California Wine Guide

JUNE 2019 | MODERNWELLNESSGUIDE.COM

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CALIFORNIA WINE GUIDE

Kevin Buckler

How the champion race car driver became a renowned winemaker

Learn about celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s foray into the wine industry Why Napa Valley is no longer just a wine-tasting destination

EXP E RI E N C E , E L E VATE D HESSCOL L EC T ION .COM | @HESSCOL L EC T ION

Why You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Appreciate Wine Wine consumption in America is on the rise. Recent statistics show consumers drank a combined 949 million gallons of wine in 2016, compared to 769 million gallons in 2009.

“Each individual person is the captain of their own palate,” said David Falchek, executive director for the American Wine Society (AWS), a non-profit with 180 local chapters across the country. “Discovering wines and tasting wines is a wonderful journey.”

Cheers to fun For over 50 years, AWS has been helping consumers learn about and appreciate wine.

“Unfortunately, wine is intimidating,” said Falchek, who got started covering the wine industry during his first job as a reporter in New York. Since then, he’s written extensively about wine for consumer and trade publications. His main takeaway: you don’t have to be an expert to appreciate wine.

“Wine is supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be exciting,” he said.

Falchek encourages consumers to host tastings with friends to try different wines and talk about them with others. Everyone has different sensitivities and can pick out different things from the same drink.

“The most important thing is to not be afraid to try something,”

he said, explaining recommendations can come from friends, signs in a store, or other sources, like a sommelier.

David Falchek has been a member of the American Wine Society since 1999 and became its executive director in 2016. He began writing about wine in the early ‘90s, and frequently judges regional, national, and international wine competitions.

New versus old According to Falchek, Americans see wine as just a cocktail, while in other parts of the world, such as Italy and Spain, it is meant to be enjoyed with different foods.

He said American wines are grouped with New World wines, like those from Australia and South America. He said New World wines try to do it all — be flavorful, weighty, and give drinkers acids/tannins.

New World wines tend to have more alcohol because the grapes

hang on the vine longer, producing more sugar and a fruitier taste.

Falchek said California winemakers are always talking about hang time.

Falchek encourages consumers to drink American wines on U.S. holidays, like the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. He also recommends that you keep sipping until you find the right wine for you.

“Try it and keep trying other wines and, ultimately, you’ll be able to really zone in and put a finger on what you like about wine,” he said. “You have to figure out what you like. You have to taste a lot of different wines and explore on your own.” n Kristen Castillo

Publisher Alexandra Devine Business Developer Abraham Freedberg Managing Direc tor Luciana Olson Designer s Tif fany Pr yor, Celia Hazard Copy Editor Dustin Brennan Direc tor of Sales Shannon Ruggiero Direc tor of Business Development Jourdan Snyder Direc tor of Produc t Faye Godfrey Lead Editor Mina Fanous Content Strategist Vanessa Rodriguez Cover Photo Cour tesy of Romain Maurice All photos are credited to Get t y Images unless other wise specif ied. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve San Francisco Chronicle.

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Experience the Best Napa Valley Has to Offer THE HESS COLLECTION High atop Mount Veeder, The Hess Collection Winery welcomes you to the Napa Valley. Whether you wish to enjoy beautifully crafted wine and food pairings from our culinary team, learn to blend wine, stroll through the Hess Family’s awe-inspiring private art collection, or take in the stunning panoramic mountain vineyard views aboard a luxury ATV, we have an experience tailored for you. www.hesscollection.com

JUDD’S HILL WINERY We have made wine in Napa Valley since the 1970s, and continue to produce signature wines that are fruit-driven and concentrated, while remaining well-balanced and foodfriendly. Taking an intimate and personal approach to our winemaking, we limit our annual production to fewer than 5,000 cases. In addition to our Judd’s Hill wines, we have produced custom wine in small lots since 1991 for aspiring vintners under our Custom MicroCrush program. All of our Judd’s Hill and MicroCrush wines are made in our certified Napa Valley Green Winery designed to minimize our impact on the land. The use of environmentally efficient drainage, solar lighting, and aggressive recycling and composting programs are a few ways our winery uses smart design to make a difference. www.juddshill.com

KIEU HOANG WINERY Kieu Hoang Winery is located in Napa Valley in the Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA). The Carneros District is the southernmost grape-growing region in Napa Valley.

