Fashionista
2015 Red Wine
Napa Valley
This wine embodies the fusion of Victoria Beckham (formally known as Posh Spice), the elegance of Princess Kate and the voluptuousness of Marilyn Monroe. Lusciousness blended with bold ripe fruit. Notes of Italian leather, Cuban cigars and cold-brewed coffee lead to firm tannins. Velvety texture and a satin finish leave you wanting more.
Winemaker, PEJU
Sara Fowler has been named Best Local Winemaker by Napa Valley Life Magazine in 2016, 2017 and 2018. She was raised on a 400-acre organic ranch in Kelseyville, where she grew up familiar with all of the nuances of farming, from driving a tractor at age 12 to brewing beer with her father and taking their pears to be made into brandy. One hallmark story of her childhood was the Christmas gift of copper wire and the components to put together a radio, rather than the Barbie doll she had requested. She and her family grew almost everything they ate, so from a young age she understood the principles of farm to table food and cooking.
She initially thought her life and career would focus on being an artist, but after she began working harvests and summers at Kendall-Jackson, she pivoted to studying viticulture at Fresno State and becoming a winemaker. Along the way she spent a year living on a sailboat in Mexico, which fed her drive to have adventures and see the world.
When she arrived at Peju in 2006 her first mission was to transition the estate vineyard into being organically farmed, which was accomplished in September 2007. This was a natural and fulfilling process for her, given her childhood setting on an organic property.
Sara has worked for several other Napa wineries and traveled and spoken widely not only on behalf of the Napa Valley winery community but also the Rutherford appellation as a Board member of the Rutherford Dust Society. She often serves as a wine judge, and regularly welcomes winemakers and coopers to taste wines with her at the winery. In fact, that is the origin of one of Peju’s most distinguished wines, The Experiment: over the years she blended Cabernet Sauvignon using a vast and diverse range of barrels and would accumulate feedback from colleagues, who enjoy tasting the same wine across many different barrels.
During her tenure to date at Peju she has grown the number of wines being made and today supervises the farming of the winery’s 204 acres of six estate vineyards in four different sub-AVAs of the Napa Valley. “My goal is to constantly improve the quality and focus of what we’re doing,” she comments. Sara also supports the winery’s green initiatives in the vineyards and the winery, in conjunction with Ariana Peju (who installed an array of 720 solar panels which supply 36% of the winery’s energy). Today she is directing the transition to sustainable farming in all of the estate vineyards. In addition, Sara appreciates the creative license she’s given to fine-tune vineyard practices as well as develop new approaches to blends.
When not at the winery, Sara loves salsa and swing dancing, drinking bubbles and is known as a great cook, perhaps most famous for her chilaquiles. “I love to feed people,” she says. She’s also an avid reader and the mom of two grown sons.
Country born: United States
Education: Fresno State - Enology & Viticulture
Worked abroad in Chile for Veramonte
Mentors: Jed Steele, Larry Levin, Michel Rolland
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
Honors / Awards:
Voted Best Local Winemaker in Napa Valley Life Magazine in 2016, 2017 and 2018
Winemaking Philosophy:
Known throughout the Napa Valley as a master blender, Sara has brought along a wealth of knowledge and creativity into the cellar since joining Peju in 2006. Sara's passion for Bordeaux varietals and knack for innovative blending make her the perfect fit to lead Peju's winemaking team. Her artisic approach towards crafting wine focuses on taking the best components from the Peju estate vineyards and blending them to create the finest possible finished product.
In September 2007, Sara headed Peju's efforts to gain organic certification in the Rutherford Vineyard and she is overseeing the winery's sustainable farming efforts in the Persephone and Wappo Vineyards with organic certification goals in the near future. This method of grape farming not only preserves the land and creates balance in the vineyard, but it also enhances the quality of the fruit.
5005 West Avenue
San Antonio TX 78213
Premiere Napa Valley Wine Collection
Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belle Glos | 2020 | Pinot Noir | Napa Valley | Eulenloch | 26 |
Trois Noix | 2020 | Chardonnay | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | Muir Hanna Vineyard | 25 |
Duckhorn Vineyards | 2018 | Merlot | Napa Valley | Three Palms Vineyard Block Selection | 24 |
Quilt | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 24 | |
Viader Vineyards & Winery Napa Green Winery | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Block B2 | 24 |
Beringer Vineyards | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 23 | |
Buena Vista Winery | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Purple Gold | 23 |
Freemark Abbey | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | VanZ Vineyard | 23 |
Louis M. Martini Winery | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Mount Veeder | Mount Veeder's Share | 23 |
Materra, Cunat Family Vineyards Napa Green Winery | 2017 | Merlot | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | 23 | |
PEJU Napa Green Winery | 2017 | Petit Verdot | Calistoga | Petit Pleasure | 23 |
Red Thread Wines and Summit Lake Vineyards and Winery | 2017 | Red Wine | Howell Mountain | 23 | |
Starmont Winery & Vineyards Napa Green Winery | 2017 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | Stanly Ranch Estate | 23 |
Ancien | 2017 | Chardonnay | Coombsville | Select Old Vines | 22 |
Casa Nuestra | 2015 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | 22 | |
Jarvis Napa Green Winery | 2016 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | Frankly Franc | 22 |
Kuleto Estate | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 22 | |
Merus | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Coombsville | 22 | |
Miner Family Winery | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Three's Company | 22 |
Nickel & Nickel | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | John C. Sullenger Vineyard | 22 |
Schermeister Cellars | 2017 | Chardonnay | Atlas Peak | Oak Before Smoke | 22 |
Smith Devereux | 2016 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Ibex Reserve Red | 22 |
Starmont Winery & Vineyards Napa Green Winery | 2016 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | Stanly Ranch Estate | 22 |
Bennett Lane | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Calistoga | 21 | |
Black Stallion Estate Winery | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | Gaspare Single Vineyard | 21 |
Burgess Cellars | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Haymaker TKO | 21 |
Chimney Rock Winery Napa Green Winery | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Tomahawk Vineyard Unfiltered | 21 |
Kuleto Estate | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 21 | |
PEJU | 2015 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Fashionista | 21 |
Foley Johnson | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 20 | |
Grgich Hills Estate | 2015 | Chardonnay | Los Carneros | 40th Anniversary of The Judgment of Paris Tasting | 20 |
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery Napa Green Winery | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 20 | |
Terlato Family Vineyards | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Estate Blend 715 | 20 |
The Hess Collection Winery Napa Green Winery | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Mount Veeder | 20 | |
Beringer Vineyards | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Howell Mountain | 19 | |
Clos Du Val | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Thirteen Leaps | 19 |
Grgich Hills Estate | 2014 | Chardonnay | Napa Valley | Great Chicago Showdown | 19 |
Inglenook | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Creek | 19 |
Stags’ Leap Winery | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Estate Grown | 19 |
Castello di Amorosa | 2012 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | 18 | |
Louis M. Martini Winery | 2012 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 254 Meritage Blend | 18 |
Madrigal Family Winery | 2012 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 18 | |
Paraduxx | 2012 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Premiere Blend | 18 |
Sterling Vineyards | 2012 | Red Wine | Calistoga | One Plus Ultra | 18 |
Cakebread Cellars | 2012 | Chardonnay | Los Carneros | 17 | |
Joseph Phelps Vineyards | 2011 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | 17 | |
XTANT | 2010 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Heart and Soul of St. Helena | 17 |
Hewitt Vineyard | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Oakville Meets Calistoga in Rutherford | 15 |
Madonna Estate | 2010 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | Due Ragazze | 15 |
Rombauer Vineyards | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | Stice Lane Vineyards | 15 |
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