Winegrower

What do you get when you cross a cowboy with a Rhone Variety grape grower and winemaker? William Roan.

William 'Bill' Crawford, horseman, roper, rodeo champ, also happens to be one of the leading figures in the California Rhone variety movement, hence the name, William Roan. Bill has been farming Rhone varieties since 1970, all the while working to find the best combination of vine to rootstock, root stock to soil, grape to glass.

His passion for these grapes and the wines they produce has spawned McDowell. A winery dedicated to producing the finest Rhone variety wines possible in California. Bill has had a lot to work with; his vineyards situated in the McDowell Valley, offer both outstanding soils and climate. Already planted in McDowell Valley are some of the oldest Syrah, Grenache and Viognier vines in California. Various clonal selections planted on a variety of rootstocks, all there to help advance the knowledge of what works best in this region.

McDowell wines have for years been well known and respected across the country so for the younger vines, the winery has started a new label, William Roan. These wines are sourced from younger stock in the McDowell Valley and surrounding Mendocino County. They epitomize the attitude that most serious wine drinkers strive to live by; drink it now. Fresh and full of flavor, an excellent compliment to a wide variety of foods, the Shiraz and Viognier from. William Roan offer wines of outstanding quality at a very reasonable price. Best of all - they are truly delicious.