The “Mad Crush” Chronicles a Century-Old Vineyard in San Luis Obispo County and the Central Coast’s Winemaking Heritage
Hailed as “the best wine book you’ve never read,” “The Mad Crush” has made a celebrated comeback this fall with a new, expanded second edition that enriches its cult legacy. This revised edition offers an additional 30 pages of storytelling and a fresh afterword by author Sean Weir, deepening the journey into San Luis Obispo County’s Arroyo Grande Valley and the heritage of California’s Central Coast winemaking.
Since its debut in 2015, “The Mad Crush” has captivated wine enthusiasts with its candid look at winemaking, offering a glimpse of the struggles and rewards of a singular vineyard endeavor. Now retitled “The Mad Crush: An Obscure California Vineyard and the Quest to Make One Great Wine,” the second edition dives deeper into the vineyard’s century-long story and the people determined to keep its legacy alive. Both humorous and touching, the memoir is a tribute to the resilience and spirit that define California’s winemaking culture.
Available now on Amazon in print ($14.99) and Kindle e-book ($11.99), and locally at Paso Robles’ Grapes & Grains and Spare Time Books, the memoir is also carried at Saucelito Canyon’s tasting room in San Luis Obispo, where the story began.
More than a winemaking guide, “The Mad Crush” is “an indomitable tale of mentorship, natural history, and the countercultural heritage of California,” says Weir. “This new edition weaves in additional details, remembrances, and anecdotes that make for an even richer reading experience.”
The story centers on the 1974 discovery of a forgotten Zinfandel vineyard in a remote California canyon. The vineyard had been abandoned for years before Bill Greenough, a young man from Montecito with a pick, shovel, and an ambitious dream, revived it. Trading his comfortable upbringing for rural life, Greenough spent 20 years tending to the historic vines, a journey culminating in a memorable 1995 harvest season. That year, Weir, then new to the vineyard, joined Greenough and an eclectic crew for a season that would shape his own life’s path and inspire the memoir.
Set in the upper Arroyo Grande Valley, “The Mad Crush” reveals the layers of history, challenges, and beauty inherent in making wine “the hard way.” From Greenough’s storytelling about the vineyard’s origins to tales of his bohemian life in Santa Barbara’s Mountain Drive community, the memoir captures a story rich with California’s rugged charm and colorful past.
As the 50th anniversary of Greenough’s restoration work approaches, the second edition of “The Mad Crush” offers readers the perfect way to relive, and savor, this remarkable winemaking journey.
