Foppiano Vineyards

Few wineries in America can offer the historical perspective of Foppiano Vineyards. For over one hundred years, the Foppianos have been involved in the American wine industry from their home ranch in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley where they continue to create outstanding red wines with genuine varietal character. This tradition is the foundation and the future for a second century of excellence.

In 1864 Giovanni Foppiano, a native of Genoa, Italy, emigrated from Italy to San Francisco in search of gold. In 1896 he purchased a working winery called "Riverside Farm" on the same land where today's Foppiano Vineyards still stand and operate. Foppiano Vineyards was born.

Together Louis and his son worked the vineyards and developed a market among the local Italian families and in San Francisco's Italian North Beach District. In 1910, Louis A. purchased the family winery from his father and for the next eight years, along with his wife Mathilda, built Foppiano Vineyards into one of the area's most prosperous wineries.

The demand for wine dried up in 1919 when the Volstead Act and Prohibition went into effect. Louis A. kept the family business going by farming fruit for the local market and providing grapes to the "home" winemakers in the East who were allowed to make 200 gallons of their own homemade wine.

Louis. A. died in 1924, leaving his winery and vineyards to his first son, Louis J., who was born in 1910. It was Louis J. who saw the effects of Prohibition up close when in 1926, federal agents "raided" the Foppiano estate, forcing the family to dump over 100,000 gallons of 1918 vintage wine into the creek in front of the winery. People came from miles around with cups, mugs, and jars and drank from the creek run red.

With the end of Prohibition in 1933, Louis J. proposed to start up winery operations immediately and at the young age of 23, found himself making trips to New York to sell his wine and find marketing agents. In 1937 a new winery was built on the site of the old winery. With the new facility, Foppiano Vineyards became one of the first Sonoma wineries to bottle its own wines. By 1941, Foppiano Vineyards had increased its production to over 800,000 gallons of wine annually.

Foppiano Vineyards expanded in 1945 when Louis J. purchased the Sotoyome Vineyard, which adjoined the Foppiano Estate. The family was further expanded the next year when he married Della, his wife of over 50 years.

In the mid-1960s he began removing the remaining fruit trees on his estate, along with vines, and planting varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and other varietals. Only the old Petite Sirah, stayed in the ground during the replanting. Stainless steel tanks, oak barrels and tanks and new equipment were purchased in order to move into the "premium" wine business.

After the winery transformation, the fourth generation of Foppiano's began to work in the family business. Louis Jr.'s sons, Louis M. and Rod, began to take over winemaking and marketing responsibilities. Later, Louis Jr.'s daughter, Susan, would take over the growing hospitality side of the business.

The 1970s through the 1990s has been a period of growth for Foppiano Vineyards on a number of fronts. Two brands were added: Riverside Vineyards for the production of North Coast "fighting varietals," and Fox Mountain, for the production of super premium white wines. Presently the Foppiano Vineyards brand remains the best known and most admired by the industry and consumers.

President Louis J. Foppiano was born in 1910. The vineyards of his youth were his playground; later, they would become his obsession, his source of pride and his place of work. It is safe to say, that as much as anyone in Sonoma County, Louis J. Foppiano is a pioneering leader within the wine industry.

Upon repeal of Prohibition in 1933, together with his mother, Mathilda, Lou began rebuilding the family winery. By 1937 the new facility was complete and Lou was the President, Winemaker, Director of Marketing, Sales Agent, Vineyard Manager, and Custodian of Foppiano Vineyards.
In 1946 he founded the Sonoma County Wine Growers Association (later the Sonoma County Wineries Association) and was an influential figure in the founding of the California Wine Institute where he served as a director for 45 years. In the 1960s, he oversaw the replanting of the entire estate vineyards.

Foppiano Vineyards is today one of Sonoma County's best known wineries and continues as a visible entity in local and state politics affecting the industry; a course Lou established for his winery over sixty years ago.

Vice President Born in 1947, Louis began working in the Sonoma County wine industry at age seven. From 1961 Louis attended Bellarmine College Preparatory School in San Jose, Notre Dame University, and University of San Francisco, where he earned a BSc in Business Administration. He returned to the winery full time in 1970.

By 1975, Louis was responsible for all sales and marketing of Foppiano wines, while his brother, Rod, took care of the winemaking and vineyard duties. Today he oversees all of Foppiano Vineyards' operation from winemaking to sales and marketing.Like the three generations before him, Louis' love is for the winery. He sets himself the simple goal of creating honest, consistent, high quality wines meant to be enjoyed at the table by family and friends. His success at achieving this goal is seen in the prosperity of the winery and the critical praise that has resulted for the wines made under his direction. Louis lives on the Foppiano Estate in Healdsburg with his wife Helaine.

Earning her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis in Viticulture and Enology, Natalie West arrived at Foppiano Vineyards with an impressive viticulture and winemaking background. This includes Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery, Clos La Chance Winery, Peterson Winery, and Montano Wines of New Zealand.

She also has the distinct advantage of being raised in Dry Creek Valley, where her parents have owned and operated a 10-acres, head pruned, old vine Zinfandel vineyard all of her life. Natalie speaks of suckering vines by the time she was a pre-teenager, because she enjoyed being in the vineyard with her parents. She attended UC Davis to become a medical doctor, leaving behind the work of her family and youth. Once embroiled in her studies, however, viticulture and enology won her over.

Natalie began her winemaking career outside her family vineyard by helping Fred Peterson for two harvests. When her father realized she was headed for a winemaking career, he planted Petite Sirah and Grenache as "pet" projects. This gave Natalie the perfect elements needed as Foppiano's winemaker. Natalie understands that great wines begin in the vineyards, and plans to work hand-in-hand with Paul Foppiano, Foppiano's vineyard manager.