Alison Crowe

Alison Crowe, a California native, credits much of her decision to become a winemaker to growing up on the Santa Barbara coast, just next door to wine country. Blessed with a family that loves to grow, cook and celebrate with the food and wines of the Central Coast, Alison has always had an appreciation for the produce of California’s farms and fields.

A lover of science as well as the arts, applying to the world-famous winemaking program at UC Davis was a natural decision. Two years into her studies she worked her first harvest season at Chalone Vineyard in Monterey County, where she was, as she puts it, “forever spoiled for mediocre Chardonnay and Pinot Noir”. Another harvest spent in Santa Barbara’s Santa Ynez Valley, as well as a year as a Cabernet Sauvignon researcher further brought home to her the lesson that great wines begin with great vineyards.

After graduating from UC Davis with a double major in winemaking and Spanish, Alison made wine at Byington Winery and Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, specializing in estate Pinot Noir. Wanting to expand her winemaking horizons farther, she then began what would turn out to be an almost five-year stint at Bonnny Doon Vineyard. “Making wines with Randall Grahm really grounded my winemaking style,” says Alison, referring to Bonny Doon’s eccentric and iconoclastic founder. “Whether I make Syrah, Riesling, or twenty varietals most people have never heard of, I really listen to the fruit and try to make balanced, intuitive wines that tell their own story of where they were grown. It’s amazing what good grapes will tell you when they’re not muffled by layers of oak.”

Wanting to put her fluency in Spanish and winemaking skills to the test, Alison and her husband, a professional photographer, traveled south to Argentina’s Mendoza region, home to that country’s best wineries. At Bodegas Salentein she worked alongside winemaking legend Michel Rolland, called by some the most influential consulting winemaker of all time. Working at the winery while her husband shot the dramatic surrounding scenery, she brought a California winemaker’s perspective to the table and helped Salentein create wines reflective of their rocky soil and unique high-altitude Andean vineyards.

Now, as an independent consulting winemaker based in the Napa Valley, Alison crafts lots of wine from such premiere appellations as Russian River, Alexander Valley, Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County. She says, “Because of the long-term grower relationships I have, I make all my wines literally from the ground up. Whether a client loves sustainably grown Santa Barbara Chardonnay or Old Vine Russian River Zinfandel, I link them directly to the vineyard. It’s a very unique relationship, one that connects us all, from the farmers I work with to the person who finally enjoys that bottle of wine.” Alison’s “A-list” of clients range from nationally-distributed wineries and hot start-up brands to destination resort properties and celebrity chefs.

In addition to making her award-winning wine, which takes her around the state of California, Alison also sits on the steering committees of the Wine Industry Financial Symposium and Central Coast Insights Symposium. She judges wine competitions, is a frequent contributor to Wine Business Monthly, pens the popular “Wine Wizard” column for WineMaker Magazine and is the author of The Wine Maker’s Answer Book. She is currently pursuing her MBA with the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

When not making wine, writing about wine or studying about the business of wine, Alison can be found on her bike in the Napa Valley, casting a fly in California’s back country or cooking for friends on her back deck at home. Alison says, “I come from a California agricultural family and when I enjoy a wine I think of the land it came from- old red tractors, workers out in the early morning light and people like me that try to put the final touch on what nature has already done. Wine helps us feel more connected to our friends, family and to the people who have put their passion and artistry into it. Because of that, wine shouldn’t be intimidating-it’s a gift to enjoy every day.” www.alisoncrowe.com

Photo Credit: Chris Purdy