Two guys. A warehouse. Amazing wines. Meet Crux Winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County.
What started as two neighbors with a serious passion for wine has since turned into an impressive small production portfolio of Rhone-inspired wines. Winemakers/Owners Brian Callahan and Steven Gower initially planted their own vineyards, situated above the fogline, in the northern part of the Russian River Valley. They wanted to make wine with the less commonly found Rhone varietals – Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache Blanc and Viognier – which thrive in the warmer, northern part of the AVA. In close proximity to both Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley, their vines sit at the crossroads, or transitional zone, of the AVAs which inspired the name, “Crux”.
As grape growers and winemakers, they approach farming in a sustainable and earth friendly manner. In addition to their own fruit, they also source from select vineyard sites owned by growers with a similar philosophy who have likewise embraced environmental practices in vineyard management. While using California fruit, Brian and Steven apply Old World winemaking techniques. They are destemming the fruit instead of crushing it and they do natural, extended fermentations using open top fermenters punched down several times a day. Crux also ages their wine in bottle for an extra year, so when you open it you’ll find a wine that is ready to drink and one that shows off the unique characteristic of each varietal.
A personalized and rustic experience, don’t miss a visit with the guys behind Crux Winery next time you are in Sonoma!
