Category: Wine

wine reviews, wine events, and all things wine related


Sep
2017

Adobe Road 2013 Bavarian Lion Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

categories: Booze, Wine

Besides the fact that it has a cool name, Bavarian Lion Vineyard in the Knight’s Valley AVA (also a pretty awesome name) of Sonoma County is one of the most ideal spots for growing the heat-loving Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Here, in the crevice of the Vacas Mountain, the vineyard is unaffected by maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean. The warm climate combined with the less-fertile volcanic soils that make up the terroir means that the vines produce smaller berries rich with concentrated flavors — not unlike those found in France’s Bordeaux region, where Cab was first crowned king.

Learn more about Cabernet Sauvignon

Adobe Road crafts a wine that expresses the true nature of these grapes — austere in its youth, but with a deep-rooted maturity that means wine lovers can enjoy this Cabernet Sauvignon today and for many years to come.

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Sep
2017

Adobe Road 2014 Kemp Vineyard Zinfandel

categories: Booze, Wine

“There isn’t always a need for speed in my life,” says Kevin Buckler, professional race car driver and owner and founder of Adobe Road Wines. Often when we hear about professional athletes starting a winery business, we assume that their involvement is fairly hands-off, providing the financial backing and maybe some creative influences. Not so with Buckler, who since opening Adobe Road in 2002 has insisted on having “uncompromising access and control” to every wine produced. As such, he, along with his team, stomp the vineyard grounds, taste test every barrel, and collectively decide when perfection has been met. Yes, a slow, steady, meticulous process that slows the racer down. The result is that Adobe Roads crafts quite hearty, structural wines that act as a steady journey, lasting the length of a meal and well into the night beyond. 

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Sep
2017

Adobe Road 2014 Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

What do fast cars and fine wines have in common? If you’re Kevin Buckler — owner and founder of The Racers Group (TRG), TRG-Aston Martin Racing and Adobe Road Winery — then everything. A passionate professional race car driver, Buckler created TRG in 1992, and has gone on to win multiple awards including an overall win and 4 class wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the title of 2002 Porsche World Cup Champion. But Buckler couldn’t leave his passion for wine in the dust — in 2002 he and his wife, Debra, opened Adobe Road Winery which has also gone on to score big points with big-named critics.

Like custom building the perfect race car, Buckler knows that crafting the perfect wines requires all the the right parts. This means, above all else, access to good grapes. “We work hard to make sure each bottle of Adobe Road wine showcases the best attributes of each individual vineyard,” says Buckler, “We choose the best parts of Sonoma and Napa Valley.” So far I must agree, because to me nothing says perfectly balanced Chardonnay than a handful of grapes from Bacigalupi Vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.

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Sep
2017

Foursight Wines 2014 Clone 05 Pinot Noir

categories: Booze, Wine

What do you do when you’re alone? That may sound like a loaded (or dirty) question, but think about it. What is it that you do when no one else is watching? Me? I practice my violin without abandon; I strum on my guitar like I’m Keith Richards (What? I have a thing for the Rolling Stones…); I sing at the top of my lungs; and I dance because, well, no one is watching. I eat chocolate; I lift weights; I pour an extra glass; I run an extra mile. What do you do when you are on your own?

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Sep
2017

Chateau St. Jean 2013 Durell Vineyard Syrah

categories: Booze, Wine

I dedicate this post to my partner in wine crime, without whom this site and my very career as a wine writer wouldn’t exist. I wasn’t always a writer — believe it or not, I wasn’t always a wine lover. But one thing he and I had in common right from the beginning of our relationship was the joy we both found in the kitchen. That joy increased exponentially when we started cooking together. I may have been the first in the relationship to ask, “What wine would pair with this?” but it’s only through both our inquisitive minds and insatiable curiosity about all things cuisine, that I’ve gotten as far as I have.

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