TONY CRAIG NETWORK - scmwine/Wineries GitHub Wiki

Tony Craig Winemaking Network

Overview

Tony Craig (Anthony Craig) is a former Shakespearean actor from Newcastle, England who has become a central figure in Santa Cruz Mountains winemaking, simultaneously making wines for multiple labels and vineyards. His network represents one of the most interconnected winemaking operations in the region.

The Network

Tony Craig - Central Figure

Background:

Former Shakespearean actor (hence "Sonnet" label name)
From Newcastle, England
Entered wine industry through David Bruce Winery

Career Timeline:

1990s-2001: Winemaker at David Bruce Winery (12 years)
- Led Pinot Noir vineyard designation program
2001: Founded Sonnet Wine Cellars (his own label)
2003-present: Winemaker at Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards
2018-present: Winemaker at Silver Mountain Vineyards
Active: Makes Tondré Wines

The Interconnected Properties

1. Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards (2003-present)

Location: 23600 Congress Springs Road, Saratoga
Owners: Michael and Kellie Ballard (1996-present)
Tony Craig's Role: Winemaker (2003-present)
Wines: Estate Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Carignane, Chardonnay

Site History:

Pre-Prohibition: Known as Ville de Monmartre
Historic vines: Head-pruned Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc from before Prohibition
1976-1990: Congress Springs Vineyards (Daniel Gehrs)
Early 1990s: Sold to British corporation
1992-1996: Owned by Mariana family
1996-present: Ballard family renamed Savannah-Chanelle

2. Silver Mountain Vineyards (2018-present)

Location: 269 Silver Mountain Drive, Los Gatos (winery); 328D Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz (tasting room)
Owner/Founder: Jerold O'Brien (1979-present)
Tony Craig's Role: Winemaker (2018-present, took over from O'Brien on 40th harvest)
Elevation: 2,100 feet
Vineyard: 18 acres, certified organic since 1980
Wines: Mount Eden clone Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot (estate); plus vineyard designates

History:

1972: O'Brien discovered abandoned 18-acre orchard
1979: First vintage (350 cases Zinfandel)
1980: Certified organic
1989: Loma Prieta earthquake destroyed original winery
1995: Reconstruction completed
2018: Tony Craig took over winemaking
2025: Acquired Woodside Vineyards label

3. Sonnet Wine Cellars (2001-present)

Owner/Winemaker: Tony Craig
Founded: 2001 (while at David Bruce)
Focus: Vineyard-designated Pinot Noir
Wines:
- Pinot Noir from Muns Vineyard (Santa Cruz Mountains) - "most austere with greatest aging potential"
- Pinot Noir from Kruse Vineyard (York Mountain)
- Pinot Noir from Amber Ridge (Russian River Valley)
- Pinot Noir from Tondré Grapefield (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Significance: Some of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in California

4. Tondré Wines

Winemaker: Tony Craig
Made at: Silver Mountain facilities

5. Muns Vineyard (Fruit Source)

Owners: Ed Muns, Mary Lindsay
Elevation: 2,600 feet (one of highest in country; probably highest Pinot Noir)
Size: 13.5 acres (12.5 acres Pinot Noir, 1 acre Syrah)
Winemakers over time: Peter Bargetto, Paul Bargetto, Jon Morgan (2003-04), Tony Craig (2005-present)
Production: 200 cases
First Vintage: 2003

History:

1970s: Pine tree farm
1980s: Previous owner planted Pinot, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot but abandoned project
Late 1990s: Ed Muns began refurbishing
1998: First new Pinot vines planted
2006: Sales licenses issued
2007: Sales began

Fruit sold to:

Silver Mountain
Sonnet (Tony Craig's label)
Soquel Vineyards

The Congress Springs Lineage

Congress Springs → Savannah-Chanelle

Congress Springs Vineyards (1976-1990):

Founder/Winemaker: Daniel Gehrs (and wife Robin)
Discovered: Derelict mountain vineyard with pre-Prohibition head-pruned Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc
Location: Congress Springs Road
Peak production: 25,000 cases annually
Known for:
- 1978 Pinot Noir from Novitiate vineyard (Spectator Selection)
- Chardonnay from San Ysidro District (regularly 90+ points)
- Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc from Novitiate
1989: Attempted second label "Chaine d'Or" (sparkling wines) - only known release was 1986 blanc de blancs
1990: Gehrs left; founded Daniel Gehrs Wines; moved to Santa Barbara County

Transition:

Early 1990s: Sold to British corporation
1992-1996: Mariana family
1996: Ballard family purchased and renamed Savannah-Chanelle
2003: Tony Craig joined as winemaker

The Tony Craig Multi-Label Model

Tony Craig operates a unique multi-winery model rare in California wine:

Simultaneous Positions:

Savannah-Chanelle - Employee winemaker (2003-present)
Silver Mountain - Employee winemaker (2018-present)
Sonnet - Own label (2001-present)
Tondré Wines - Custom crush at Silver Mountain

Why This Works:

Facility Sharing:

Sonnet and Tondré made at Silver Mountain facilities
Jerold O'Brien (Silver Mountain owner) allows custom crush

Non-Competing Focuses:

