Our CEO Kevin Buckler works hard, plays hard and above all, never gives up. He helms two vibrant and innovative companies in Petaluma, California — The Racers Group and Adobe Road Winery. This ethic of always giving it his all has made him a success on the race track, in the office and boardroom and in life. So, It’s no surprise that Kevin was invited to bring his passion and enthusiasm — and story — to the TEDx Palo Alto stage December 17.
TEDx is a program of local events bringing people together to share inspiring stories. Held at Palo Alto’s Oshman Family JCC, speakers explored ways in which they cultivate empathy and spark action.
Kevin, a champion racing driver with a 24 Hours of Le Mans victory and two Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona victories as a driver (plus numerous series titles, victories and accolades as a team owner) took the stage to talk about how the endurance racing mentality teaches us a lot about life and how this ethic has impacted both the racing team and his award-winning winery in a talk entitled Never Give Up. “I try to look at adverse situations and turn them into positives,” he said on cultivating that winning secret sauce. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t bumps on the road. “It took fifteen years to become an overnight sensation,” Kevin told the audience in a well-received talk that resonated with the attendees.
As part of the TEDx experience, Adobe Road Winery was invited to pour a selection of wines, including the brand’s 2015 Chardonnay, 2016 Redline, 2016 Pinot Noir, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley and 2014 Cabernet, Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard for the over 300 dignitaries, CEOs, influencers, tech gurus and other guests at the event. Kevin, Adobe Road Winery Director of Hospitality Sonny Martin and Communications Director Gail Benzler were on hand to make sure the wine flowed and that important connections were fostered. It was a long, but very successful evening — the endurance racing mentality at work.
Dec 26, 2017 at 4:30 PM
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A well-paired snack is a wonderful compliment to a delicious sip.
Try these out-of-this-world, easy to make recipes designed to perfectly pair with our two Adobe Road Winery Carneros Chardonnays.
This wine’s lively acidity, luscious fruits and hints of spice and savory toast find a great home with our warm, creamy Parmesan Artichoke Dip.
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1(10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid
1(14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2⁄3cup sour cream
1 cup cream cheese
1⁄3cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts.
Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with crackers, pita chips or bread
Note: you can also play around with adding spice such as red pepper flakes or chopped green chili or similar.
Smoky Spiced Roasted Almonds are a go-to with this rich, fruit-driven Chardonnay.
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
2 cups whole almonds
kosher salt
Instructions
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl whisk butter, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, and cayenne, Add almonds and toss to coat. Spread in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake for 18-25 minutes flipping several times. Remove from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt.
After fully cooling store in Ziploc freezer bag or airtight container.
Dec 22, 2017 at 2:59 PM
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2014 Adobe Road Cabernet Sauvignon - Beckstoffer Vineyards Just Released to Acclaim
Adobe Road Winery is excited to announce the release of our highly anticipated 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley, Beckstoffer Vineyard - Georges III. We are very proud that our premier wine has received yet another 94 point score from Wine Spectator. That’s two vintages back-to-back, and our fourteenth 90+ score in the past 12 months.
Our cabernets over the years, have shown remarkable staying power, earning many accolades in a competitive class of premium “Napa heavyweights” and are favorites of wine connoisseurs and casual fans, alike.
We can’t wait for you to try this amazing wine, made with old-school flair from grapes handpicked from one of Napa Valley’s most distinguished and historic of Rutherford houses, Beckstoffer Vineyards -- Georges III.
Tantalizingly warm and deep, the flavors are expansive, with blackberry, chocolate and savory baking spices lending complexity. The smooth finish is long and defined with a memory of mocha and dark berries.
This is a bottle you can uncork now and enjoy, or save in your cellar… if you have the patience.
Dec 14, 2017 at 5:30 PM
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Today, it was announced that the Petaluma Gap, the gateway to the Sonoma Coast wine growing region, has been established as an AVA after final approval by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Board.
This is wonderful news for Adobe Road Winery. “We’re thrilled to be able to highlight our hometown Petaluma Gap grapes and to showcase it in our bottles,” says Adobe Road winemaker Garrett Martin. “This is a huge step forward for this incredible growing region.” The Petaluma Gap AVA extends across the southern end of the Sonoma Coast AVA and into northern Marin County. Daily fog and wind patterns cool the vineyards throughout the growing season, yielding fruit that is balanced and nuanced with complex flavors and natural acidity.
