Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery

Honoring the men of The Crash

The memory of The Crash sticks with Howie to this day. Only a couple years later, Howie joined the United States Military and served in the National Guard. He continues to humbly thank those in military service and veterans for protecting and serving their country. He and his daughter Cindy commemorated the site of The Crash with a tall American flag, now rising up in the middle of one of their estate vineyard blocks.

A Living Site in the Vineyard

Each year, the soil of the vineyard is tilled, and for hundreds of feet surrounding the entry point of the plane, scattered debris can be found. Some of these pieces are in the Steinbeck tasting room, where Cindy put together a display telling the story of The Crash.

“The Crash” — Our Red Blend

In 2006, when Cindy was creating the Steinbeck Wine brand, she asked her dad what they should name their red blend. He asked if they could name it The Crash to commemorate the event and honor the men. Since its naming, it has been donated to several military functions, special dinners, and charities.

This wine helps us to tell the story of the five brave military men, one of whom lost his life, of The Crash of April 11, 1956. It is crafted each year as a tribute to their story, interwoven into the history of our land and family in Paso Robles.