T H E W O R K
WINE GROWING
Francisco Alfaro has been carefully tending to the estate’s vines by hand since they were first planted over 23 years ago. Francisco was born in Atacheo de Regalado, Michoacan, Mexico, where he learned to work hard. He immigrated to Napa Valley in 1992, first working at Newton Vineyards. While there, he learned the critical skills and techniques for highest quality winegrowing.
He pursued his formal education in vineyard development and canopy management, at UC Davis, going on to work with Criscione Vineyards on Glass Mountain, Napa Valley. Their fruit has been used in Harlan, Araujo, Ovid, Arrow & Branch, and Drinkward Peschon wines. In 2006, Criscione Vineyards was split and a portion of the land was sold to Lewis Seiler, connecting him to Francisco.
Since then, Francisco has continually worked to elevate the quality of Seiler Estate fruit with additional laboratory analysis. From petiole analysis to simply turning shovels of soils in each block Alfaro tends to Seiler garden vineyard by hand. All viticultural practices, as well as harvesting, are performed by hand block by block. Pruning, suckering, trimming canes, and leafing are all performed by Francisco.
Traditional farming practices are maintained throughout the vineyard. The health of each vine row is closely monitored. When there are hot spells Francisco simply walks rows of each block looking for the leaves that may be curling and turning away from the sun to determine next steps. Fruit and vine balance is critical to the expression of Cabernet Sauvignon at Seiler Estate. After trimming wings off clusters and secondary clusters each vine is limited to yielding 20-24 bunch per vines; less than 3 tons of fruit per acres. All of which is a result of Francisco’s care and relationship with Lewis Seiler.
WINE MAKING
Mario Sculatti is a 4th generation St. Helena native, his family having stayed in Napa Valley after immigrating to the US from Italy in 1901. Mario first began his career in the wine world by brokering rare and collectible wines to consumers around the globe. He spent many years working in the commercial wine auction business until finally deciding to make wine of his own back home in California.
Mario’s winemaking knowledge and protocols were passed on to him by his mentor, the late Denis Malbec, who was the former Cellar Master of Chateau Latour in Bordeaux, France. To This day, he carries on Malbec’s exact winemaking techniques to clearly reflect and express the character of each vintage and vineyard he works with.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
As the Business Development Manager of Seiler Estate, Skye Seiler-Hann is privileged to weave together her diverse background in project management and interior design with a deep-seated passion for her family's legacy. Skye's journey into wine was not merely a career pivot but a heartfelt homage to the spirit of her father, Lewis Seiler, whose boundless creativity and unwavering dedication have been the guiding lights of their wine growing and making.
Growing up amidst the creative outputs of her father's sculpting pursuits, Skye was instilled with an innate appreciation for artistry and craftsmanship from a young age. Witnessing his journey from sculpting to stewardship of Seiler Estate vineyard, she was inspired to join him in nurturing not only the vines but also the relationships that form the backbone of their enterprise. Collaborating closely with their dedicated team, Skye strives to honor the legacy of excellence established by her father.