Crocker & Starr Winery

Crocker & Starr Winery

700 Dowdell Lane, Saint Helena, CA 94574
crockerstarr.com

Region: Napa Valley

Owner: Pam Starr

Winemaker: Julie Robertson

About: Founded in 1997, Crocker & Starr Winery has grown from a visionary partnership into a thriving, values-driven team with more than 30 years of history in crafting exceptional wines and memorable experiences. What began with founders Pam Starr and Charlie Crocker evolved into a modern estate rooted in authenticity, sustainability, innovation, and genuine connection.

In our first decade, Pam and Charlie established the foundation for our legacy—creating world-class wines that earned the respect of top sommeliers and passionate wine lovers. The second decade expanded that vision: our team deepened our commitment to organic farming, elevated our hospitality experience, and broadened our estate wine portfolio. We closed this era with a major milestone: moving into our Napa Green–certified winery on the estate, further aligning our practices with our environmental values.

Now at the end of our third decade, we continue to raise the bar. With the arrival of winemaker Julie Robertson and the leadership of President and now Partner Cyrus Hazzard, we are embracing new ideas, deepening our craft, and shaping the next era of our winery.

Across the estate, our commitment remains unwavering: exceptional quality, from soil to glass. Every member of the Crocker & Starr team shares a unified vision and a collaborative drive to innovate, inspire, and deliver extraordinary experiences. Our past shapes us, our present motivates us, and our future is brighter than ever.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Cab Franc for its fabulous non-fruited-ness.

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? My first undiscovered grape was in the 1980s, and it was Colombard as a wine, not for a distillate. I was working full-time for Carmenet Winery (winery partner of Chalone Wine group), and during harvest, a delivery of Colombard grapes from Calistoga arrived for us to whole cluster press and barrel ferment. Typically, Chalone Winery would produce this wine, but our location in Sonoma proved to be more sensible. From a distillation class, I learned that Colombard was used to make brandy. And I learned by barrel fermenting Colombard sur lies aging that the resulting wine had aromas of flowers, apples, and nuts with texture.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? They offer flavors for tasting outside the ‘box’.