St. Francis Merlot
Posted October 19th, 2011 by Manitou Galleries
 Santa Fe Vineyards has selected St. Francis & His Wild Desert Friends, by Virginia Maria Romero for the label for their New Mexico Merlot - to be released soon. Santa Fe Vineyards is also celebrating this year their 30 year anniversary of winemaking, which they began in 1982.
Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone; 1181/1182-Oct. 3, 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men’s Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history. On July 16, 1228, he was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX. He is known as the patron saint of animals, the environment and one of the two patrons of Italy (with Catherine of Siena), and it is customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of October 4.
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