CrossBarn is named for a small barn wedged between the horse stable and the main barn on the Hobbs family's 150-year-old fruit farm in Niagara County, New York — the meeting spot for Paul Hobbs and his ten siblings. It was on that farm that his father had him taste apples of the same variety from orchards a few miles apart, an early lesson in site expression that shaped his career. Hobbs was hired by Robert Mondavi for his understanding of oak aging, joined the inaugural Opus One winemaking team, ran winemaking at Simi, then launched his namesake Sebastopol winery in 1991 and Viña Cobos in Argentina. He started CrossBarn in 2000 with a single small lot of Cabernet Sauvignon, later adding Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; the wines draw on the same sustainably farmed Sonoma and Napa sites as the estate program at a more accessible tier.