Chris Christensen came to wine sideways. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he had no family wine background and no obvious path into winemaking. A wine tasting trip to Sonoma during his junior year at Stanford changed the trajectory. He taught himself, built a brand, made America's first sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, and kept pushing. Where's Linus? is his expression of something more free-form, made through the importer Jenny and Francois Selections for the natural wine market.
Backstory
Christensen founded Bodkin Wines in 2011, at first producing sparkling Sauvignon Blanc at a time when very few California producers were exploring that direction. The brand built a reputation for technical precision combined with unexpected ideas. In 2017 the San Francisco Chronicle named him a Winemaker to Watch, and in 2020 Wine Enthusiast selected him for their 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list. Where's Linus? emerged as a collaboration with the Jenny and Francois importer network as a lower-intervention expression of his winemaking sensibility, available throughout the United States.
The Region
Christensen works primarily from Sonoma and Lake County, California, sourcing certified organic fruit from established growers. Lake County, east of Mendocino and north of Napa, is increasingly recognized for its high-altitude vineyards and naturally crisp Sauvignon Blanc, grown at elevations that preserve aromatics and acidity without winemaking tricks. The volcanic soils of Clear Lake's surrounding hills add a distinctive mineral quality to the wines.
Vineyards and Farming
Where's Linus? sources from certified organic vineyards, working with growers who share a commitment to clean farming. The Sauvignon Blanc comes from Lake County growers who farm at altitude, allowing natural acidity to develop without acidification in the cellar. Christensen seeks sites where the terroir does the work, leaving the cellar role as light as possible.
Winemaking
The Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts, aged sur lie, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The Orange wine is made with extended skin contact before fermentation in tank. No fining agents and minimal or no sulfur are added. The approach keeps flavors transparent and the wines alive with micro-oxygen and natural microbial activity.
The Wines
The Where's Linus? lineup includes a Sauvignon Blanc, an Orange wine, a Rosé, and a Red, each expressing California's range through a minimal-intervention lens. The Sauvignon Blanc has been particularly praised, earning multiple 90-plus scores from Wine Enthusiast. Beyond the wines, Christensen uses his platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the wine industry, mentoring aspiring winemakers of color and speaking at industry events about representation.