Hook & Ladder is named for a career — specifically, Cecil DeLoach's 17 years as a San Francisco firefighter. But the winery's roots go much deeper than that. In 1970, Cecil and his wife Christine purchased the historic Barbieri Ranch on Olivet Road in Russian River Valley, a vineyard whose vines dated back to 1905. Neither had a background in farming. They took classes, read everything they could find, and leaned on neighboring growers. It worked. By 1975, DeLoach Vineyards was open and Cecil and Christine had become leading voices in defining the Russian River Valley appellation — Christine helping draft the petition for its official recognition in 1983.

After selling DeLoach Vineyards in 2003, the family didn't slow down. That same year, they launched Hook & Ladder Winery just down the road on Olivet Road, continuing to farm more than 148 acres of sustainably-managed vineyards. The name honors Cecil's firefighting past; the tasting room walls are covered in t-shirts and patches from fire stations around the world.

Hook & Ladder is an estate producer — every wine sourced from the family's own sustainably-farmed vineyards in Russian River Valley and its Chalk Hill sub-appellation. The portfolio spans Pinot Noir, Old Vine Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bordeaux-style blends, all produced in small, site-specific lots.

Winemaker Jason DeLoach grew up on the original Barbieri Ranch trailing his grandfather through the vines. He joined DeLoach Vineyards full time after high school, studied enology at UC Davis and viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College, and worked a harvest in Chile before returning to carry the family's winemaking philosophy forward. His approach is direct: great wine is made in the vineyard, and the cellar's job is to get out of the way. Every wine is hands-on, site-specific, and built to tell the story of the block it came from.

Cecil and Christine DeLoach founded Hook & Ladder in 2003 after pioneering the Russian River Valley wine movement for three decades. Both remain involved at the winery. Co-owner Clint Severson, a neighbor and longtime friend of the DeLoach family, joined as a partner — his family's Severson Ranch still supplies grapes for Hook & Ladder's Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer. Jason DeLoach, Cecil's grandson, serves as winemaker and has overseen 28 harvests. The winery is now in its third generation of family stewardship.