Seth was fast and furious on leaving his mark on the California wine industry. Joining Swanson at the age of 17, it was only three years before he was plucked to join the team at Caymus. And while working his way up the ranks, it was Seth that Chuck Wagner tasked with leading their new Pinot project which involved Chuck sending Seth to Burgundy for four months to bring back the secrets of high-density planting.
Never one to slow down, Seth left to start something of his own – LOLA – in 2008. His approach was incredibly refreshing. “I wanted to stand for quality. I wanted to make wines that have integrity and purity at good price points that I could afford to drink.”
The critics took notice.
“Seth Cripe set out to make a range of delicious, affordable wines. The Lola wines are fresh, bright and made without a lot of fanfare, all of which make them ideal for informal drinking.”
— Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
At 22 bucks it’s another sensational value from Seth to drink over the coming couple of years.
— Jeb Dunnuck
Seth never really had to struggle to sell his wines. You see, Seth’s side hustle is one of the hottest restaurant caviar brands (served at The French Laundry, Per Se, Meadowood, Bottega, Marea, Boulud, etc …) and his amazingly priced small production Chardonnay was gobbled up upon release.