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Crux Winery

Updated: Jan 13

  • So hidden away, your GPS may struggle to find it.

  • North of Healdsburg in a remote Lytton Station warehouse which houses 7/6 wineries.

  • A tribute to Russian River Valley wine characteristics.

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  • You taste wine in a corner of the building surrounded by wine barrels.

  • The tastings are served from a makeshift rustic bar, warehouse chic style.

  • A thick slab of wood balanced on two barrels.

  • Two Crux guys, Founders, Steve Callahan and Brian Gower

  • Referred to as “some of the nicest dudes you’ll ever want to meet.”

  • They bucked the RRV trend: no Pinot or Chardonnay in their portfolio

  • Instead they produce Rhone varietal wines, a true RRV anomaly.

  • Their grapes grow on the warmer side of Russian River Valley.

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  • Wines:

  • Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache Blanc and Viognier–as well as Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.

  • Steve and Brian met in 2005, neighbors living in the Windsor/Healdsburg area.

  • A friendship deepened over a joint passion for winemaking.

  • Wine making in a garage became their thing.

  • Next they planted a 1 ½ acre vineyard together.

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  • Seven vintages later they are going strong.

  • They claim it was rookie good luck because they made drinkable wine from the start.

  • Zin was an early success, a friendly grape. Also they insist……

  • Their grapes come from one of the greatest grape growing regions in the world.

  • So they needed to know how to do winemaking……..

  • They Googled it. Watched a lot of winemaking video tutorials.

  • They discovered there are not a lot of trade secrets in the Sonoma wine making world.

  • Teamwork is ripe in the industry, less competition, even borrowing a tractor is standard.

  • Steve and Brian have day jobs, big corporate jobs in the health care sector.

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  • They devote every spare minute to their passion, wine making.

  • Eventually the plan is to give up their day job.

  • Why the brand name Crux? They struggled for a year to decide.

  • Then a friend’s observation…

  • They grow grapes at the crux (the heart, the core, the center) of 3 AVA’s!

  • Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley.

  • Perfect!

CRUX WINERY

#GrenacheBlanc #Zinfandel #Rosé #Grenache #Viognier #Mourvedre #Syrah #PetiteSirah

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