Crossbarn's Next Chapter: Sean McKenzie Brings Big-Winery Experience to Paul Hobbs' Family Legacy
After overseeing some of the wine industry's largest projects, Sean McKenzie is embracing a smaller stage where every detail matters—and where Paul Hobbs' pursuit of perfection already set the standar
When Paul Hobbs launched Crossbarn, he wasn’t trying to create a second label that lived in the shadow of his flagship wines. He was telling a family story.
The winery takes its name from the cross-shaped barn on the Hobbs family farm in Niagara County, New York, where Paul and his 10 siblings gathered while growing up. It was there, among orchards, that Hobbs first learned a lesson that would define his career: fruit of the same variety could taste dramatically different depending on where it was grown.
That fascination with terroir eventually led to one of California’s most respected wine portfolios. Crossbarn began modestly, with a single small lot of Cabernet Sauvignon, but has grown into a collection of wines that express some of Sonoma County’s most celebrated vineyards.
Now, the winery enters a new chapter with Sean McKenzie, whose résumé couldn’t be more different from the intimate scale of Crossbarn.
McKenzie spent more than two decades consulting and overseeing winemaking projects for some of the wine industry’s largest companies before arriving just a few miles down the road from Paul Hobbs Winery.
“It feels like coming full circle,” McKenzie said. “I learned the big-brand, big-business side of winemaking, and now I get to focus completely on quality and attention to detail.”
Those details matter.
McKenzie laughs when describing his first impressions of Crossbarn’s cellar.
“Paul pays more attention to detail than anyone,” he said. “Every valve on every tank points the same way. Every hose is wrapped the same way. It looks more like a hospital than a winery.”
For McKenzie, that meticulous culture felt instantly familiar.
“My house looks like that,” he joked.
After years overseeing dozens of simultaneous projects involving production, research, packaging and finance, McKenzie appreciates an environment where improvements can happen quickly rather than navigating layers of corporate structure.
“We’re always trying to improve things,” McKenzie said. “Ideas are welcome, discussion is welcome, data sharing is welcome.”
The changes, however, won’t be dramatic.
“No one should really notice them,” McKenzie said. “We’re just subtly moving the style where we feel it should be while maintaining what our customers love.”
That philosophy begins in the vineyard.
McKenzie repeatedly returned to the importance of harvesting balanced fruit instead of chasing ripeness.
“Acidity and balance comes from getting the crop size right, getting the sunlight exposure right and picking at the right time,” McKenzie said. “When grapes come in truly balanced, we don’t have to make many adjustments. We want to preserve what the fruit brings to the table.”
That restraint is evident throughout the Crossbarn lineup.
The Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($35) opens with bright citrus before revealing crisp green apple layered with jasmine, pear and stone fruit. Its lively acidity keeps every sip energetic and refreshing, showing remarkable purity.
