La Crema Named American Winery of the Year

It’s official—we’ve been named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. To say we’re thrilled doesn’t capture the significance of this award for La Crema. This honor isn’t just about one great vintage or a lucky popularity streak. It’s a recognition of what we have stood for and worked toward over the past 40+ years, and how we are helping shape the future of wine. The values and goals that motivate La Crema every day are, asWine Enthusiast says, checking “every box imaginable”: crafting wines that consistently express the best of cool-climate vineyards, being a leader in sustainability, creating innovative tasting experiences, forging a dynamic partnership with the WNBA, and building a diverse community of wine lovers spanning multiple generations.

When the Jackson family acquired La Crema in the early ‘90s, it was with a belief in dreaming big (our entrepreneurial energy is intense) and an unwavering commitment to wine quality. If you’ll indulge us for a moment as we look back on how the family cultivated La Crema, we think Jenny Jackson Hartford summed it up best:

“Reflecting on La Crema’s journey over the past four decades fills me with immense pride and gratitude. When my father, Jess Jackson, and Barbara Banke acquired La Crema in 1993, my husband, Don Hartford, with my sister Laura and I, set out on a mission to craft wines that truly express the essence of cool-climate vineyards. We were hands-on in those early days, managing operations, building the winery where we still make wine today, and sharing our passion with wine lovers across the country. Today, our entire family champions that same vision, and this recognition as American Winery of the Year feels especially meaningful. It’s a tribute to all we’ve built together and a testament to the commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation that my father inspired in us. This honor is shared with our dedicated winemaking team, our partners, and our loyal customers who have been part of this incredible journey with us from the beginning.”  

Your Award, Too

Being named 2024 American Winery of the Year at the 25th annual Wine Star Awards is also a toast to you, our customers. Our fans are integral to the way we show up in the world. You have great taste and recognize quality, so we’re able to maintain integrity in grapegrowing and winemaking. You believe in optimism, kindness, and beauty, so we bring a little sparkle to everything we do. You are up for having fun while pushing boundaries, so our partnership with the WNBA has been a great success. You’re as concerned about the Earth’s wellbeing as we are, so we keep making it possible to drink sustainably.

HOW WE EARNED THE 2024 WINE STAR AWARD

If you love the wine but don’t know much more about La Crema, here is the backbone behind the bottle:

Recognized Market Leadership and Portfolio Diversification 

We believe in making wine that is both exceptional and approachable. Over the years, La Crema has grown into a household name while holding onto the artistry and quality that first built our reputation in Sonoma County. Evidence of that quality: Over fifty 90+ point scores from Wine Enthusiast in the last five years alone—15 of which we earned last year—and a slew of high scores and accolades from other critics. Our core crowd-pleasers, like the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Monterey Pinot Noir, are beloved by customers and wine reviewers alike.

But we’re also evolving to meet the changing tastes of wine drinkers now, and we push consumers into new territory. Millennials, who make up 40% of our loyal buyers, have an appetite for discovery. That’s why we’ve expanded beyond our Burgundian-style roots by introducing additional varietiesals, including Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fun fact: More than half of the people who tried our Sauvignon Blanc in 2023 were tasting this variety for the very first time.

With over 60,000 retail and restaurant placements nationwide (thank you, hardworking sales and education teams) we’re making it easy for wine lovers to bring La Crema into their everyday lives. And thanks to our incredible winemaking team, led by Craig McAllister, Lisa Valtenbergs, and Eric Johannsen, we’re always innovating while staying true to our roots. Curious about the new Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon? Take a deep sip here. 

Putting Ourselves Out There 

We love bringing people into the world of La Crema, but we know that not everyone can make the trip to our Russian River Valley tasting room. That’s why we created the Tasting Room Experience tour—it’s like a tasting room on wheels, coming to a city near you! Look for the black-and-white striped awning.

This creative approach takes us to iconic events like the Kentucky Derby, ExpoXPO Chicago, and Pride celebrations across the U.S., where we poured nearly 70,000 wine samples last year alone. Wine Enthusiast praised our outreach as “pioneering new ways of bringing [the] products straight to the public.”

