Our winemaking team is a group of extremely talented and dedicated individuals who have brought a passion for the art and craft of winemaking to St. Francis Winery, as well as cutting edge knowledge and finely honed hands-on experience. Their abilities and the synergy of their collaborations make for an impressive team and stunning wines.

Katie Madigan
Sonoma County Winemaker

A key member of St. Francis Winery’s production and winemaking team for nearly 10 years, Katie Madigan became the Winery’s Sonoma County Winemaker in 2012.  For Katie, winemaking is the perfect combination of science and creativity. A chemistry major at UC Santa Barbara, she joined St. Francis as a harvest intern in 2002. After working long hours for four months, doing everything from lab work to vineyard visits, she was hooked. “I loved the fast pace and diversity of the job,” she says. “I didn’t want to leave at the end of every day.”

Two years later, Katie became a full-time lab tech at St. Francis and began studying Enology & Viticulture at UC Davis. Promoted to Assistant Winemaker in 2006, she focused on Chardonnay production and championed night picking of all Chardonnay fruit to preserve flavors, aromas, and acid levels.

Katie strives to create wines that are delicious, balanced and memorable. She fondly remembers her first bottle of St. Francis wine, a gift from her parents on her 21st birthday. It was a magnum of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the empty bottle remains prominently displayed in her home. “That was a special memory for me,” Katie says. “I want St. Francis to be the wine people remember.”

Derek Borell
Production Manager

Derek came to St. Francis in 1990, right out of high school, working summers in the Winery as a "cellar rat". His natural cool demeanor and good natured personality are winning qualities that make him the perfect candidate to oversee St. Francis’ barrel crew. As Production Manger his duties are now many and varied, keeping all facets of wine production organized and moving in an efficient process. Derek’s off site hours are spent enjoying family life with his wife Sharon and their two sons, Jordan and Brandon.