Napa Valley’s celebrated Rudd Estate debuts the Crossroads label with a 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2017 Sauvignon Blanc that are perfect for nascent wine enthusiasts and Rudd devotees seeking wine that can be served any night of the week. 

The label resurfaces as Samantha Rudd fulfills a generational promise to her father, Leslie Rudd, by taking the reins as Vintner and head of Rudd Estate. Founded in 1996, the winery became known for utilizing the finest wines produced in its cellar to create the Estate vintages and originally launched Crossroads as a limited-edition companion label from 2004 to 2008. Today, Samantha brings the popular label back, but this time with a dedicated in-house team that has been organically farming Rudd’s premier Oakville and Mt. Veeder vineyards since 2015. In doing so, Rudd once again offers a variety of exceptional wines to novices and wine aficionados alike.

Growing up on the Estate walking the vines daily and studying at renowned French winery Château Margaux, Samantha brings her unique knowledge, energy, and passions to the team. She is building on her father’s expertise while implementing processes with her own vision, and Crossroads’ return marks just the start of her efforts to imagine future possibilities for the winery and to reach a new generation of wine enthusiasts.

In addition to adding Crossroads back into Rudd Estate portfolio, she envisions enhancing the Estate’s organic and biodynamic farming practices and connecting with people by providing outstanding wines rooted in sustainability, investment in the land, and a true, personal relationship with the terroir.  Through her leadership, the brand invests in every aspect of its product: from farming with an in-house team dedicated to year-round care of the vineyards; to the wine growers who recognize the balanced flavor profile created by a rooted vine and the individuality of vintage; to the vineyard managers, who see the wine’s creation through a geological, agronomic, and ecological standpoint. With the dedicated crew and the patient aging and thoughtful blending that occurs in the Estate’s caves, Rudd Estate brings meticulous craftmanship to every step of the process.

“The release of Crossroads is our final step in becoming a true Estate. We brought our farming in-house in 2014, started farming organically in 2015, and are now using the fruit our vineyards produce in its entirety, which completes the circle of full stewardship over our land,” said Samantha Rudd, Vintner at Rudd Estate.

To learn more visit www.crossroadsbyrudd.com and  www.ruddwines.com and @ruddestate on Instagram.