Hobo, Banyan, and Folk Machine wines along with the Branham Estate wines can be tasted Thursday through Monday 11 am - 6 pm at Downtown Wine, 132 Plaza Street, Healdsburg, California 95448. www.downtownwinecellars.com 707-473-0337

Family Winemakers Wine Tasting 3:00 - 6:00

Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California

www.familywinemakers.org

Winemaker Dinner at The Charcutterie in Healdsburg

Always good food. Will be fun. 

335 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448

707.431.7213

2008 Ghostwriter Pinot Noir, Woodruff Family Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains - 92 Cellar Selection

Almost all Pinots grown in these mountains south of San Francisco overlooking Silicon Valley need time in the bottle. This one certainly does. Right now, it's tannic and acidic, and the primary raspberry, cherry, and blood orange flavors are reaching out to - but haven't found, much less embraced - the French oak. Give it a good 4-5 years in the cellar. - S.H.

2008 Ghostwriter Pinot Noir, Aptos Creek Vineyard, Santa Cruz County - 87

Superrich in jammy raspberry, cherry and cola flavors, almost sweet, except it's technically dry. Shows firm acidity and even some dusty tannins, but the fruit is the alpha and the omega, dominating everything. Drink now. -S.H.

2008 Ghostwriter Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains - 87

Very tightly wound in high acidity and even some tannins, with austere aloof citrus flavors. There's not a lot of appeal to this wine now, except a certain dry, yeasty elegance. It's like a sparkling blanc de blancs without the bubbles. -S.H.

Our 2007 Dry Creek Valley Treborce Zinfandel received 88 points from the Wine Spectator's Tasting Highlights: California Chardonnay and Zinfandel, 17 wines show that these grapes can still offer good value in the Golden State

In the article, Tim Fish writes that "Hobo is a new label that's worth keeping an eye on."

Zesty and distinctive, with bold cracked pepper and licorice aromas and racy ripe plum and anise flavors. Drink now through 2013. 125 cases made. Red. - T.F.

The San Francisco Chronicle did a great review on our tasting room, Downtown Wine on August 20, 2010. Check out what they had to say.  

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/20/TR6L1EOQC5.DTL

Dan Berger reviewed the 07 Banyan Riesling and 08 Banyan Gewurztraminer in the 2/26/09 edition of Vintage Experiences. Both wines were noted as "Exceptional." 

2007 Banyan Riesling, Santa Lucia Highlands: A dramatic new brand with mineral notes and a complex note of citrus and dried flowers. Dry and aimed at the dinner table. 

2008 Banyan Gewurztraminer, Monterey County: Pretty juniper and spice aroma, and a soft entry, but superb acidity to balance 1%  residual sugar and low (12.5%) alcohol. Often seen in Asian restaurants

2008 Hobo Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley - 92 CELLAR SELECTION

This Zinfandel specialist tries his hand at Cabernet, with excellent results. With modest alcohol, the wine is thoroughly ripe, showing complex flavors of blackberries, creme de cassis, herbs and cedar. It will be fascinating to watch this Bordeaux-style with develop over the years. 

The SF Chronicle reviewed Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels on 1/23/09. They gave our 07 Treborce Zin two and a half stars and said, "This is owner-winemaker Kenny Likitprakong's first single-vineyard Zinfandel and his first bottling from Treborce Vineyard, which is owned by Bob and Joyce Littell. Ripe cherry, chocolate and spice arroms with dark fruit, playful acidity and nice fruit tannins; a touch sweet on the finish by shows some subtlety."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/22/WI7E15ANM6.DTL

2009 Banyan Gewurztraminer - 89 BEST BUY

With quite low alcohol (12.7%), this Gewurz has a little residual sugar, giving it a rich edge of honey. That's the perfect counterpoint to the pineapple, peach, lychee and Indian spice flavors that are so savory and crisp. Great buy in this exotic variety. - S.H.

