting Winemaker for Martinelli Winery and Vineyards. She joined Ehret Family Winery as a consultant winemaker in the summer of 2015. “We are quite honored to have Erin consulting with us to make outstanding wines from our estate Bavarian Lion Vineyards in Knights Valley,” owner Pierre Ehret remarked. “The exceptional 2015 wines truly showcase her talent and style.”

Erin Green makes her debut as consultant winemaker for Ehret Family Winery with the 2015 vintage. The critically acclaimed 2015 vintage marks the 10th vintage for Ehret Family Winery.

Vyborny Vineyard Management

Alex Vyborny is one of the most respected individuals in the vineyard industry in the area. Alex graduated from UC at Davis with a degree in viticulture in 1969. He worked in the Delta area from 1973-1976 for the Pillsbury Company. In 1974 he moved to Geyserville and bought out Pillsbury with two other partners. Alex now manages 1,300 acres in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

The frost protection irrigation system for the vineyard was developed by Alex utilizing collected runoff, as the county prohibits the use of ground water for irrigation. According to his unique vineyard philosophy, all fruit is caned pruned, intensifying the flavor development within the grape.

Jason Robinson – Wholesale/Retail DTC Sales Manager • Cell: (916) 293-1384 [email protected] • www.ehretwinery.com

Bavarian Lion Vineyards

The Ehret Family Winery makes all its wine from the family owned Bavarian Lion Vineyards in Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California.

Bavarian Lion Vineyards are planted to cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, , petite sirah, syrah, sémillon, and grapes on various rootstocks. Ehret Family Winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and a red Meritage from the estate vineyards. The vineyard soils consist of strata of stony, loam, and clay.

Established in 1996, we have sold our grapes to many well-known wineries over the years as the vineyard was developed under the direction of Alex Vyborny, of Vyborny Vineyard Management 1 Company in Napa Valley. The vineyard is just under /3 of the entire property, with over half remaining as natural wilderness for wildlife and insects. Farming in the vineyard is ecologically respectful and sustainable; all energy comes from installed solar panels, and no ground water is used for irrigation as collected rain run-off is recycled instead.

Knights Valley

Knights Valley, on the northeastern side of Sonoma County, is the warmest official AVA in the county. It is situated in the saddle of the Vacas Mountain range between the northern end of Napa Valley and the southern end of Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. Originally carved by the Russian River as it wended its way through both Sonoma County's Alexander Valley and Napa Valley, the volcanic activity and the creation of Mount St. Helena turned the river west, and raised Knights Valley floor, thus protecting the region from Pacific Ocean influences more than other Sonoma County AVAs. The unique, warmer climate, slightly higher elevation, and the volcanic soils all combine to create ideal conditions for growing cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, and petite verdot - the famed red wine grapes of Bordeaux.

Jason Robinson – Wholesale/Retail DTC Sales Manager • Cell: (916) 293-1384 [email protected] • www.ehretwinery.com