St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery

Michael Scholz is a sixth-generation winemaker from Australia’s famed Barossa Valley. His storied career began on his family’s estate, the Willows Vineyard, in the 1980s. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Oenology in 1985 at Roseworthy, Australia’s first agricultural college (now part of the University of Adelaide), and traveled the world honing his craft in France, South Africa and the United States.

He has spent over a decade at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery challenging himself year after year to express the full potential of the vineyards’ worth of exquisite estate fruit. Scholz firmly believes that great wine begins in the vineyard, so when he first arrived at St. Supéry in 1996, he worked closely with the vineyard manager on an extensive replanting project to unite blocks with their ideal varietals, focusing on the classics of Bordeaux. Thanks to his vision, a signature style developed that has captured the imagination of wine lovers around the world. The Sauvignon Blanc has become a California benchmark, and in 1998, Scholz created the gracious Bordeaux inspired blend, Élu, with renowned wine consultant Michel Rolland. Of his friend and colleague, Rolland says, “Michael Scholz is on my list of great winemakers from around the world.”

Brooke Shenk’s winemaking expertise derives from almost two decades of experience in Napa, Sonoma and New Zealand. Her career began in the fall of 1999 at Sonoma State University where her scientific acumen led to her discover winemaking. After earning her B.A in Biology, she worked as a harvest intern in Sonoma and then New Zealand, where she was soon managing a prestigious enology laboratory and studying Sauvignon Blanc. Shenk joined St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery in 2006 and has played an integral role in production ever since. In 2017, she was promoted to Winemaker, cementing her longtime working relationship with Vice President and Winemaker Michael Scholz. The two have worked side by side for more than ten harvests creating a deeply honed blend of vision and execution. Shenk says, “I love the manageable size of St. Supéry. The fact that we are an estate winery means that I can follow the wines from grape to bottle.” With over twenty harvests under her belt and a trusted cellar crew who are also St. Supéry veterans, Shenk and Scholz are poised to further elevate an already storied and award-winning wine portfolio. Shenk lives in Napa with her husband and one of St. Supéry’s beloved winery dogs, Tahoe. In her spare time, Shenk enjoys traveling, hiking, camping and of course food and wine, specifically Sauvignon Blanc.