Tag: california wine

Ammunition Wine 2014 Equalizer Red Blend

It’s said that ‘God created man; Sam Colt made them equal.’ This is, of course, in reference to Samuel Colt’s invention of the Colt .45 revolver: the first mass-produced, commercially available handheld gun. A weapon that could fit inside a pocket or be strapped to the leg evened the playing field of the ‘Wild West’ era — indeed, even elderly women began carrying the piece.

Wine is more like snowflakes than bullets — no two are created equal. But what Ammunition has done is even the playing field for the wine drinker, crafting an Old World-inspired red blend that fits in with the modern palate (and budget).  With all the strength of character known to the Rhone and the finesse associated with the Left Bank of Bordeaux, The Equalizer bridges the gap between the two styles. And yet, with all that depth and complexity, this red blend is, at the end of the day, a fun and easy drinker.

What’s your Ammunition? Mine: a good workout

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Ammunition Wine 2016 Pinot Noir

Ammunition thrives to make wines rich with American spirit. I think we can all agree, especially within the last 10 to 20 years, there’s nothing more American — nothing more Californian — than Pinot Noir. As Director of Marketing for Ammunition David Dees says, “No one needs another wine.” True fact — the grocery store shelves are lined with Pinot Noirs boasting Sonoma grapes. But I say to you, what Ammunition has created is a Pinot of a different caliber, hitting a target and satiating a need I didn’t even know existed.

What’s your Ammunition? Mine: learning the violin

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Ammunition Wine 2016 Un-Oaked Chardonnay

The story of Ammunition Wine is the story of two friends who wanted to fight the battle against pretentious wine. Good wine, quality wine, doesn’t have to come with a high price tag, and affordable wine doesn’t have to come from a mass producer. These are the goals Andy Wahl and Bill Kerr set out for themselves when they created Ammunition. “The taste of freedom” is what it says on the back of every Ammunition bottle. So breathe a sigh of relief, your heroes have arrived, and they’ve come with their guns loaded…with wine.

What’s your Ammunition? Mine: kicking back with a good game of MarioKart

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Ammunition Wine 2016 Sauvignon Blanc

Speaking with Bill, Andy, and David — the trio behind Ammunition Wine — one thing became immediately clear to me: Their main goal is to produce focused, refined, small-batch wines — for the average punter. “Wine doesn’t have to be a luxury item,” says David Dees, Director of Sales for Ammunition Wine. Beyond an affordable price point, what Dees means, and what Whal (head winemaker) produces, are approachable wines of notable quality that any wine lover — whether novice or expert — will enjoy. Not just for special occasions, not only in front of your wine-snobby friends, but on any day of the week during any time of day — as long as the mood suits you.

What’s your ammunition? Mine: cooking in the kitchen

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Adobe Road 2016 Sparkling Rosé Wine

So I asked Adobe Roads winemaker Garrett Martin what method he uses to create sparkling wine and his answer was just too good not to share verbatim:

“This is a good story!  My production space is right next to Lagunitas brewery.  The folks over there are fantastic and good friends.  When I got the creative inspiration to make a sparkling rosé I walked next door and chatted with them about the process – I mean, they make beverages sparkle every day!  With some of their advice, I began running small scale experiments adding CO2 to kegs of rosé and eventually bottling in swing-top bottles.  We had enough positive feedback that we took it from that ‘proof of concept’ phase to full production.  I bottled the full-package bottling with another friend who has a sparkling wine bottling line.  The short answer is that I use the Charmat method, but I like the full story more!”

Next I have to ask him about the time he put the sparkling rosé into a keg-tapping system designed for beer’s low-level carbonation. “Boom! Rosé mess everywhere…” 

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