By including the new Petaluma Gap AVA on labels, Adobe Road and other Gap vintners will be able to share very precise information about producers and vineyards with consumers, right on the bottle, rather than the much broader Sonoma County appellation. And this is vitally important for marketing and visibility. The newly designated Petaluma Gap AVA is one of the richest regions in California for growing premium pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah grapes. The area’s wind and fog are the Gap’s hallmark and the region as a stellar 150 year history of growing grapes. “We love the unique aspects of the topography and the wind influence on the vines,” Martin relates. “This creates vines with richer texture and deeper complexity.
That rich texture and deep complexity were certainly displayed in our 2015 Adobe Road Winery Pinot Noir - Sangiacomo Vineyard, Roberts Road, which garnered 91 a 91 point score from Robert Parker. Stay tuned -- our 2016 vintage will be released soon. But that’s not all. Adobe Road fans will be able to enjoy Gap produced syrah and cabernet sauvignon in the future.
Congratulations to the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance. We’re excited to be able to promote and showcase our beautiful wines from the Gap.
In the news: Petaluma Gap becomes new Sonoma County wine appellation - The Press Democrat
Dec 7, 2017 at 3:40 PM
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Adobe Road is in many ways a luxury brand, which is not surprising given TRG’s affiliations with Porsche, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini. Several of its wines are priced in the $100 – $175 range, and the entire portfolio is crafted to wow the glitterati trackside at Le Mans or Daytona, or at exclusive events such as Wine Spectator’s Wine Experiences.
Adobe Road Winery 2017 Rosé - A fun and funky blend of pinot noir, syrah, grenache, zinfandel and petite sirah, Adobe Road’s rosé features grapes grown in the newly designated Petaluma Gap AVA...
Before the show, some guests enjoyed wine from Adobe Road poured straight from the cask, and posed for photos in a digital photo booth...
Wine Spectator's annual series of tasting extravaganzas continued in New York with 244 outstanding wines from 15 nations
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is one of the most iconic wine publications in the world. Adobe Road Winery is honored to be reviewed in this month's Sonoma and Napa wine issue
What do race car driving and California Cabernet have in common?
The Find: In the early evening, we were slowly spinning our wheels looking for somewhere to have a pre-dinner drink. We went from 0 to 200 mph when we found Adobe Road Winery Tasting Room (6 Petaluma Blvd. N.; [707] 939-9099), race car driver and vintner Kevin Buckler’s tasting room, which opened in the summer. We chose the “Showcase” pouring
Located 32 miles north of San Francisco, in both Sonoma and Marin Counties, the Petaluma Gap is an inland valley distinguished by a 15-mile wide aperture in the coastal hills through which salty maritime wind and afternoon fog whisk in a chill.
A long-awaited proposal for a state-of-the-art downtown Petaluma winery, tasting room and auto racing museum is gaining momentum, according to Adobe Road Winery’s CEO.
The new AVA includes about 80 winegrowers and nine wineries. One of our favorite wines released this year is an example of the quality of Pinot Noir grapes grown in the region—75 percent of the fruit planted is Pinot Noir—and the range of complexity that’s possible from multiple-elevation harvesting.
In the Great Petaluma Mill complex find Adobe Road Winery’s tasting room. Tasting excellent wines like their Big Pig Pinot and one labeled merely ”Red Wine” made me an instant fan.
The federal government on Thursday recognized the Petaluma Gap as the newest American Viticultural Area (AVA), giving Sonoma County its 18th such wine appellation and providing another reminder of its vast diversity of grape growing throughout the region.
Wine is not all about speed, and that was exactly why it appealed to champion GT racing team leader Kevin Buckler. At the Adobe Road tasting room in downtown Petaluma, I’m told that Buckler values the slow and steady process of making wine. As for high points and awards—it doesn’t hurt that Adobe Road wines have scored those, too.
Downtown Petaluma keeps getting hotter, and the hip-factor will only increase when Adobe Road opens their new 15,000 square foot winery and tasting room along the Petaluma River. And it's going to be more than just a winery - they'll have a motorsports museum (Adobe Road owner Kevin Buckler owns one of the most successful racing teams in the world), an event center and commercial kitchen. Guests can sip wine by the bottle, served alongside wood-fired pizza, on the riverfront patio.
