WINDSOR, Calif. (August 28, 2018) – Sonoma County-based Murphy-Goode Winery and St. Florian’s Brewery today unveiled a unique partnership, more than a year in the making. Inspired by the deep agricultural roots of grape growing and hop cultivation in their home region in Northern California, Winemaker David Ready Jr. and Brewmaster Aron Levin collaborated to craft a beer and wine duo reflective of local flavors and their companion beverages. The results are a revolutionary dry-hopped Sauvignon Blanc and barrel-aged lager, both of which are sure to appeal to wine and beer drinkers alike.
“Hops and grapes have coexisted in Sonoma County since the 1850s. It seems winemakers have always been big fans of beer, and vice versa, so in the Murphy-Goode spirit of celebrating the ‘Goode Life,’ we thought it would be really unique to combine those two areas of craftsmanship,” said Ready. “Joining forces with someone as passionate as Aron to bring that idea to life for our fans to enjoy has been a blast.”
Seated at the bar in St. Florian’s Tap Station in Windsor, Ready and Levin discussed their plans for a wine and beer duo, each influenced by the other’s expertise. The Dry-Hopped Sauvignon Blanc, a light, crisp wine with tropical fruit notes, features added Citra hops that provide a unique dimension and additional nuances of citrus aromas and fruit flavors. Akin to the collaboration, St. Florian’s brewed a light, crisp Citra-hopped lager. The lager was aged just long enough in Murphy-Goode Sauvignon Blanc barrels to meld the barrel’s oak and the lingering, fresh, juicy fruit flavors with the balanced bite of citrus and tropical fruit of the Citra lager.
“Dave and I both agreed that using Sauvignon Blanc as the base of the project made sense, since there are similar flavor profiles between the wine and Citra hops, which I love to use in my beer,” said Levin, who is also a full-time Fire Captain in Sonoma County. “When we hit on the idea of aging a Citra-hopped lager in wine barrels, and then again implementing Citra hops by dry-hopping a wine, we thought it would work well. We’re both very happy to raise a glass together to enjoy the results.”
Ready concludes, “Our goal from the start was to create beverages that would appeal to both beer and wine fans, and I think we’ve done just that.”
The Murphy-Goode Dry-Hopped Sauvignon Blanc and St. Florian’s Brewery Barrel-Aged Lager will be available for purchase at select Bay Area retailers.
ABOUT MURPHY-GOODE WINERY
Located in the beautiful and acclaimed Alexander Valley region of Sonoma County, Murphy-Goode is a family-owned winery known for award-winning California wines from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Founded by Tim Murphy, Dale Goode and David Ready, Sr. in 1985 and now part of Jackson Family Wines, Murphy-Goode believes in great wines and good times with family and friends.
ABOUT ST. FLORIAN’S BREWERY
Named in honor of the Patron Saint of Firefighters, St. Florian’s Brewery proudly locates in Windsor, Sonoma County. Since its founding in 2012, the award-winning brewery has been independently family-owned/operated by husband-wife team, Aron & Amy Levin. Aron Levin is a full-time Fire Captain in Sonoma County. When Aron is off-duty from the fire department, he channels the adrenaline of his shifts into St. Florian’s Brewery; he skillfully brews a diverse line-up which exemplifies balance and relaxation. Let’s drink to the hero in all of us!
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristen Reitzell
Jackson Family Wines
707.525.6276
kristen.reitzell@jfwmail.com
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Levin
St. Florian’s Brewery
707.838.2739
amy@stfloriansbrewery.com
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