The fog and evening breezes off nearby San Pablo Bay make the Carneros AVA the coolest wine-producing region in the valley, ideal for growing chardonnay and pinot noir.

Mr. Hoang purchased the property in June 2014 from Michael Mondavi Family Estates.

Robert Mondavi, Michael’s father, was a leading California vineyard operator, whose technical improvements and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley, and set the standard for New World wines. Mr. Hoang chose to purchase the property because of the Mondavi name and winemaking legacy. www.kieuhoangwinery.com

LOUIS M. MARTINI Louis M. Martini Winery unveiled its historic restoration on March 29, marking the Napa Valley producer’s continued passion to craft exceptional cabernet sauvignon.

Built in 1933, the winery was one of the fırst fıve to open in Napa Valley after the repeal of prohibition and has been restored to welcome guests with world-class tasting experiences. Enjoy a flight at our Crown Bar, small-lot releases with innovative pairings in the Heritage Lounge, or relax outdoors in Martini Park, which features private cabanas.

We look forward to sharing our passion for crafting great cabernet with you. www.louismartini.com MEDIAPLANET • 3

A Legacy of Extraordinary Wine, Art, and Experiences at The Hess Collection

Racing to Victory at Daytona and in the Wine Aisle

Whether it’s tasting some of Napa Valley’s finest wines, enjoying the perfect food pairing crafted by an executive chef, or touring acres of vineyards on an ATV, The Hess Collection Winery offers world-class experiences tailored to you.

The Hess Collection Winery was founded in 1978 on the site of one of Napa Valley’s oldest wineries and has since become a worldclass destination that has earned international recognition for its wine, culinary and visitor programs, and superlative collection of contemporary art.

Visit the winery to taste these exceptional wines and to enjoy a number of unforgettable experiences. Whether it’s adventuring through the Hess vineyards on an ATV tour, or indulging in an expertly crafted wine and food pairing by Hess’ executive chef, these experiences are tailored exclusively for you.

Founder Donald Hess’ vision was to defy convention and cultivate vines at elevation on Mount Veeder — one of Napa’s most distinct American viticulture areas. Today, Tim and Sabrina Persson, fifth-generation Hess family, continue the legacy of sharing wine and art, and the family’s ongoing commitment to making both accessible to all.

The Hess Collection

4 • MODERNWELLNESSGUIDE.COM

Legendary race car driver Kevin Buckler is putting his zest for life and competitive spirit into his other life passion — making great wine.

A

fter a storied racing career that included 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans victories with his team The Racers Group (TRG), no one would have blamed Kevin Buckler if he decided to retire to the easy life.

“TRG was a total Rocky Balboa story,” Buckler said. “From zero to the top echelons of professional sports car racing. I always say they put me out to pasture — I got out of the car in 2005, 2006, and we continued on to our next journey.”

The next step That journey is focused on another of Buckler’s passions: great wine.

“I’ve always been involved in wine,” he said. “In 1998, some friends of mine and I started a little wine group.

Four years later, I ended up buying it out and took the brand name, and started to take it to the next level.”

The next level was Adobe Road Wines, founded in 2002 in Petaluma, California, by Buckler and his wife Debra.

“If Austin, Texas, and Napa Valley had a love child, it’d be Petaluma, California,” Buckler said. “Petaluma is hot right now — restaurants, hot young chefs, cool little places. We saw this happening, so I went out and bought the only piece of property left downtown on the riverfront where everyone hangs out.”

That’s where Buckler is building a new facility that will be much more than a tasting room.

“We came to the city with our plan and said, ‘Look, guys, we want to build an entertainment complex’ — 16,000 square feet where we do a little bit of everything you can do around the wine world,” he said.

“What we’re doing is what I consider the new paradigm for the wine world. It’s experiential and fun.”

Competitive spirit Buckler attributes the success of Adobe Road to the competitive spirit he brings from the racing world.

“I cannot believe how similar some of this is. In racing, there’s no BS

because you live by a stopwatch, so it’s results, results, results. When we were winning races, the only people that were allowed to work on my car were the best of the best, and they knew that and so they competed for that position. It’s the same here.”

Adobe Road has recently made the connection explicit.

“I had this idea of starting this Racing Series wines two years ago,” Buckler said. “We started with one little wine called Redline, and we had strong sales right away, so then we went to the next level.”

