Camlow Cellars
Russian River Valley AVA
Two winemaker/grower friends team up to craft premium, small-lot Pinot Noir
Established in 2012 by friends Craig Strehlow and Alan Campbell, Camlow Cellars produces small-lot Pinot Noir from their estate vineyard and select other properties in the Green Valley of Sonoma's Russian River Valley. Camlow Cellars is a combination of Campbell and Strehlow and perfectly represents the partnership, collaboration and individual contributions that Craig and Alan bring to the winery.
Craig Strehlow is the former winegrower and winemaker for Keefer Ranch and Keefer Ranch Wines. For thirteen years, he managed the vineyard and crafted a single vineyard Pinot Noir, that among other notable wines from the property, helped gain the vineyard great recognition among Pinot Noir fans near and far. Keefer Ranch is located in the heart of Green Valley, a region that is defined by the fog - usually the first place where the fog comes in through the Petaluma Gap, and the last place where the fog burns off, making it the coolest and foggiest part of the Russian River Valley. Pinot Noirs grown in this area are defined by their ripe cherry and cranberry flavors with lively acidity, soft tannins, and beautiful structure. It's no wonder that Craig chooses to continue producing Pinot Noir for Camlow Cellars from this tiny but extremely distinctive region.
Alan Campbell is a Sonoma County native and local photographer who, for the past twenty-seven years, has focused on capturing the beauty and romance of wine country. Alan has also dabbled in gardening, farming, winemaking, and wine growing and currently owns and manages a small four-acre Pinot Noir vineyard in Graton (Green Valley) named Big Pig Vineyard - named after his affinity for all things pork - and it is also the estate vineyard for Camlow Cellars. Alan and Craig produce a single vineyard Pinot Noir from this site called Magna Porcum and a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with fruit from Big Pig and other nearby Green Valley vineyards.
The luxury of doing all their own farming and winemaking allows Craig and Alan the flexibility to make the best picking and blending decisions for Camlow Cellars. The winery is truly a team effort through and through, sharing winemaking responsibilities and collaborating on all final blends for Camlow Cellars wines.
Although still in its infancy with just three vintage releases, Camlow Cellars is off to an incredibly strong start building its award-winning reputation and gaining a presence within the community of Green Valley wine producers.
Craig Strehlow & Alan Campbell - Winemakers
Camlow Cellars wines are made by Craig Strehlow with input from Alan Campbell. Their aim is to craft wines that have a sense of balance and place, good acidity, ripe tannins, and rich fruit (with a hint of French Oak). They strive to let the fruit and vintage speak by using low input winemaking and not too much new oak. By controlling the farming as well, Craig and Alan can closely manage every detail from grape to glass and what the consumer receives is a truly handcrafted product. Their shared winemaking philosophy and passion for crafting premium, site-driven wines from Green Valley makes for a very successful partnership.
