FAQ’s
How much wine do you produce on yearly basis?
Historically, our production has been quite restrained; however, expanding interest in our wine, particularly from wine club members, has led us to plan for further expansion. Our permit will allow us to increase production to 20,000 cases.
What kind of wine do you produce?
Our production is diversified, spanning as many as fifteen small lots across
13 varietal wines and blends in any given vintage. We limit each release to a range of 200 to 600 cases per wine.
What do you grow on-site?
In 2001 we planted Pinot Noir our estate vineyard, aptly named for our first daughter Zora. The rootstock is 101-14 and the clone is Dijon 777 and 667. This 3-acre vineyard yields 7-14 tons of Pinot Noir and is usually harvested in mid-September.
Where do you make and bottle your wine?
Everything is done on-site. We have our own crush/production facility and our own bottling line. This allows us to bottle the wine as each small lot is sufficiently aged, rather than when it's convenient for a mobile bottling line.
Where do you distribute your wines?
99% of all our wines are allocated to our burgeoning wine club (2,000 members) or sold through futures through our on-site tasting room. We have launched a new off-site tasting room on the Plaza in Healdsburg in May of 2006.
What wines are you known for?
Our Meritage blends have won gold and double gold medals in every vintages from 1999 to present. Our Pinot Noirs also garner a host of gold and double gold medals. Our Zinfandel also has a strong following and we feel that the new vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon will garner many awards. We are also known for producing 100% varietal wines from lesser known varietals such as Nebbiolo, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, and Malbec.
Where is the Russian River Valley Appelletion?
The RRV region is located in central Sonoma County adjacent to Santa Rosa.
What is the Russian River Valley known for?
Pinot Noir, Old Vine Zin, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Does the winery offer tours?
Tours are made by appointment. Please contact the winery directly at 707-526-WINE to establish your appointment.
How long has Frane been making wine in California?
Frane has been making wine in California for about 20 years. He began in his basement as a home winemaker and won early accolades for these wines. He then opened his own winery in 1990. His first commercial release, a 1991 RRV Cabernet Sauvignon, won a Silver Medal at the Harvest Fair. Harvest 2005 marked his fourteenth consecutive harvest as a commercial winemaker.
Does he come from a winemaking family?
Frane descends form a centuries-old-winemaking tradition in Croatia. His great-grandfather was a cooper and a winemaker (his likeness is on the 2002-2003 Pinot and Bordeaux labels) as well as his grandfather and father.
Where is Frane from?
Frane’s family hails from a small fishing village on the island of Hvar named Sucuraj (“Saint George” in Croatian). Hvar lies off the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, and is known for wine and lavender oil, and is now a tourist mecca, particular for sailing.
Does Frane do all the winemaking himself?
Frane has always been his own winemaker, drawing on his family winemaking tradition. His best teacher has been years of experience as a winemaker. Frane also relies upon his education and research skills, utilizing industry labs and staying abreast of new discoveries by attending workshops and seminars.
How many competitions do you enter per year?
We submit no more than 6 entries to 6-10 competitions per year. We average 4 entries per contest, trying to gauge when a wine is best-suited (showing good fruit and other components) to gain its due recognition.
Which competitions do you enter?
We consistently enter the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Grand Harvest Awards, the West Coast Wine Competition, the Orange County Fair, the Taster's Guild International Wine Competition and its Wine Lover's Competition, and Jerry Mead's New World International Wine Competition.
Do you add sulfites to your wine?
Sulfites occur naturally on grape skins. Winemakers may also add sulfites to the wine as a preservative and antiseptic. Given that our small batches of wine do not necessitate a high usage of sulfites, we add only up to 20 ppms. The FDA approves as many as 200 ppms.
How does your wine club work?
There is not an initial sign-up fee. The club is charged incrementally either quarterly, bi-monthly, or monthly when the 3-bottle installments are prepared or shipped. The wine club membership may also be pre-paid in advance, thus saving 10% upfront.
What are the benefits of the wine club?
