Ste. Chapelle

Ste. Chapelle Winery Image

Caldwell, ID

Founded in 1975 in Emmett, Idaho, Ste. Chapelle is well known for producing outstanding wines from the Snake River Valley appellation. Moved to its present facility in 1978, the winery grew quickly, producing Riesling and Chardonnay as well as Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Its popular “Soft” series continues to expand with offerings of Soft Red, Soft White, Soft Rose and Soft Huckleberry.

  • Crush capacity: 3,000 tons
  • Total production capability: 150,000 cases
  • Fermentation tanks: 60 (1,000 –27,000 gallon)
  • Presses: 3 Vaslin-Bucher 100hL presses and 1 Vaslin-Bucher 70 hL press
  • Bottling line: Multi-functional high-speed 80 bottles/minute

Unique production tools:

  • Sloped bottom red fermenters for safe and efficient emptying of red wine fermentations
  • Centrifuge equipment to remove solids quickly from wines and stop fermentations for wines with residual sugar

Best Practices used to achieve consistent quality:

  • Cellar and bottling maintenance and QC program features standard operating procedures that ensure highest quality and consistency of products

Technology:

  • Most analyses are run in-house. Our lab includes a spectrophotometer, conductivity meter, density meter, nephelometer and phase contrast microscope. We confirm bottling sterility with daily cultures
  • Orion Wine Software allows our winemaking team to issue and track work orders efficiently and to ensure that additions, wine movements and blending are error free

Long-term plans to continue improving quality:

  • Work with our growers to maximize the quality of fruit coming to the winery
  • Working partner in the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission. Winemaker Maurine Johnson is a commissioner

Strengths of the production team:

  • Our bottling lead has been with Ste. Chapelle for 30 years. Our operations manager has over 20 years of production experience, the maintenance team has 8 years of experience and our cellar crew averages 5 years at the winery
  • Winemaking team members have completed the UC Davis Extension Winemaking for Distance Learners Certificate Winemaker Maurine Johnson has been with Ste. Chapelle for 25 years working from lab supervisor and enologist to 13 years as assistant winemaker, taking the lead in 2011. Katie Gebhardt, enologist, has 5 years’ experience in the lab