Chris Loxton is the fourth generation to grow grapes, but the first to make wine. The family vineyard sits in the Riverland of South Australia, on land first planted in the 1890s. The early years were tied to grapes for the dried-fruit industry, but over time the plantings turned to Grenache, Mataro, Carignane, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In early 2016, Chris's father, Bob Loxton, completed what was nearing his 70th harvest — growing almost 200 tons of Cabernet, Shiraz and Chardonnay.
Although Chris decided to become a winemaker sometime in high school — and made a few home wines before graduate school — a PhD in physics interrupted the dream. What was meant to be a year of post-doctoral work at Penn State became nearly two years at Arizona State, followed by eight years as a research scientist at the University of Illinois Materials Research Lab in Champaign-Urbana.
The road back to wine
A year at UC Davis to study enology was followed by harvest-intern positions at Quivira in Dry Creek, St. Hallett in Australia, and Sonoma-Cutrer in the Russian River — before Chris decided, in 1995, to remain in California. A full-time winemaking position at Wellington Vineyards that year led to the first Loxton Cellars wine in 1996, made after hours as a side project.
That side project became the main focus in 2000, after Chris left Wellington, and winemaking moved to its current Glen Ellen location in 2004.
The emphasis has remained on handmade wines, made without compromise, from some of Sonoma's best vineyards.
Today, that means roughly 3,000 cases a year — Syrah and Shiraz first and foremost, alongside Zinfandel, Grenache, Chardonnay and an award-winning Port — all made as naturally as possible, so the wine can speak of the place it came from.