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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING August 2016 WINES&VINES 51 property-management company in Illinois that he continues to own and operate with his brother, John Cunat. Brian Cunat's interest and knowledge in wine grew over the years, fostered by visits with his wife Miki Cunat to vineyards and wineries worldwide. His chance to buy a farm arrived in 2007, when he learned the Jaeger family had a 52-acre Napa Valley vineyard property for sale in the Oak Knoll District between Napa and Yountville, Calif. He told Wines & Vines, "The property came with a good water supply, good soils, and it could produce high-quality Char- donnay and Merlot." Brian's brother John and the extended family are investors in the project, now known as Materra | Cunat Family Vine- yards. Materra, their wine brand, is Latin for "mother earth." The property's existing 40 acres of vines were in need of upgrades to better manage canopies and improve quality production. Cunat invested in a site analysis to better match varieties, rootstocks and clones to the six major soil types on the property. Madrigal Vineyard Management manages the vineyard and super- vised replants. The vine rows were reoriented for better sun exposure. The entire vineyard was replanted in phases and now totals 47 acres with a focus on flagship varieties Merlot and Chardonnay, which grow well in the cooler Oak Knoll District. Other white wine grape varieties planted include Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, and additional red varieties are Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon sourced through long-term contracts from non-estate vineyards in the Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain and Rutherford AVAs. Cunat said, "We went to nearby vineyards and talked with our neighbors to find out what grows best in this area." Cunat also made a point of meeting with neighbors and keeping them informed of winery development plans and construction to maintain good relations and alleviate possible concerns. Materra's daily administrative operations, public relations and the tasting room are man- aged by Brian's daughter, Neena Cunat Heitz, who has worked in hospitality in the Napa Valley since 2007. Winemaking is managed by consulting winemakers Bruce Regalia and Mi- chael Trujillo. Regalia, a consulting winemaker for clients in Napa Valley, started in the wine business in the 1980s in Mendocino County, Calif. He later transitioned into winemaking, serving as winemaker for Duckhorn's Golden- eye brand. Trujillo has 33 years of wine indus- try experience that includes vineyard work and winemaking for several Napa Valley wineries. He is a winemaker with Sequoia Grove Winery as well as his own brand, Trujillo Wines. Building and operating the winery Discussing winery development goals, Cunat explained: "We started with a blank slate. We put more money into wine-production technol- ogy and equipment for providing our winemak- ers with the best tools to make wine, instead of putting as much money into architectural appearance and facilities not directly related to winemaking." He added, "I've been to a lot of different wineries, and I think many should have put more money into their wine produc- tion than into glitz and glamour." Winemakers Regalia and Trujillo helped design the winery and worked closely with architect Johnny DaRosa of DaRosa & Associ- ates, based in Millbrae, Calif. Materra was DaRosa's first winery project, and the general contractor was Ledcor Construction. Regalia said, "We tried to build something that was functional, with lots of room to work, and that would not require a lot of labor to operate." He added, "Michael and I have tried a lot of different presses and equipment dur- ing our winemaking careers, and we got top- of-the-line products and equipment that we thought would be best for production." Construction began in April 2014 and was completed one year later. "We built and sized the KEY POINTS In 2007, the Cunat family started with a 52- acre vineyard property in the Oakville dis- trict of the Napa Valley, but they had a blank slate in terms of a winemaking facility. In constructing the new Materra | Cunat win- ery, which was ready for the 2015 crush, they decided to invest more in wine-production technology and equipment than appearance and consumer-oriented amenities. As the winery works toward a goal of 25,000 cases and a 50-50 split between distribution and direct-to-consumer sales, the family expects to add further emphasis to the hospitality aspects of the business. Materra's Oak Knoll District vineyard (upper left) has been replanted during the past nine years for better row orientation and to better match varieties, rootstocks and clones to site-specific factors. Catwalks and decking above tank rows (upper right) provide safe access to top manways of fermentation tanks. LED lights provide energy efficient lighting in winery buildings. Santa Rosa Stainless Steel tanks (bottom photo) are used to ferment lots from 4 to 12 tons. Custom Metalcraft TranStore square tanks are used for small-lot storage and transfer.