Crutchfield Whole Cluster Grenache, Shake Ridge Ranch 2024 (750 ml)

100% Whole Cluster Grenache
Shake Ridge Ranch, Amador County

Finally! A red wine cometh! I'm thrilled to be working with grapes from Ann Kraemer at Shake Ridge Ranch. Wines made from Ann's vineyard have always stood out to me from the very beginning of my wine journey. Many winemakers that I look up to have worked with Ann and praise her winegrowing skills as much as they praise her as a luminary. I wanted this Grenache to be a departure from what's expected. This wine is light bodied with cherries, dehydrated raspberries, sweet tobacco and chalky tannin.

Whole cluster fermented for 6 days, pressed to barrel for 11 months

Profile
This wine is medium bodied with cherries, dehydrated raspberries, sweet tobacco and chalky tannin.

Where it fits
Light to medium bodied red, still chillable, slightly more serious than 'Im Mixed'.

From Winemaker, Matt Crutchfield...
Direct press, barrel fermented, barrel aged

My introduction into wine began modestly, in a small local tasting room nestled within the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia, along the Appalachian Mountains. However, it was in Charleston, South Carolina, that my initial curiosity blossomed into a full-fledged passion. Working in wine bars and retail shops, initially feeling like I was in over my head, pushed me to immerse myself completely into studying wine, trying to keep up with this whole new language of wine.

After two formative years in Charleston, I decided to work a harvest in Sonoma County to get a deeper understanding of what I had been reading about in books. My initial plan was to return to the hospitality side of the industry, but after two weeks I knew where I wanted to be. Seven harvests in Sonoma and one in New Zealand later, I found myself not only content but truly fulfilled by my choice to remain in wine production.

Despite my love for winemaking and my place in this industry, I couldn't shake the feeling of being underrepresented as a winemaker of color. Looking around at my peers, I saw few individuals who shared my background or experiences. When I encountered someone who did share some of my experiences, I was filled with a sense of pride and solidarity. This realization fueled my ambition to start my own business. My goal extends beyond making wines that I'm personally proud of, I aspire to be a role model for others who may feel underrepresented in the wine industry, and  to hopefully one day be the figure I wish I had seen when I first started in wine.