The tour is an incredibly fun way for us to share the craft of wine while seeing the country and participating in communities.

Through the tour, we’ve reached four times the number of guests we would normally welcome at our estate tasting room. And the impact goes beyond those who come and taste our wines. Events like Head of the Charles and San Francisco Pride generated nearly 50 million online impressions of La Crema in one year.

See where we traveled in 2024 and where we are going in 2025 here.

A First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership With The WNBA 

It’s no secret that we like to move things forward while celebrating excellence, and our collaboration with the WNBA is a slam dunk. As the league’s first official wine partner, we’re bringing La Crema to basketball fans—and bringing La Crema fans to the great game of basketball.

The WNBA is more than elite athletes—who we have the honor of supplying with wine. It’s a cultural force that touches into fashion, music, history, and advocacy. The WNBA is a rich intersection of talent and values that is a synergistic match for the world of La Crema.

This partnership gives us a chance to connect with Gen Z and Millennials, who are driving the WNBA’s momentum. For these generations, wine isn’t just a drink, it’s a form of self-expression. Learn more about the collaboration here. 

Allyship and Advocacy at the Forefront 

As longtime champions of Pride, we partner with LGBTQ+ organizations like Equality California and Out in the Vineyard. This year, we served as the official wine sponsor for San Francisco, Miami, and Palm Springs Pride celebrations, connecting with over 1.42 million people. At Expo Chicago, our sponsorship resulted in Cuban American painter Nereida Garcia-Ferraz becoming the inaugural La Crema Purchase Prize winner. She later visited our tasting room for a joyful discussion with wine club members about her work and being a gay artist, as we unveiled two of her paintings as part of our permanent collection.

Wine Enthusiast noted that advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion is part of what makes us so relevant. We strongly and openly support issues we care about, and we don’t shrink from allyship. The data shows that our initiatives resonate with younger consumers—especially Gen Z—who appreciate values-driven brands. Check out our Pride page here.

As a women-led company, La Crema has consistently elevated women’s voices in wine and business. Our current chairman and proprietor, Barbara Banke, has been a driving force behind establishing new vineyard locations and growing the brand. In the second generation, Laura Jackson Giron and Jenny Jackson Hartford have been instrumental in setting the winery up for long-term success. Now, Katie Jackson, Julia Jackson and Hailey Jackson Hartford Murray carry forward the family’s work in environmental stewardship, pushing the wine industry to take action for a greener future, not only with lower impact farming but also through implementing sustainable solutions in the cellar.

A Sustainable Future from the Ground Up 

Sustainability isn’t just an initiative—it’s woven into all our decision-making. Particularly as a family-owned company, we genuinely think long-term and want to do what is best for all people and the planet. Sustainability is also better for our craft. As our winemaker Craig McAllister says, “If the land is healthier, the grapes are going to be healthier, and our ferments will be healthier. If we are able to grow grapes for hundreds of years, all these efforts now are really going to pay off.”

From regenerative farming at Saralee’s Vineyard to boldly working toward a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, we’re all-in on making this a multigenerational business. Saralee’s Vineyard is a testbed for our most cutting-edge regenerative farming and has served as an innovation hub for experiments with cover crops, no-till farming, and solar energy.

Our innovative rainwater catchment systems are saving millions of gallons of water and solar panels offset 70% of our electricity use. La Crema wines reflect the care we put into preserving the earth for future generations.

Dig deeper on our sustainable practices.

CONSISTENCY AND LOOKING FORWARD

“La Crema” means “the best” and we have been doing our best for decades. Being chosen as American Winery of the Year feels like a celebration of the ways wine can transcend the bottle on the shelf. We are proud that our commitment to excellent wines, assertive sustainability practices, and cultural connection continues to set us apart.

The spirit of La Crema not only resonates with the next generation of wine drinkers—it inspires the crew that keeps the winery humming every day. “Quality and consistency are the bywords,” says McAllister. “For everyone who joins us, whether as a seasonal worker for harvest or a permanent employee, quality always comes first. That echoes through the whole team.”

Want to read the full story behind La Crema’s recognition as American Winery of the Year? Learn more about our journey and the award from Wine Enthusiast’s coverage.