Friday, February 21st from 4 to 7 p.m. — $5/person…..Free for Grape Nuts — We are super-psyched to welcome Kenny Likitprakong of The Hobo Wine Company to Asheville and to Table Wine for a wine tasting featuring a wide array of selections from his arsenal. Kenny is one of those guys that we love to support for a number of reasons. He makes incredibly delicious and affordable wines and he’s not afraid to take chances. Born in Healdsburg, California to a Thai father and a Jewish mother, the wine bug caught him early as he “started soaking up wine fumes at Domaine St. George,” the winery owned by his great uncle. Growing up, Kenny was much more into skateboarding and snowboarding than wine, but after several years of travelling like a hobo around the world, the wine bug brought him back to California.
He studied at UC-Davis and after graduation he cut his teeth interning at a couple of Sonoma County wineries. Once he felt he had the hang of things, Kenny started Hobo and Banyan Wines in 2002; at the same time, he continued his travels around the world, surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, drinking beer and tasting more wines while continuing to make wines for others in California. He’s truly an original character, and what makes his enterprise even more amazing is the fact that he doesn’t own a single vineyard, a wine making facility, or even a delivery truck. Whatever the case, it doesn’t seem to matter as his wines and his operation have been positively reviewed by a number of leading wine writers and critics from Stephen Tanzer to Jon Bonné from the San Francisco Chronicle.
I could go on and on, but how about we let Kenny tell you more about himself and his wines during the tasting? We’ll pour at least 5 of his wines and we’ll offer them at some great prices. You do not want to miss this chance to meet one of the emerging winemakers of California and taste his wines. We’ll have at least the following 5 wines open to try before you buy:
1. 2013 Camp Chardonnay (Sonoma County, California): This no-oak white is a lovely expression of Sonoma County Chardonnay. It’s a pretty wine laced with aromas and flavors of green apple, pear, peach and mixed tropical fruits. Enjoy it with or without food!
2. 2013 Banyan Gewurztraminer (Monterey County, California): Kenny loves Asian cuisine and he loves wines that compliment the exotic and spicy flavors that are typical in Asian fare. He sources the fruit from old vines in the Ventana Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, and the wine is pretty much dry, with a nice mix of peach, orange, lemongrass and fresh flower aromas and flavors. This is his highest production wine at just under 1,600 cases………that’s not a lot!
3. 2012 HOBO Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California): I love the way this guy crafts Zinfandel! Using fruit from all corners of the Dry Creek Valley, it’s rich, but not overripe and fruit forward, but not a fruit bomb. Structured, yet friendly, this one offers up notes of spicy red and black currant, cherry, mocha and vanilla. Just 525 cases made!
4. 2012 HOBO Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, California): Lean like a lot of French wine, but fruit forward like the best of California, this is a super classy rendition of California Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright and zesty and full of vigor, this wine delivers bright cherry/black cherry fruit in addition to complex floral and spice notes. Just 600 cases made!
5. 2012 HOBO Zinfandel “Rockpile Branham Vineyard” (Sonoma County, California): This was the first vineyard Kenny ever purchased fruit from. For a fun read about how he made this happen, click here. This is one of his smallest production wines, with just 275 cases made, and it is a jaw droppingly delicious one! With a heady bouquet of dark berry preserves, spices, lavender and mineral, this one is rich, yet refined and nearly impossible to put down.