Kevin Buckler is a man with two passions: fast cars and fun. And how does he bridge these two very distinct passions together? Through his two companies, Adobe Road Winery and The Racers Group. Running one successful business is a feat in itself, but Buckler is not one to shy away from a challenge. He rather flawlessly runs two, rotating between crafting award-winning wines and running his ever-expanding motorsports company.
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Adobe Road Winery has once again been invited to participate in arguably one of the most prestigious events a winery can attend, Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience, October 20 – 22. The event is attended by wine enthusiasts from around the world and only the top rated wineries in the world are invited to pour at the Critics’ Choice Grand Tasting.
Adobe Road has released the most unique Rosés of the season, in partnership with Lagunitas Brewing Company: a sparkling Rosé. Super-limited at a mere 60 cases, this primarily Zinfandel-based wine has the rich head of a beer and the sweet flavor of watermelon and maraschino cherry. A must try for those who like to balance their wine tasting with their beer sipping.
Dozens of people gathered on Tuesday to raise their glass to Petaluma’s newest wine tasting room, a venue for home-grown Adobe Road Winery to gain more face time with the public as it moves toward building a nearby hub for wining and dining on the edge ofthe Petaluma River.
The Petaluma Planning Commission voted swiftly and unanimously on Tuesday to approve a permit for Adobe Road Winery’s tasting room at The Great Petaluma Mill, 6 Petaluma Blvd. North. It will be downtown Petaluma’s second wine tasting room, and the first serving a wide variety of wines.
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Adobe Road Winery has been invited to participate in the prestigious Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience, taking place the weekend of October 20-22, 2016. It is truly an honor to be invited to pour alongside some of the best wineries from all across the globe and adds additional excitement around the winery’s new project in Petaluma. The three-day event is every wine aficionados dream, with sit-down tastings of award winning vintages (all scored over 90 points), the Critic’s Choice Grand Tastings, and the exclusive black-tie awards banquet. This is the very best of the wine world. We hope to see you there.
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We are eager and excited to open the doors of our new satellite Tasting Room in the Great Petaluma Mill, in the very heart of Historic Downtown Petaluma. This will be our cozy home while development and construction begin on the new headquarters facility, just around the corner. Final licensing and approval are close to completion, and we can’t wait to see some new and familiar faces stopping by to taste some of the new releases. -expected to open late next month.
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Garrett Martin of Adobe Road Winery summed up their lot of 10 cases as “Petaluma Gap in a glass.” The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley represented all generations of Dry Creek by combining equal amounts of zinfandel from seven wineries, half who are the original producers in the region and the other half are newer producers of Zinfandel.
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His decision was one example of many in recent years that have made Petaluma the leader in economic development in Sonoma County. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the county — 4.1 percent in March — and the second highest median household income, at $75,655 in 2015.
The business activity has rapidly reversed the fortunes of this city of almost 60,000, which was hit with a one-two punch at the turn of the millennium — fallout from the telecom bust of the early 2000s and the real estate crash some six years later. At its low point, commercial office vacancy rates were 40 percent.
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When Lori Varsames saw her dream job in her dream location pop up on LinkedIn one morning, she jumped on the opportunity and applied.
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"When you’re starting to attract businesses that are relocating from the square in Sonoma — the heart of Sonoma Wine Country — to the heart of Petaluma, that really tells you just how attractive the area is, I think it’s going to be a great amenity for our local economy. It’s going to be a great ambiance for the downtown. It’s exactly what the downtown ought to be building."
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Our exciting new State-of-the-Art facility in downtown Petaluma...right on the Riverfront, continues to progress! We are bringing together all of the “Best Practices/Best of the Best” in terms of Tasting Room, Visitors Center, Winery and state-of-the-art equipment, Corporate and Banquet Facilities, Food and Cooking classes, Private Tasting and Barrel Room, Ultra-Premium Custom Crush/Private Label and a Beautiful Automotive and Motorsports Museum - all rolled into one EPIC location, operated by a highly efficient and motivated team. No pun intended but we are going to CRUSH IT!
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