Wine club members are entitled to 20%, 25%, or 30% discounts on all wine purchases, depending on the frequency of their membership. Members also receive pre-release discounts of 35% on select wines from the new vintages, and are entitled to deep discounts for futures purchases. Suncé also allocates special limited releases and older vintage wines directly to the wine club. Suncé also hosts Members-Only parties and dinner events. Participation in Members-Only Bottling Parties is highly sought after.
Is there a waiting list?
We do not have a waiting list at this time. With expanding distribution and wine club membership, we do anticipate that we will need to institute at waiting list in the future. We do maintain a waiting list for the Members-Only Bottling Parties. Sign-up is on-line and is first come, first serve and limited to once-a-year participation per member. Watch our website for the bottling schedule or email to bottling@suncewinery.com.
Is there a commitment for the wine club?
Yes, we ask for a one-year commitment. The club is automatically renewable at the request of the wine club member. At the time of enrollment, each member is allowed his/her appropriate discount on his/her on-the-spot purchases, as well as special futures pricing, and he/she is gifted a tee-shirt, corkscrew, or cap.
How do I update my billing/credit card info, address and other contact info?
It is the customer's responsibility to update his/her credit card info, shipping address and other contact info. The winery is not held accountable for lost wine club shipments due to non-updated data; however, if a member has missed a club allocation due to expired or declined cards, he/she can call 1-707-526-9463 and Suncé will make its best effort to replace the missing shipment.
How does your futures program work?
We pre-sale wines that are still housed in the barrels during the region's Annual Barrel Tasting on the first weekend in March. We offer a savings of 40% off the estimated release price to non-members, and 50% to members. Buying futures guarantees one will receive his/her allocation of a particular wine, which may sell-out before hitting the bottle.
When is the deadline to purchase futures?
We initiate the futures program during the first weekend of March at the Wine Road’s Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend. Futures orders may be placed through the end of March, though we cannot guarantee availability. Some exceptions are made for add-on purchases to existing orders. For members, a limited offering of futures is extended through end of May. We also sell futures at other yearly events including the Wine Road's Winter Wineland in January, the Wine and Food Affair in November, and Sunce's own Annual Crush Party in October.
Will I be notified when my futures are ready?
Yes, a month or so before we plan to ship we will send a notice that the wine is ready. However, bottling dates are subject to change at the winemaker's discretion; actual release dates may be sooner or later than estimated. For an updated listing of bottling dates, please consult the Track My Futures page on our website.
Will my entire futures order be shipped together?
Generally speaking, we ship futures orders in one shipment. However, Bordeaux wines are usually bottled at a much later date, and may be backordered for a later shipment.
How long do I have to wait to get my future wines?
At Barrel Tasting we give as close an estimate as possible of the release date for each particular wine, ranging from nine months to two-years post purchase date. However, other variable may apply, such as the winemaker's discretion of quality.
How long should I allow for shipping?
Depending on destination, allow up to two weeks for western states, and up to three weeks for mid-western, eastern, and southern states.
How is my shipping billed?
Shipping is billed separately by the independent shipper. Orders without a Credit Card cannot be shipped. Please make sure all orders to ship have a current credit card. There is a place for your credit card number on both our regular shipping form and our futures order form.
How much does shipping cost?
It is more cost effective to ship a full case or more of wine, rather than increments under twelve bottles. Suncé uses the most cost-effective shipping possible to save the customer’s money. Packing is done in-house at Suncé Winery. Shipping and packing charges combined range from $14-26 per half case depending on destination and $25-$48 per full case; West Coast at the lower end and East Coast at the higher. Multiple cases delivered to one address receive bulk discounts.
How much wine should I consume?
Our wines are built to age. It is not necessary to consume a full bottle on the day it is opened – new flavors and tasting notes may in fact develop on the 2nd or 3rd day after the wine bottle is opened. We also feel that our wines are best consumed with food. Mediterranean dietary traditions suggest the health benefit of the moderate consumption of wine with one’s meal. Please be mindful that wine is indeed an alcoholic beverage. We in no way intend for wine to be used merely as a means to get inebriated, rather it is our hope that our vintages be enjoyed as part of a fine meal with good friends.