Alexander Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Crux Winery with a Private Chauffeur
Small-batch Rhône wines poured by the two friends who grow and make them, in a barrel room outside Geyserville, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Steve Gower and Brian Callahan met as neighbors in 2003, and a friendship built over shared bottles turned them into home winemakers. Neither came from the wine business, but in 2012 they made it official and founded Crux. The name means the essence, the most important part of something.
Crux is a Rhône specialist. Steve and Brian farm three acres of estate vines near their homes in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley, just south of Healdsburg, and buy from neighboring growers, making 1,000 to 1,200 cases a year: Grenache Blanc, Viognier, a GSM rosé and red blend, Grenache, Syrah (also as a port-style wine), Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre and a little Zinfandel. They work with a light hand, fermenting reds with native yeast in small fermenters and using oak with restraint, in a leased winery that gives them control from grape to glass.
The visit is the reason to come: Steve and Brian lead every tasting themselves in the Crux Barrel Room, pouring 6 to 8 wines over about an hour and talking through varieties, blending, vineyard sites and vintages. Guests leave with an insider's view of how a two-person winery works. Crux also hosts blending parties and winemaker dinners, and will bring the wine to your house for a group tasting.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Tastings are complimentary for Crux Club members.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
18850 Hassett Lane, Building C, Geyserville
AVA
Alexander Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, arranged by email or phone. Hours are not published; we arrange the visit on your behalf and confirm times when booking.
Known For
Small-batch Rhône-style wines: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Viognier and GSM blends
Founded
2012
Good to Know
Tastings are led by the owners and last about an hour. Crux Club members taste free. House Tastings bring Steve or Brian to your home for 15 to 20 friends, and virtual tastings are available by request.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Trio or Hotel Healdsburg.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Trio or Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Trio, on Dry Creek Road on the north side of Healdsburg, is about 15 minutes from Crux, and Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, about 20. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Crux Winery
An appointment tasting of 6 to 8 Rhône wines with the owners, about an hour; the fee is confirmed when we book.
12:00 · Unti Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. George and Linda Unti planted their Dry Creek Valley vineyards in 1990 and farm them organically, growing Italian and Rhône varieties such as Sangiovese, Barbera, Grenache and Fiano. You choose six wines, and your host explains where each grape comes from in Europe ($25). By reservation, daily; tastings start on the hour.
1:15 · Lunch at Diavola
About 15 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in a historic building on Geyserville Avenue, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · Seaton Family Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. Hugh and Ruth Seaton bought this Dry Creek Valley ranch in 1966, and their son Buzz still farms it; the family pours, with sweeping views over the vineyard. The Seaton Family Wine Tasting of six wines is $20. By reservation, made by phone.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:10 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Unti's tastings start on the hour, so we arrive a few minutes early for the noon seating. Crux and Seaton are by appointment and we confirm both when booking.
About $45 per person for Unti and Seaton; Crux's tasting fee is to be verified upon reservation.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need an appointment at Crux Winery?
Yes. Tastings in the Crux Barrel Room are by appointment only. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Crux Winery?
Crux does not publish its tasting fee, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation. Tastings are complimentary for Crux Club members.
Who pours the wine at Crux?
The owners and winemakers, Steve Gower and Brian Callahan, lead the tastings themselves.
What kind of wine does Crux make?
Rhône varieties: Grenache Blanc, Viognier, GSM rosé and red blends, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Mourvèdre, plus a little Zinfandel, in small batches of 1,000 to 1,200 cases a year.
Where do the Crux grapes come from?
From the owners' estate vineyards in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley, just south of Healdsburg, and nearby growers. The barrel room where they pour is on Hassett Lane outside Geyserville.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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