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Henry Walker Crabb, also known as H. W. Crabb, Hiram Walker Crabb or Hamilton Walker Crabb, (January 1, 1828 – 1899) was a pioneer American wine cultivator, considered one of the pioneers of the development of the 
Napa Valley
Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
as a wine region. In the 1880s, his vine collection was one of the largest in the world.
Early years
He was born inJefferson County, Ohio
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,249. Its county seat is Steubenville. The county is named for Thomas Jefferson, who was vice president at the time of its creation.
...
on January 1, 1828, the eldest son of Henry and Esther Walker Crabb. In 1840, the family relocated to Adams County, Ohio
Adams County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,477. Its county seat is West Union. The county is named after John Adams, the second President of the United States.
Geography
According to the ...
, until 1853, when he settled in San Lorenzo, California
San Lorenzo ( Spanish for "St. Lawrence") is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 29,581 at the 2020 census. It is an unincorpora ...
.
Career
In 1865, he moved to Napa. Three years later, he bought land near Oakville, close to theNapa River
The Napa River is a river approximately long in the U.S. state of California. It drains a famous wine-growing region called the Napa Valley, in the mountains north of the San Francisco Bay. Milliken Creek and Mt. Veeder watersheds are a few ...
; and sold some of that land in the same year to build the railroad depot. His early establishment, Hermosa Vineyard, produced table grapes and raisins. In 1872, Crabb established a vineyard and winery named "To-Kalon", (Greek: "the call of beauty") and by 1877 had planted and was producing 50,000 US gallons of wine per year. By the later half of the 1880s, the vineyard covered 1,100 acres. Crabb's collection of vines was one of the largest in the world at that time, including more than 400 varieties; in the following decade, he was referred to as the "Wine King of the Pacific Slope" by the '' Chicago Herald''.
Crabb experimented with over 400 grape varieties to find the types best suited for the area, including Zinfandel, Burgundy, Petite Syrah, Beclan, Cauche Noir, Cabernet, Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
, Pinot Chardonay, Muscatelle and Sauterne. The Refosco
Refosco is a very old family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the Venetian zone and neighbouring areas of Friuli, Gavi, Trentino, Istria, and Karst Plateau.
or Mondeuse
Mondeuse noire () is a red French wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Savoy region of eastern France. The grape can also be found in Argentina, Australia, California, Switzerland and Sicily. Plantings of Mondeuse noire was hit ...
was occasionally referred to as Crabb's Black Burgundy prior to Prohibition in California. His Zinfandels received awards at the San Francisco Midwinter Fair (1894) and at the Alaska-Yukon Exposition (gold medal, 1909). Along with another one of California's early winegrower, John Lewelling, Crabb developed a method for shipping grapes on ice. With agencies in New Orleans, the Midwest and the East, Crabb shipped his wine in cases and in bulk.
After Crabb's death in 1899 of apoplexy
Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...
, the estate was owned by the E. W. Churchill family until 1943, when it was bought by Martin Stelling. Most of Crabb's To-Kalon acreage is now owned by the Robert Mondavi
Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913 – May 16, 2008) was an American winemaker. His technical and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi promoted label ...
winery. The remaining To-Kalon acreage is owned by the Opus One Winery, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Detert Family Vineyards, MacDonald and the University of California.
References
Further reading
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crabb, Henry Walker American winemakers 1828 births 1899 deaths People from Jefferson County, Ohio History of Napa County, California People from San Lorenzo, California People from Adams County, Ohio 19th-century American businesspeople