This fall, a St. Louis–based winemaker and renowned sommelier added a new accolade to his already-stacked résumé: Michael Kennedy, founder of the Vin Fraîche Wine Group and a 2017 Forbes “30 under 30” recipient, was awarded VinePair’s “Best 50 Wines of 2022” for two wines in his portfolio.
VinePair described its 2022 selections as having something for “old-school collectors, as well as the scene’s up and coming ‘cool kids,’” Kennedy’s prize wines are a combination of both: the Component Petit Verdot 2019 at No. 19 on the list, as well as Gagnon-Kennedy Vineyards ‘Revolver’ Zinfandel 2020 at No. 6 on the list (pictured at right).
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The winemakers are hosting two local events this week:
- The 2nd annual holiday celebration on Tuesday, December 13, at 18Rails at City Foundry STL
- An exclusive portfolio wine tasting with food pairings by James Beard Award semifinalist chef Ben Welch at Clayton Winehouse on Saturday, December 17
Behind the Business
Kennedy met his business partner, famed winemaker Marc Gagnon, during a visit to Napa Valley in 2015. “I was scouting out special relationships with special producers and met the new winemaker at Bryant Family,” Kennedy recalls. “He was fresh from his role as assistant winemaker for Screaming Eagle, and I was blown away by his knowledge and passion.”
Kennedy says they hit it off immediately and that a blind tasting of Marc’s Petit Verdot was one of the ‘a-ha moments’ that led to the creation of Component Wine Company. (The nod to “component” is that Petit Verdot can be seen as the underdog grape in the classic Bordeaux blend, alongside celebrated varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Therefore, the grape variety itself sees very few 100 percent bottlings. That said, “Kennedy is taking some of the finest varietal wines and saving them from a life of obscurity in a blend,” Forbes noted in its 2017 feature.) “We have some incredible collaborations coming up for Component Wine Company,” Kennedy says, “including a natural, single vineyard, single variety stunning Rosé from Saint-Tropez in Provence.”
With the success of their initial offerings under Component, they expanded to other single Bordeaux varietal bottlings, from both Napa Valley and Bordeaux, France. Additional offerings include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot for reds, and Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for white. (Their Semillon is particularly striking, and special, as it’s rare to see Semillon at 100 percent bottlings.)
In 2016, they launched SOM Wines in the Pacific Northwest, a region where wines are like a perfect harmony of the warmer climate “fruit bombs” and the elegant, slightly rustic wines from the Old World. The project focuses on Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling, and it’s a collaboration between an expansive team of sommeliers, winemakers, and vignerons, with a laser-like focus on terroir, natural production, and time and place.
With a site-specific mission in mind, they soon launched Gagnon-Kennedy Vineyards, with a similar approach in historic, sought-after, single-vineyard sites in Napa Valley. The tale of how they sourced their vineyards through past connections, friendships, and colleagues is truly serendipitous and has set the stage for world-class wine offerings from iconic vineyards, such as To Kalon and Beckstoffer.
Through their partnership, Gagnon and Kennedy eventually expanded to four wineries, “with a common thread of small-production, site-specific, terroir-driven wines from California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, and France,” according to its website.
Midwest Connections
Last year, another Midwest native, Dan Bell, became director of hospitality at Vin Fraiche’s The Cheese Shed in Coombsville in Napa Valley. Bell met Kennedy through a mutual friend and remained in contact for years before taking on his current role in the company. A native of Vandalia, Illinois, Bell exudes all things hospitality and wine, and he has a winemaking background, having several harvest seasons under his belt, while alternating hemispheres for wine production internships.
Visitors to The Cheese Shed will experience personalized, white-glove service. On our visit, we heard about storied comparison tastings; the interwoven tale of how Kennedy, Bell, and Gagnon came together; their strong ties to the St. Louis community; and their relationship with their Coombsville winery partner, Caldwell Vineyard.
Kennedy and Gagnon recently partnered with Dean Macfarlan of La Caccia di San Giovanni, an organic estate at Villa San Giovanni in the Terre di Casole, outside Siena, Tuscany. “We are currently under contract on a new property in Tuscany, in addition to our current Villa San Giovanni, and plan to create even more incredible and personal experiences around site-driven wines as we can,” says Kennedy. “The property currently is 132 acres in Tuscany, and the new property will include a 17th-century villa, hospitality space, and luxury boutique lodging.”
Tasting-room reservations to both The Cheese Shed and La Caccia di San Giovanni can be booked through Tock here.
Closer to home, the Vin Fraîche offices in St. Louis are located in a 119-year-old building, at 707 N. Second on Laclede’s Landing. The office has a tasting lounge where guests can arrange to meet the team that runs operations for all wineries in the group.
Limited selections from Vin Fraîche’s portfolio are also available at Clayton Winehouse, as well as Annie Gunn’s, Olive + Oak, and Westchester. Visit the Wine Club page to register for shipments and information on new releases from all four wineries.
Denise Mueller is a St. Louis–based certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine. She owns the Mid-American School of Wine and the wine course PreSomm, with wine books and wine courses available at PreSomm.com.
