Henry Walker Crabb facts for kids
Henry Walker Crabb, also known as H. W. Crabb, was an important American wine grower. He is considered one of the first people to help develop the Napa Valley into a famous wine region. In the 1880s, his collection of grapevines was one of the biggest in the world.
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Early Life of H. W. Crabb
Henry Walker Crabb was born on January 1, 1828, in Jefferson County, Ohio. He was the oldest son of Henry and Esther Walker Crabb. In 1840, his family moved to Adams County, Ohio. Later, in 1853, he moved to San Lorenzo, California, to start a new life.
Building a Wine Empire
Crabb once said about the name To-Kalon, "I try to make it mean the boss vineyard."
In 1865, Henry Crabb moved to Napa. Three years later, he bought land near Oakville, close to the Napa River. He even sold some of this land to help build a railroad station. His first farm, called Hermosa Vineyard, grew grapes for eating and for making raisins.
In 1872, Crabb started a new vineyard and winery named "To-Kalon." This name comes from a Greek phrase meaning "the call of beauty." By 1877, he had planted about 130 acres of grapevines. He was producing 50,000 gallons of wine each year! By the late 1880s, his vineyard had grown to cover 1,100 acres.
Crabb's Amazing Grape Collection
Henry Crabb's collection of grapevines was truly special. It was one of the largest in the world at that time, with more than 400 different types of grapes. Because of his success, the Chicago Herald newspaper called him the "Wine King of the Pacific Slope."
Crabb loved to experiment. He tried over 400 different grape varieties to find out which ones grew best in the Napa Valley area. Some of the grapes he worked with included Zinfandel, Burgundy, Petite Syrah, Beclan, Cauche Noir, Cabernet, Riesling, Pinot Chardonay, Muscatelle, and Sauterne. One type of grape, the Refosco or Mondeuse, was sometimes called Crabb's Black Burgundy before a time known as Prohibition in California. His Zinfandel wines even won awards at big events like the San Francisco Midwinter Fair in 1894 and the Alaska-Yukon Exposition in 1909.
Henry Crabb also worked with another early California winegrower, John Lewelling. Together, they found a way to ship grapes using ice to keep them fresh. Crabb sent his wine in boxes and in large amounts to different places. He had sales offices in New Orleans, the Midwest, and the East Coast.
After Crabb's Time
Henry Crabb passed away in 1899. After his death, his To-Kalon estate was owned by the E. W. Churchill family until 1943. Then, Martin Stelling bought it. Today, most of Crabb's original To-Kalon land is owned by the famous Robert Mondavi winery. Other parts of the To-Kalon land are owned by Opus One Winery, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Detert Family Vineyards, MacDonald, and the University of California.
