Chateau St. Jean’s newly appointed winemaker Lisa Evich was recently introduced to wine club members, community leaders and media at an intimate dinner celebrating the new release of Chateau St. Jean’s highly coveted Cinq Cépages.
Chateau St. Jean helped solidify Sonoma County as one of the top wine regions in the world with Cinq Cépages, the winery’s flagship wine. The red blend has consistently earned the respect of wine critics and consumers since its inaugural 1990 vintage. Cinq Cépages is French for “Five Grape Varieties” denoting the five classic Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Hailing from Santa Rosa, Lisa fell in love with food and wine at an early age. While at Sonoma State University, her focus was on Environmental Studies and Planning, but there was something about the vineyards that called to her. It wasn’t just the science of winemaking, it was the art and the craft that could translate a place into a bottle. Lisa says “when crafting exceptional wines, the key is to keep the big picture and the details in focus all at once.”

Lisa joined Foley Family Wines & Spirits in 2024 as the Winemaker for Southern Sonoma, crafting vineyard driven wines for Chateau St. Jean and Sebastiani. She began her career at SIMI, spending nine years with the winery before diversifying her experience with positions at Pine Ridge and Arrowood. SIMI welcomed her home in 2015 as Winemaker, and in 2022, she became the Director of Winemaking, carrying on the winery’s historic legacy of female-led winemaking.

Lisa received a BA degree in Environmental Studies and Planning and a Wine Business MBA from Sonoma State University, and a Winemaking Certificate from the University of California, Davis.

“Thoughtful stewardship of this winery and brand is important to my family, and we are proud of our ongoing efforts to restore CSJ and our winemaking operations to reflect what put the site on the map to begin with,” noted Courtney Foley, EVP and second-generation vintner for FFWS. “We hired Lisa to guide CSJ through the next phase of its story and are excited to see her impact on Chateau St. Jean’s wines - especially Cinq Cépages.”

Visitors can experience the Cinq Cépages’ legacy with a newly launched vertical tasting at the Chateau St. Jean hospitality center for $180. Consumers can purchase Cinq Cépages at the chateau, online, and in fine wine shops and fine dining establishments for an SRP of $100 (current vintage).