Wine Wednesday: Feature - Fill on Up at Tank Garage Winery

Nestled in downtown Calistoga is a gem that could easily be passed by as a scenic part of the picturesque landscape. An Art Deco white and green gas station sits tucked on a the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Hazel Street. If you pull up to their perfectly enameled vintage gas tanks, you’ll find that you can’t fill up on gas. However, you can walk in and fill up on something much more delectable .

From the moment you walk in through the retro glass door, it’s a party. There is nothing stuffy or pretentious about Tank Garage Winery. An Evil Knievel pinball machine greets you as you enter the foyer and it sets the tone for the fun that is about to come. A perfectly apt sign that reads, “lubrication” sits behind the bar, drawing you to the counter to wet your whistle. Rock and roll calls to you from every nook and cranny. Oldies are pumping through the building in the background, setting the mood. The crowning glory of this establishment? A vintage ‘47 Indian Motorcycle that makes an Instagram-worthy photo-op for both chicks and dudes alike. Guitars made from oil gas cans line the wall and cool retro memorabilia is available for purchase. This is definitely a “no polo shirt required” establishment. Just come as you are.

The fun doesn't stop there. Tank Garage’s wine sports tongue-in-cheek names like Karma Coma Supernova, Wild Eyes, Lords of the Boulevard, Fast & Loose, Petty Cash, and Backstage Pass (just to name a few). The wine maker, Bertus van Zyl, lives up to his unique name. His wine blends are akin to a mad scientist mixologist. Yet, for all the grape variety blends, it somehow works. The wines are as unique as the people visiting.

We started our tasting with a white blend named Karma Coma Supernova. The label shows a retro couple that appear to be lounging at the end of the world. This wine was light and fruit filled. We then moved onto another white blend that sported a label with images of 1970’s porn (PG photos only, don’t worry) aptly named Skin Flick. This wine was juicy and bursting with citrus flavors, with orange notes at the focus. Karma Coma Super Nova and Skin Flick sport a nice price tag of $36.

Next, we sipped on a bubbly Rosè named Pop Nat. I still can’t get over the cute retro soda pop inspired label. This is something you would see tucked into an interior design magazine or in a perfectly set Instagram photo. This is one for a celebration, a day of fun at the beach, or a girls night. It’s not just bubbly, it’s fizzy. Lightly fruity notes play upon the tongue for an experience that takes you back to days when you indulged in tongue-tingling candies like Sweet Tarts and Pop Rocks. This bottle sells for $36.

Then, we moved onto red blends. Fast Machine was served to us both in the bottle and decanted. I was surprised at how much the decanted pour produced a much smoother taste while the pour direct from the bottle was a little more astringent. Fast Machine was a red blend bursting with flavors of black currants and dark fruit. It was smooth on the pallet with a round finish. Then came a bottle called Fast and Loose. It was light and filled with topical fruits. Despite the fruit forward flavors, this bottle sports vintage cars that look ready to burn some rubber. It is definitely a bottle you would feel cool taking over to your “bros” house without getting shamed for bringing wine instead of beer. Both these bottles sell for $52. Wild Eyes is another red blend. However, this concoction was on the dryer side with notes of cherry. This bottle’s label plays upon the light and charismatic nature that is Tank Garage Winery with a 3-D label. Yep, you heard right. Whip out those 3-D glasses for further entertainment. Wild eyes will take you back about $65.

“The Eddie” on the other other hand is a steal at $60 for this robust wine. It screams manly, rebellious and cool. This wine is named after Eddie Bratton who previously owned the garage in its heyday. His ‘47 Indian Motorcycle is the crowning glory of the establishment which is why the label pays tribute to him with scenes of a vintage motorcycle race. On the nose you’ll get notes of pepper and tobacco. On the pallet, a mix of oak and black fruit. It’s rich and, dare I say it, sexy. Eddie was a renegade and this wine lives up to his name, racing wildly across your tongue with bad-ass, bold flavors.

Now for a little backstory on this gem of a winery. Tank Garage Winery was started by Jim Regusci and James Harder. Yes, there is a connection between Jim Regusci and the Regusci Winery post that I featured last week. Both Jim and James have been in the wine industry for 20 years. In 2013, they heard that the old Calistoga garage was to become available for purchase. The building is an original gas station from the 1930’s that had fallen into some disrepair. Inspired by the garagist wine making movement in Europe, Jim and James wanted to create wine that was off the beaten path from the traditional way. They were seen as rebels in the wine industry. Rebellion is definitely something evident in every fiber of this winery, making a fun and fresh wine scene.

Tank Garage Winery experienced some struggles in their first year. Passerby’s simply thought it was a gas station and would pull up to fill up on gas. Yet slowly, by word of mouth, Tank Garage Winery’s notoriety spread. As Ed Feuchuk put it, “ Slowly but surely, the dreamers found us and they told their friends, who told their friends and by year three, we had a full fledged movement.” While breaking tradition was considered a sort of blasphemy in Napa Valley, Tank Garage Winery won them over with their old school yet freshly innovative wines.

Unlike most wineries, Tank Garage doesn’t distribute their wines to restaurants or stores. They produce between 600-700 cases of a single blend. Unfortunately, you better rack up on your favorite Tank Garage wines since the same wine is never produced again after it’s sold out. Tank produces about 12-20 new wines a year. Some of Tank’s most popular wines were a Cabernet blend called Chrome Dreams and a Rosè called F*ck Tomorrow that were done in collaboration with a street wear brand named HUF. Sadly, like all their wines, once they’re gone, we will never get to sample these amazing blends again.

So, now that you’re intrigued and your mouth is watering, you may wonder how you can get your hands on these amazingly clever wines before they sell out? I recommend visiting Tank Garage Winery in person. Frankly, the winery feels like a party from start to finish. It’s lively, vibrant and fun from the beautifully curated wines to the refreshingly “unstuffy” and friendly staff.

I also recommend joining their MADE Wine Club. You can sign up for 3 bottles at $125-$140 per release, 6 bottles at $200-$250 per release or 12 bottles at $375-$550 per release. Each level comes along with complimentary tastings, 10-20% off all purchases (get your Tank swag!), Complimentary T-Shirt and access to The Backroom ( a swanky private room for members only!). Releases run February, April, July, September and December, so you’ll never be empty handed for a holiday party.

Unable to visit? You can order their wines online at www.tankgaragewinery.com

To celebrate The Americana Post’s feature, Tank Garage Winery is offering 10% off +$1 shipping on your first online order now through December 31st with code AMERICANA at checkout. (Limit one per customer). This is a perfect way to load up on exceptional wines as gifts or even talking pieces at all your upcoming holiday parties. Stock up now…before they’re gone!