2008 Hobo Zinfandel, Branham Vineyard, Rockpile - 92

A beautiful Zin, dry and spicy. Shows lush, intricate flavors of blackberries, black raspberries, anise, pepper, cola and cedar. A very fine interpretation of a dusty Sonoma Zinfandel. - S.H.

2008 Hobo Zinfandel, Treborce Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley - 92

Hobo's Zins are almost always among the most balanced and elegant out there, while preserving the variety's spicy, briary personality. This lovely single-vineyard bottling is dry and refined, showing complex flavors of blackberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and spices. Drink now. -S.H.

2008 Hobo Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley - 89

A little hot and peppery, but it's Sonoma Zin, and a chunk of grilled beef will be a great match to the heat and tannins. The drily robust wine has flavors of wild berries, cherries, bacon, ad Asian spices. - S.H.

You may have noticed that most of our new wines are sans capsules. The capsule is a decorative part of the packaging that had a historical purpose of keeping rats from chewing on the corks. We have begun to phase them out in an effort to cut out unnecessary materials and produce less waste as well as keep our prices down when all the costs of doing business are going up. To boot, we dig the look!

Also, beginning with 2007, all of our labels are being printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper stock.

 The 2007 Banyan Monterey County Gewurztraminer was a runner up for Sunset Magazine's "Steal of the Year" and mentioned in the September 2008 issue.

http://www.sunset.com/sunset/food/article/0,20633,1832990,00.html

We might even be open by Halloween. "DOWNTOWN WINE", our new tasting room will be open on 11/1/08 at 132 PLAZA STREET in downtown Healdsburg.

The tasting room phone number is 707-473-0337.

SEE YOU THERE!

Kenny was chosen by the MOMA as a "prominent creative individual" to be part of their 75th anniversary advertising campaign. Check it out around the Bay Area or at 

www.sfmoma.org/pages/anniversary_muse

 Check out this article the SF Chronicle ran 1/4/08

The 2006 (long sold out in the USA) Banyan Madera Viognier just won a Silver Medal at the Japan Wine Challenge, one of Japan's most prestigious wine competitions. Thanks to Best Wines of Japan and Don Kruger for working with our wines in Japan.

Hyphen Magazine's Trailblazing issue which just came out in December 09 has a feature written by Pia Sakar on Asian American winemakers including Kenny and the Banyan, Hobo, Folk Machine wines. You can check out a teaser on the hyphen website. 

2006 Hobo Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel - 88 pts, BEST BUY

Tart and tarry, this grows plum and juicy with air. Decant it and the warm cherry flavors will open up for lamb. 

Muddy Roots just posted an interview with us on their website. It is a privilege and an honor to be included among the folks that they have interviewed. Check it out here. www.muddyrootsmagazine.com

2006 Hobo Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 86 pts

Shows all the best character of a fine Alexander Valley Cab, in an easy manner to be opened now. Soft and a little herbal, the wine has blackberry, cherry, and oak flavors. Possesses just enough complexity to stand with steak and chops. -SH

2008 Banyan Gewurztraminer - 87 BEST BUY

2006 Banyan Madera Viognier

With outright whiffs of ripe mango, banana and pineapple, this is Likitprakong's most fruit-forward wine, made from 100 percent organic grapes in the Central Valley. Some might characterize its nose as overripe, with a short finish. Yet it's an up-front and likeable wine, barrel fermented and aged in neutral French oak. Goes well with the Thai cuisine profile of acid, sweet, savory and mile chile. 

2007 Banyan Monterey County Gewurztraminer

Likitprakong's most available and most sought-after white wine, a surefire hit with Thai food. It is a blend of 98.5 percent Monterey County Gewurztraminer and 1.5 percent Monterey County Chenin Blanc. Like most of the grapes that go into Likitprakong's wines, they are picked at low 21.3 Brix. At 12.7 alcohol, with high acidity, it is well balanced, with a frangipane, almond-lily fragrance. The finish hints of lychee fruit.