Savannah-Chanelle: Estate wines from Congress Springs Road property
Silver Mountain: Estate organic wines + vineyard designates
Sonnet: Premium vineyard-designated Pinot Noir (Craig's personal vision)
Tondré: Specific Santa Lucia Highlands focus

Shared Fruit Sources:

Muns Vineyard sells to both Silver Mountain and Sonnet
Craig can allocate different lots to different labels

Geographic Complementarity:

Santa Cruz Mountains (Savannah-Chanelle, Silver Mountain, Muns)
Plus access to Santa Lucia Highlands (Tondré), Russian River, York Mountain (Sonnet sources)

Key Relationships

People:

Tony Craig - Central winemaker
Jerold O'Brien - Silver Mountain owner/founder; mentored Craig; allows custom crush
Michael and Kellie Ballard - Savannah-Chanelle owners; employ Craig
Ed Muns - Muns Vineyard owner; works with Craig
Daniel Gehrs - Congress Springs founder; established Savannah-Chanelle's predecessor

Vineyards:

Muns Vineyard - Supplies Silver Mountain, Sonnet, Soquel
Silver Mountain estate - 18 acres, 2,100 feet, organic since 1980
Savannah-Chanelle estate - Pre-Prohibition vines, Congress Springs Road
Tondré Grapefield - Santa Lucia Highlands (Sonnet, Tondré Wines)
Miller Hill Vineyard - Silver Mountain Pinot source
Weideman Ranch - Silver Mountain Cabernet source

Wineries:

David Bruce Winery - Craig's early career (12 years); Pinot Noir program
Congress Springs - Predecessor to Savannah-Chanelle
Ville de Monmartre - Pre-Prohibition predecessor to both
Woodside Vineyards - Label acquired by Silver Mountain (2025)

Historical Significance

1. Winemaker Network Model

Tony Craig demonstrates a modern multi-winery model where a single talented winemaker:

Works for multiple employers simultaneously
Maintains own label(s)
Shares facilities through custom crush arrangements
Allocates fruit from shared sources

This model maximizes:

Winemaker income potential
Small winery access to top talent
Efficient use of facilities
Diversity of wine styles from single winemaker

2. Site Continuity

The network preserves multiple historic sites:

Savannah-Chanelle: Pre-Prohibition vines (Ville de Monmartre lineage)
Silver Mountain: 1979 founding, organic since 1980
Muns: 2,600-foot elevation site (highest Pinot Noir)

3. Pinot Noir Specialization

Craig's Sonnet label has become "some of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in California" - demonstrating Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot quality alongside Russian River, Santa Lucia Highlands, York Mountain.

4. Cross-Regional Sourcing

The network accesses fruit from:

Santa Cruz Mountains (Muns, estate vineyards)
Santa Lucia Highlands (Tondré)
Russian River Valley (Amber Ridge)
York Mountain (Kruse)
Santa Clara Valley (Weideman Ranch)

This demonstrates that winemaker vision can transcend single-site focus.

Geographic Concentration

All operations within Santa Cruz Mountains/Silicon Valley nexus:

Savannah-Chanelle: Saratoga (Congress Springs Road)
Silver Mountain: Los Gatos (winery), Santa Cruz (tasting room)
Muns Vineyard: Los Gatos
Sonnet: Los Gatos (mailing address)

Shared address: Both Silver Mountain tasting room (328D Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz) and Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard (334-A Ingalls Street) are on same street - suggests shared or adjacent facilities.

Timeline Summary

Year	Event
Pre-1920	Ville de Monmartre planted with Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc
1920-1933	Prohibition; vines abandoned
1972	Jerold O'Brien discovers future Silver Mountain site
1976	Daniel Gehrs founds Congress Springs; discovers pre-Prohibition vines
1979	Silver Mountain first vintage
1980	Silver Mountain certified organic
1990	Gehrs leaves Congress Springs
1990s	Tony Craig working at David Bruce (12 years total)
1996	Ballards purchase Congress Springs property; rename Savannah-Chanelle
Late 1990s	Ed Muns begins refurbishing Muns Vineyard
2001	Tony Craig founds Sonnet Wine Cellars
2003	Tony Craig joins Savannah-Chanelle as winemaker
2003	Muns Vineyard first vintage
2005	Tony Craig becomes winemaker for Muns Vineyard wines
2018	Tony Craig takes over winemaking at Silver Mountain (40th harvest)
2025	Silver Mountain acquires Woodside Vineyards label

Significance for Wiki Documentation

This network demonstrates:

Modern winemaking economics - Single winemaker across multiple labels
Facility sharing - Custom crush arrangements
Fruit allocation - Shared vineyard sources (Muns)
Site continuity - Pre-Prohibition vines still producing (Savannah-Chanelle)
Quality focus - Sonnet's "most sought-after" status
Organic pioneering - Silver Mountain certified 1980
Elevation extremes - Muns at 2,600 feet
Cross-regional expertise - Craig sources from 5+ appellations

Related Entries

People:

Wineries:

Vineyards:

Topic Pages:

Sources

Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards website
Silver Mountain Vineyards website
Sonnet Wine Cellars - Wine-Searcher, Appellation America
Muns Vineyard website
Congress Springs - Daniel Gehrs Wines story
Edible Monterey Bay: "43 Years at Silver Mountain"