La Crema
“The wines have cultivated a loyal following of customers who are passionate about the wines because they trust the wine quality and consistency.”—Craig McAllister, head winemaker, La Crema
Known for its handcrafted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the goal at La Crema remains the same year after year. “While producing quality, handcrafted, region-expressive wines, La Crema continues to explore the best cool-climate regions for these varietals from our home in Russian River Valley, north to Willamette Valley, and south to Monterey,” says head winemaker Craig McAllister. “We strive to create consistent, high quality and elegant wines with distinctive balance.” The family-owned and operated winery was voted by NorthBay biz readers, once again, as Best Chardonnay for 2019.
According to McAllister, La Crema’s excellence comes from “a combination of factors ranging from the quality of the vineyards, the collaborative style, and our hands-on approach, regardless of which wine we’re making.” The winery’s technique is artisan from start to finish and rooted in the philosophy that gentle handling is the best way to coax the truest flavors and textures from the grapes. The result is an expression of the essence of the terroir and the unique flavor profiles of the different appellations and distinct vineyards in each bottle of wine.
A native of New Zealand, McAllister studied and worked in wineries all around the world was drawn to La Crema at the recommendation of a fellow countryman who had brought La Crema wines back home to share. “They really piqued my interest,” he says. After hearing his friend’s stories about winemaking in the area and after tasting the La Crema wines, he decided to take a closer look. He joined La Crema as Harvest oenologist in 2007 and found working and living in Sonoma to his liking. “That harvest sealed the deal for me,” he says. He joined the team full time in 2009 and was promoted to head winemaker in 2017.
Part of the magic of La Crema is that the wines are sourced from vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley, Monterey and Willamette Valley, and span some of the most beautiful and evocative geography and classic wine-producing environments of the California coast. For McAllister, it’s not a bad place to settle in to make great wine. “The connection that customers have to La Crema is quite something,” he says. “When visiting the market, we meet people from all over who have a similar reaction when they hear the name La Crema. The wines have cultivated a loyal following of customers who are passionate about the wines because they trust the wine quality and consistency.”
La Crema was founded in 1979 as La Crema Viñera, meaning Best of the Vine. To mark their 40th anniversary, La Crema will host an event at the La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in the Russian River Valley in August and release a commemorative bottle of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir later this fall.
