What do California driving and cabernets have in common? Kevin Buckler has won trophies and awards for both. Buckler founded the Racers Group in 1992 and, in his career, won titles at Rolex’s 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other races. In 2002, the same year he was Porsche World Cup Champion, Kevin and his wife Debra launched the Adobe Road Winery engines.
Headquartered in the captivating dominance of downtown Petaluma, Adobe Road works with an impressive list of Sonoma and Napa denomination manufacturers. Garrett Martin is an oenologist and Buckler is actively involved in production, creating a portfolio with stylistic breadth. Adobe Road makes everything from Knights Valley to the cabernet from the iconic Beckstoffer Georges III winery in Rutherford. In short, here is something to please all palates.
Adobe Road recently purchased land to build a new vineyard and guest center on the Petaluma River, with a car museum, banquet halls and other ongoing advances. For now, Adobe Road is pouring its wines into a transient tasting room at Great Petaluma Mill; a 19th-century historic food cabinet that has become a grocery shopping center. The tasting room is warm and dated. Reward tapes complement the bottles and the bar is made from a large plate of redwood, planks on the most sensitive of a barrel wall. Guests can between two flights: the vintage tasting that includes 4 wines, or a booking flight of five wines, adding two of their most productive selections.
ESSAY: For whites, check out their Sangia like Vineyard Chardonnay, a juicy expression of this Russian River Valley site, flavored with ripe pears, yellow apple skin and cream. If you like Pinot Noir, don’t miss out on its Grenache Vineyard Famighetti. Similar to a sublime pinot but with a more tannic tone, it captivates with aromas of dried rose petals and a natural berry flavor.
INORDITY INFORMATION: Kevin Buckler is the only driving force in the automobile that influences the wine industry. In Napa, Danica Patrick, Randy Lewis and Mario Andretti own wineries, and Scott Pruett owns a winery in Auburn.