Raise a Glass to California History
It’s not every day that a wine tasting experience provides access to the oldest continuously inhabited structure in Sonoma. Built in 1842 when Northern California was still part of Mexico, the Adobe is home to the tasting room at Three Sticks.
Upon arrival, receive a splash of the uniquely-Adobe wine label, Three Sticks Casteñada White, Rosé or Red. Linger and enjoy plush, inviting spaces before touring the house where past and present are blended through the creativity of interior designer Ken Fulk. Learn about the Adobe’s history, take a seat in the secret garden, see the cottage and Storehouse while tasting through a guided, educational flight of renowned estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, truly the stars of the show.
The team at Three Sticks has given meticulous attention to the tasting room reopening, training on new procedures to keep everyone safe and healthy while ensuring that the experience is remark- able, memorable, and special. That experience has always been well-formatted at the Adobe: open-air, intimate, private, with limited staff interactions and no crowds, ever.
The historic property was owned by the founder of Sonoma, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Comandante of the northern territory of Mexico. The general’s brother, Salvador Vallejo, built the Adobe and gave the home to Mexican Army Captain don Juan Casteñada, hence its name: Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe. Visitors can see a variety of interesting objects on display, including wine bottles dating from 1860-1880 that were unearthed during the Adobe’s recent renovation and inspire a signature wine bottle for welcome drinks.
Three Sticks Wines are crafted by the expert hands of Bob Cabral and Ryan Prichard, both winners of the prestigious Winemaker of the Year. Admittedly, they’re Pinot Noir-obsessed.
The grapes are grown in six estate vineyards located in diverse geographical locations throughout the Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Mountain, and the Russian River Valley, carefully selected for a confluence of fog, wind, sunshine, soil, and elevation. The closest is Durell Vineyard, two miles west of The Adobe. There’s also Gap’s Crown Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, One Sky Vineyard on the top of Sonoma Mountain, Alana and William James Vineyards in the Russian River Valley, and Walala Vineyard are up on the north western tip of the wild Sonoma Coast. There are hilltops surrounded by conifer forests near the rugged Pacific Ocean and unrelenting wind and fog pouring through Petaluma Gap at Gap’s Crown Vineyard. The extreme conditions cause the small berries to form thick skins to protect themselves against the elements, resulting in rich and boisterous wines, considered classic for Sonoma.
“Three Sticks” is an homage to proprietor Bill Price III who grew up in Hawaii and loved to surf. One day, his surfing friends noticed the “three sticks” at the end of Bill’s name on his driver’s license, and “Billy Three Sticks” has stuck ever since.
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Article By: Laurie Jo Miller Farr