2006 Banyan Santa Lucia Highlands Riesling

A high acidity of 3.04 pH makes this a great food wine with the characteristic petrol nose of Riesling. The sweet perfume of honey and citrus overlays the aromas. It finishes on the palate with a complex mineral edge. The grapes are from 30--year-old vines in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

2006 Hobo Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Only 14 percent alcohol, it is almost an anti-Cab, as Likitprakong likes to say. Tasted three weeks after bottling, it was young and drinkable and good with food. There's a hint of green herb, yet still finishes long and suggests raspberries to the nose. Aged in second-fill oak barrels in the Likitprakong style, with only the subtlest of vanilla.

2006 Hobo Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Attests to Likitprakong's blending talent, with juice mixed from three biodynamic or organic farms, plus 5 percent Petite SIrah. At 14.5 percent alcohol, it presents rip blackberry, yet is still lean and doesn't bury the tongue. A classic old--style Zin, lean on the palate, the way the Italians used to make them. A drinkin' wine. 

2006 Hobo Rockpile Zinfandel

Dry-farmed at the high elevation Rockpile appellation, this is Likitprakong's favorite. It is a blend of 70 percent old-block plantings from Gary Branham's vineyard, 25 percent from new plantings of Primitivo, Dupratt and Dempel clones, 5 percent Petite Sirah. At 14.8 percent alcohol, it was astonishingly drinkable when we tasted it three weeks after bottling. The nose is fruity with a hint of smokiness and suggestion of dried herb; it is long on the palate with a clean feel, a lean wine in the Likitprakong, austere style, uncluttered by oak. Amazingly, it worked well with dishes such as rad na and high-fat fried rice. But this wine could be appreciated without food as well.

2006 Hobo Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel - 87 pts

A rich savory Zin, brimming with freshly picked flavors of ripe wild red, blue and black berries, cola, sweet kid leather, mocha and tobacco. Fully dry and not too tannic, it's ready to drink now. - SH

2005 Hobo Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 90 pts

This is not an ageable Cab, but it is balanced and complex and has more than $20 worth of elegance. Dry and softly tannic, the Provencal herb, black cherry and oak flavors make you reach for a second glass. - SH

2006 Miss Hobo Rosé - 86 pts – Best Buy

This is one of the zestier, zingier blush wines out there. It attacks the mouth with a lightning blast of acidity that wakes up the tastebuds, and is totally dry. Made from 90% Zinfandel and 10% Pinot Noir, the racy flavors are of slightly underripe raspberries, mint, and rosehip tea. – SH

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Folk Machine Central Coast Pinot Noir ($20) You gotta like Kenny Likitprakong, creator of Hobo Wine Co. and Banyan Wines, and this first release of Folk Machine. The irreverent winemaker has produced a light, drink-now wine. It has aromas of candied cherry/strawberry followed by notes of mushroom, pine needles and crushed gravel. Somehow the juice is finessed through its youthfulness. Although the alcohol is 13.9 percent and it tastes somewhat hot, it is plenty complex. Only 200 cases were produced; at $20 per bottle, it's not only made for now, it's grab now.

The Hobo Wine Company is featured as one of Sonoma County's new faces in an article titled, "Sonoma's Trailblazers and Trendsetters, Meet unheralded, risk-taking newcomers as well as veterans embarking on daring new ventures". In addition to the write-up, they mentioned the following wines:

05 Hobo Rockpile Zinfandel - 90 pts

Dry, tannic and concentrated, a fierce almost feral wine, but it's classic in the way of California mountain Zins. Floods the mouth with blackberry essence wrapped into strong tannins and finishing with a crisp burst of acidity. Compelling and complex, it cries out for a rustic beef or pork dish, long simmered and well seasoned. S.H.

05 Hobo Dry Creek Zinfandel - 90 pts

06 Banyan Gewurztraminer - 87 pts - Best Buy

Shows lots to like with its dry crispiness and fruity flavors, and with only 12.7% alcohol, the light, delicate mouthfeel is a pleasure. Long in apricot, pineapple, guava and floral flavors, the wine finishes in a flood of cinnamon spice. Best Buy. S.H.