The wines After Redline, Buckler produced three more high-end California red blends in the Racing Series: Shift (with an aluminum-plated, H-pattern shifter actually on the bottle), The 24 (with a Daytona Rolex on the label), and a “very, very high-end, no-holds-barred cabernet blend” called Apex (with a metal label that shows the curving of a racetrack).

“I really am into the blends nowadays,” Buckler said. “And so those four blends we did with the Racing Series are near and dear to my heart.”

For Buckler, this was never a hobby.

“First and foremost, we crafted really good wines,” he boasted. “I didn’t want to be one of those guys who said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a great story and label, but we didn’t bother to get scored.’ All the wines scored 90 points or above from Spectator or Parker; Shift got a 93+.”

Despite Buckler’s competitive spirit, it’s not all about scores. “It’s about bringing people together,” he said. “I love how wine connects people.” n Jeff Somers

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF FOOD NETWORK

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WORLD FINER FOODS

This Roasted Beet Hummus Recipe Is Perfect for Any Summer Get-Together

This dish pairs perfectly with many of your favorite California wines and is a great dip for crackers, pita chips, veggies, and more!

Ingredients • 2 medium beets • 1 can of chickpeas (15.5 oz) drained and rinsed • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice • 1-2 garlic cloves • 2 tbsp of tahini • 1/3 cup DaVinci olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste • Wellington Crackers for serving Instructions • Preheat the oven to 400°F. • Trim the beets from the stems, wash and pat dry. Loosely wrap each beet with foil and bake for about one hour. The timing depends on the size of the beets. When done, they should be tender inside.

• When the beets are cooked, take them out of the oven, unwrap from the foil, and let them cool off. When you are ready to make the hummus, use a paring knife to scrape the skin off the beets, then cut them into pieces.

• Put the beets in a food processor with all other ingredients (chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, olive oil, salt, and pepper).

Blend until smooth.

• If you want, you can add more olive oil or tahini to get the desired consistency.

• When done, place the roasted beet hummus in a bowl to serve. You can top it with toasted sesame seeds or pine nuts.

• Serve with Wellington Crackers and vegetables.

World Finer Foods (Wellington) 6 • MODERNWELLNESSGUIDE.COM

Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives, and Great Wines Celebrity chef Guy Fieri has made a career out of sharing his love of food with the world. Recently, he made a foray into the wine industry with his Hunt & Ryde Winery.

We talked to Fieri about what inspired this venture and what wine means to him.

How have you parlayed your love for food into a career in the wine industry?

expression of that connection and that’s translated into making these wines.

if we really want to get down, a reverse-seared ribeye with my Bordeaux blend, Trophy.

Food and wine go hand-inhand, and when you live in a place like Sonoma County, you’re lucky enough to learn that the connection between the Earth and what you put into your pan or bottle is all important. Cooking is an

What’s one summer cookout dish that pairs well with a refreshing glass of wine?

Many of the wineries in California are family-owned and operated. What steps have you taken to get your family involved in the business?

Ha, no way can I narrow that down! Give me some killer Russian river pinot with a wood-fired pork belly pizza, or,

Everything I do at this point in my career is about my family,

and Hunt & Ryde is no different. The wines are named after my sons, Hunter and Ryder, so they are kind of baked into it from the get-go. Ryder’s a bit young to be involved at this point but Hunter is about to graduate from UNLV with a degree in hospitality management, so he’s right there with me on this journey.

Who’s your favorite person you’ve shared a glass of wine with — aside from family?

Well, I know you don’t want family, but here’s an interesting take on that. A few years ago, I hired a detective to track down unknown branches of my family in Italy and I took my dad over there to meet them all. To be able to sit down with these people and introduce ourselves, break bread, and share a glass was truly amazing.

What’s the one food item that should be on every reader’s charcuterie/serving board this summer?

This may not be the answer you’re looking for but I think it’s important. Give me something with some acid on the board.

Pickled red onions. Cornichons. Piquillo peppers. You need that acid to cut the fat of the pork, cheese, whatever, and I find people get so caught up in meats that they forget the accompaniments. n MEDIAPLANET

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ome for the wine. stay for the view.

Visit the enchanting courtyard at Landmark Vineyards, nestled below wine country’s Mayacamas Mountains. Stroll our picnic area, play Bocce ball, and sip award-winning small-production Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs found only here at Landmark. And then, lose yourself in the view.

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