Skinner Winery Incorporates Koolfog High Pressure Misting

Situated in the hills of the Sierras, you’ll find a winery. At first glance, it may seem like any other, with a tasting room, a wine club and high quality wine selections grown in our rich California soil. But if you dig a little deeper, you may be surprised to find a winery cultivated from a forgotten family tradition coupled with sustainable business practices in perfect harmony with the modern age of environmental awareness. Skinner Winery recently integrated Koolfog’s high pressure misting systems to their patio area to keep patrons and wine enthusiasts cool during the warm Sacramento-area summer months.

“Sometimes it works almost too well,” explains Mike Skinner, owner of Skinner Winery. “During the summer months it gets 100 degrees quite often and it’s not really comfortable if you’re sitting in the sun for a good part of the day. We decided we would try Koolfog’s misters out on the bottom patio. And it works great, people love it. Sometimes, if people are sitting in the shade, they’ll say, ‘Well, it’s getting a little cooler than we’d like, can we turn the misters down?’”

Skinner Winery has a unique history that began with Mike’s son taking a trek through Lake Tahoe using an old map. The name “Skinner” popped up and his curiosity was piqued. As Mike’s son dug deeper, the family discovered that Mike is the great-great-great-grandson of James Skinner, a miner turned winery owner during the Gold Rush era of the 1860’s. With sentiments that remain era appropriate to the original J. Skinner Native Wine & Brandy Co, it’s almost as if you’re taking a trek back in time to the origination of the Sierra Foothill wine country development.

Keeping consistent with the family’s history, Mike and his wife Carey planted heirloom grape varietals that were considered lost for decades in an effort to re-create and represent the soils of their ancestors. The winery is solar powered, constructed from 80% of recycled steel and with their resident goat herd, brush clearing is minimal. The tasting room was built to incorporate as much of the original architecture as possible with gold rush era stone work, reclaimed wood beams and furnishings, a wine press that is era appropriate and even a spring wagon from the 1860’s. Even the high pressure misting systems give an air of calming nostalgia, representing the fluidity of time and the resilience of family ties.

Sustainability and cultural heritage run on the fore front of the Skinner family Winery business philosophy. Perhaps most important is the commitment to sustainable business practices, exquisite ambiance and quality guest comfort in mind with Koolfog’s high pressure misting systems. And we are honored to be a part of such a prestigious family legacy. One of our favorite comments? Mike explains: “If I had to get the high pressure misting systems all over again, I would, no question. We are totally happy with them and when it’s warm out, we have them on all the time. I would recommend them, if anyone called me and said, ‘Should we put them in?’ I would say, ‘Absolutely.'”