Palm Trees and Grapevines

Like a road trip’s adventures, Tank Garage Winery’s offerings are fleeting: The winery only issues single releases of their wines.

“Everything’s a one-off,” says Tank assistant service manager, Patrick Kotary.

Once Tank’s wines are gone, they’re gone. So get them while the getting’s good, and make some memories along the way.

Arriving at my mini road trip’s destination, I do just that on a warm summer’s day. I’m sweaty and dusty in Calistoga’s 87-degree heat. I’m not looking for fuss, so much as refreshment. So I head into the decidedly unfussy roadside tasting room, fittingly outfitted in a refurbished 1930s service station.

I settle in at a hightop on a plush leather stool and watch the motorists come and go at the 76 Gas Station across the street, while others haul down Foothill Boulevard toward Geyserville and Yountville.

I opt for a glass of the 2022 Toño’s Gate, served chilled at Kotary’s suggestion. The cool stemless glass is just what I didn’t know I needed. The chill enhances flavors I otherwise might have missed. There’s a lovely cherry, plus cinnamon and spice—everything nice. Something peppery. I wonder what else.

The red blend unfolds like a riddle. I try to decipher what I’m tasting. Stumped, I peek at the description: 36% Valdiguié, 20% Sangiovese, 17% Mourvèdre, 10% Zinfandel, 10% Cabernet Pfeffer, 7% Grüner Veltliner.

Most of these grapes are new to me, and that’s the point. Tank off-roads from the region’s most popular wines made from a single varietal: The big, bold flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit-forward Merlot or peppery Zinfandel. The rich Chardonnay. Instead, Tank specializes in blends, allowing for a sampling of some of the most interesting grapes.

“We get excited when people say, ‘I’ve never heard of that,” Kotary says.

One example is Cabernet Pfeffer, which prominently features in Tank’s 2022 Petal to the Metal red wine. In the U.S., there’s only 12 acres where this varietal grows.

Tank’s team seeks grapes throughout California, but keeps a fairly tight radius. The team works with farmers in Mendocino, the Sonoma Coast, and the Sierra Foothills. Santa Barbara is the furthest south that they procure grapes.

“(The grapes) are like the people of Santa Barbara. They’re not stressed. They’re easy,” Kotary says. This ease results in thinner-skinned grapes for light-bodied wines.

As I finish my glass of the light and lovely Toño’s Gate, my time at Tank comes to an end. I clock some details for a future visit. I make a mental note of relative family friendliness when I read, “Cool kids welcome,” on the website. I hear Kotary tell a four-legged guest that, “Service animals are A-OK,” though pets are not. In addition to wines by the glass, tastings are available, lasting 45-65 minutes. When I find myself in San Luis Obispo County, there’s a tasting room in Paso Robles that opened a year ago.

In the meantime, I’m keen to bring a taste of Tank home. I look for something to toast with loved ones, to celebrate the end of summer.

Kotary points me to the Spacey Jane, featuring Barbera grapes. The 2024 Pétillant Naturel’s bubbles dance across my tongue, made effervescent via Méthode Ancestrale—without added sugar or yeast, continuing to ferment in the crown-capped bottle. Bitty bubbles are there, then gone. But the label’s psychedelic cosmic art makes a lasting impression.

Just like my last road trip of the summer, Tank’s wines are ephemeral and unforgettable.

Tank Garage Winery
https://www.tankgaragewinery.com/
1020 Foothill Blvd., Calistoga, CA