Tag: Sonoma County Wines

Ammunition Wine 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

In my experience, there are two major California Cab stereotypes: the overly-produced, mass-market red wine; or the mean, cranky old man who wants to stay in his bottle until he says he’s ready. Neither of these two extremes are absolutes by any means. You can scroll through this site and find a number of Cali Cabs that I’ve been able to enjoy straight out of the bottle, but still maintain a well-balanced complexity. Where the Ammunition Cabernet Sauvignon differs is in that latter bit. Well-balanced it is, complex it is not. And I mean this in the most complementary way possible. Here is an expression of the noble, nay — kingly — grape, that requires little thought and no pomp and circumstance. It’s an easy drinker, a companionate wine, a California Cabernet Sauvignon that (scroll all the way down) made me use the ‘f’-word…

What’s your Ammunition? Mine: dance

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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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The Withers 2015 Peters Vineyard Chardonnay

I recently had a week-long focus on Chardonnay. It’s a malleable grape in that the resulting wines have very little to do with the vineyard setting and everything to do with the winemakers choice during the winemaking process. I wish I had tasted The Withers Peters Vineyard Chardonnay in conjunction with that feature, as winemaker David Low implemented some unique choices when creating this wine — the result of which is pretty much unlike any other California Chardonnay you’re likely to try from the Sonoma Coast.

That being said, The Withers Winery also sourced these grapes from a unique location. And although the vineyard setting may have little to do with the resulting wines, there’s no denying that cool and coastal makes for some pretty special fruit. And so, to quote Jancis Robinson (again) “Wherever coastal fogs reliably slow down the ripening process, extending the growing season of this early ripening variety, and yields are kept in check, then California can produce some very fine wines indeed, with considerable Burgundian savour to them.” Such is the case with The Withers Peters Vineyard Chardonnay…

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