Check out the San Francisco Chronicle’s review of Downtown Wine on August 20, 2010

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

It feels like it took a long while to finally get these tangible, but they are. We’re really excited about our new line of Downtown Wine wear. Come into the tasting room and check them out. If you can’t, we can ship them to you, with wine too if you like. They’re each $20 and come in a lot of different men’s and women’s sizes. The colors are pretty close to what you see here. 

The “Drink Like One” is a reincarnation of a t-shirt that was created for the Hobo Wine Company a few years ago by Lily Amirpour, a friend and artist of ours who lives and makes films in Los Angeles. It won’t be long before you know who she is on your own. The Shirt also has the Downtown Wine logo in the nape of the back of the shirt. The men’s version is on a maroon shirt with pink instead of yellow accents.

 

The “Whaleboat” was created for Downtown Wine by Josh (AKA Rowdy) Rautenberg. He is a local Santa Rosa kid now living in San Francisco and working as a designer. It has been fun to watch his design skills improve during the years we have been working with him and this shirt is really beautiful and creative. Downtown Wine logo in the nape.

 

 

 

Casey Dillon of Bronze Creative in San Francisco created this shirt for Branham Estate Wines. This exact skull hangs from the fence of the Branham Rockpile Vineyard. Casey’s skills can also be seen on a lot of wine labels including, but not limited to Planet Hobo, The Guardian, Shayne Kline Wines, Sandler Wines, Kutch Wines, Small Vines, and AP Vin. The Branham Estate Wines logo is printed on the back Nape

 

 

 

 

Another design created by Casey Dillon for The Hobo Wine Company. Real hobo symbols with the following meanings in order from left to right, top to bottom; Good people live here, Good place for a hand out, May get money here, You can sleep in the hayloft, Two women live here, tell a good story, There is alcohol in this town, and Don’t give up.

 

 

 

 

The Folk Machine motorcycle was whipped up by our old friend and roommate from the San Francisco days, Neal Johnson, who now lives in San Diego. Neal is one of the most gifted artists that I have seen work. When he gets going, the art takes over. Nowadays, he works as a freelance artist and catches waves more than I do. 

 

 

 

Moncho is a new friend. He is from Mexico City, but now lives in Santa Rosa. His home is decorated with Mexican wrestling masks so this shirt was no surprise when he handed it over. Simply put, it is awesome. Totally catches the Folk Machine vibe that anything goes. The Folk Machine logo is printed on the back nape. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our ever-faithful and dedicated artist, Landon Dowlen who just recently relocated to Portland, Oregon busted out the “Hobo Explosion.” This shirt has received the most discussion and I don’t have the explanations. I am optimistically thinking of the explosion as the economy and the Hobo is walking away unscathed. The Hobo logo is printed on the back nape.

We have new and upcoming releases. Come by the tasting room and check them out.

2008 Branham Rosé, Napa Valley - Gary created this rosé of Petite Sirah from his Calistoga Obsidian Vineyard and right now is of course the perfect time to be drinking some with Spring here and Summer coming on quick.

2008 Banyan Viognier - From the organically farmed Wulf Vineyard in Madera, this barrel fermented Viognier is lush, perfumed, round, and another great summer wine.

2007 Hobo Rockpile Zinfandel - There aren’t really any disappointments with the 2007 vintage. The Rockpile Zin is always Kenny’s favorite of his Zins and the 07 is a standout as usual.

2007 Hobo Rockpile Petite Sirah - 32 cases produced from the Branham Rockpile Vineyard. A beast in a 75cl bottle.

2008 Folk Machine Jeanne D’Arc White Wine - Come and see what it is all about.

Tasting Highlights: California Chardonnay and Zinfandel: 17 wines show that these grapes can still offer good value in the Golden State

“We’ve been tasting a lot of Chardonnay and Zinfandel lately in our Napa office, and while consumers may grumble about the cost of wine, it’s a rare day that we don’t unbag an excellent bottle at a decent price. With this week’s selection we focus on wines that sell for $30 and less…and Hobo is a new label that’s worth keeping and eye one.” Tim Fish

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 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

We will be participating in the big Russian River Wine Road events this year.

Winter Wineland - January 17 & 18

http://www.wineroad.com/winter_wineland/annualevents/1

Barrel Tasting - March 7 & 8 and March 14 & 15

http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/3

For Winter Wineland, we will be pouring some new releases and for the barrel tasting, we will find a way to bring a few barrels into our downtown tasting room. It’s not set in stone yet, but Gary will probably be theifing 08 Rockpile Zinfandel and Kenny will probably thief some 08 Viognier.

Check out James Knight’s review of Downtown Wine in the December 10 issue of the North Bay Bohemian.

http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/12.10.08/swirl-0850.html

Downtown Wine is a tasting room for Branham Estate Wines, The Hobo Wine Company, Banyan Wines, and The Folk Machine. Gary Branham and I were offered the storefront of 132 Plaza Street early in October so we decided to go for it. We took the lease October 20th, started in on mad redecorating and license applications and got the door open November 16th. Please come check it out!

KL