Wine Portfolio

Simon Faury

Winemaker, Merryvale Vineyards

Simon Faury's early years were divided between Lyon, Champagne and the Alps. Needless to say, growing up in France -- especially the Rhone Valley --- gave him access and exposure to some of the world's greatest wines. In 2002, at the age of 17, a tasting of Cotes Rotie and Condrieu inspired him to pursue a career in the wine industry.

After school he traveled extensively working in some of the world's most prestigious wine regions including Barbaresco, Barolo, Bordeaux (Domaine de Chevalier, Chateau Pichon Longueville) and Mendoza (Bordega Michael Rolland). In the Napa Valley his resume includes Robert Mondavi, The Napa Valley Reserve, Harlan Estate and Merryvale.

As Winemaker, Simon is in charge of production at the St. Helena winery. He oversees all winemaking operations for Schlatter Family Wines, working closely with consultant Craig Williams. Simon focuses on terroir and understanding soils, develops and implements winemaking techniques, creates and fine-tunes the blends, and manages quality during bottling. Viticulturally, Simon is very involved in the farming at the Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard and works directly with the growers from whom Merryvale sources fruit. He has input and/or control over irrigation, organic farming, pruning, canopy management and crop loads.

Country born: France

Education: Simon studied Agronomy and Viticulture in Turin, Italy before earning his Winemaking Masters in Bordeaux.

Years in the wine industry: 9 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Working with a number of varieties under diverse growing conditions has had a major impact on his philosophy and understanding of wine. "Great wines possess refinement, depth, character and personality. They elicit joy and emotion. They are the result of attention to the vineyard and respect for the fruit."

"Merryvale's Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard is one of the finest sites in Napa. It is a beauty capable of producing tremendous Cabernets from its diverse terroir. As we expand our understanding of this extraordinary hillside property we can refine our viticultural and winemaking practices to develop even more depth, density and smoothness in our wines."