Sunny days are on the horizon – it's time to book your outdoor tasting at the Garage!

Chill outside under the shade of a tent and taste through four of our latest releases. Current favorites on the menu include:

🥂 2019 Super Geisha, Pét-Nat Sparkling, El Dorado County
🥂 2019 Going Home, Carbonic White Wine, El Dorado County
2019 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Red Wine, Sierra Foothills
2017 Wild Eyes, Red Wine, Napa Valley

2018 SRR Red Wine, Sierra Foothills
68% Tempranillo, 32% Graciano
475 cases made

If you’ve been following along, our love for Spanish Rioja is no secret and Tempranillo is something we just can’t quit. Full in body, with the perfect amount of tannin, and juicy red fruit flavors, Tempranillo is really fun to work with. Especially when paired with Graciano, another Spanish grape we use to add deep, dark color and beautiful aromatics.

So SRR? Shake Ridge Ranch, where we get our Tempranillo from. This world-famous vineyard in Amador County is about as legit as they come. Owned by famed viticulturist Anne Kraemer, this legendary vineyard sits 1,800 feet above sea level and soaks in cool air from the Sierras to extend the growing season, which helps our Tempranillo retain acidity and texture. SRR was aged for 16 months in neutral oak. This longer aging was done to soften the big, bold tannins that Tempranillo is known for. With a bit of time in barrel, the tannins are fully ripe and frame this wine beautifully. The bold fruit commands the palate, with incredible layers and complexity – we're talking mixed berries, chocolate-covered coffee beans, vanilla, and nutmeg...want to try some yet?

Located just outside the town of Murphys in Calaveras County, CA, Rorick Heritage Vineyard is home to some of the best organically farmed grapes around. ⁠

The site has been cultivated since the mid-1800s, though the vineyard gained notoriety in 1974 when Barden Stevenot, the "godfather of modern Calaveras County Winegrowers," planted Wente Chardonnay vines on their own rootstock – a selection of those vines still remain today. Over the years, the vineyard was expanded to nearly 75 acres and in 2013, our good friend and one hell of a winemaker, Matthew Rorick, purchased the legendary vineyard.

So, why is this vineyard très cool? First, it's at an elevation of 2000', which means hot days and cool nights. The significant change in temperature from day to night, known as diurnal shift, leads to concentrated flavors in the wines, incredible tannin structure, and lively acidity in the grapes.

Second, the soils found in this area of California are, ahem, f*cking dope. The vineyard consists of schist topsoil, which is a type of metamorphic rock that retains heat and water exceptionally well – something that this definitely needed in dry California summers. The base soil layer is made of limestone, which is touted by many to be the best wine-producing soil in the world. The combination of the two soil types lends amazing minerality and aromatics in the wine. 

The third and final reason why we love this vineyard so much is the people behind the grapes. Matthew Rorick and his team are true masters of the vine, and their dedication to organic practices produces some of the finest grapes we've gotten our hands on. This year, we are lucky enough to have scored Grenache for the 2020 harvest. We'll just have to wait and see what Bertus has in store once the grapes make their way through our cellar doors. 

What Tank Garage Wine are you obsessed with?
I am obsessed with SRR. Tempranillos are my favorite red and I was stoked to see a Rioja style blend come to our shelves. It's really cool that we use neutral oak on this blend to really let the Tempranillo and Graciano show without the oak being too much of an influence.   

Favorite varietal?
Tempranillo is my favorite varietal for 3 reasons: 
1. I love the smoke, tobacco and leather qualities balanced with that chocolate and red fruit you get from the grape. 
2. A bottle of Tempranillo gave me the courage to try salsa dancing on a first date. 
3. The first wine I ever made was Tempranillo. My buddy and I decided we wanted to give it a try, so we pooled our money together, borrowed our friend's F350, and headed out to the vineyards of Lodi to pick up our very first vintage of grapes. It was a long but exciting day and the wine turned out just how we wanted it. I always have good memories when I'm drinking Tempranillo.

What's your dream?
My dream is to have a solar/wind-powered self-sustainable farm with a garage full of classic cars. I want to spend my days cooking food from my farm and wrenching on cars.

Favorite band?
Oasis

Top 3 songs to listen to right now?
Man in Black - Johnny Cash
Live Forever - Oasis
Feathered Indians - Tyler Childers

What are you doing when you're not at the Garage?
I'm usually working on my car, at the river/lake/ocean, hiking, cooking, reading or tinkering around with something.

$584.00 per case (normally $730)
MADE 3-bottle: $525.60
MADE 6-bottle: $496.40
MADE 12-bottle: $467.20

Contains 3 bottles each:
2019 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Red Wine, Sierra Foothills
2018 I Love You California, Red Wine, California
2018 SRR, Red Wine, Sierra Foothills
2017 Lovers, Dreamers, Fighters & Believers, Red Wine, Sierra Foothills