Amalgam Wines

Amalgam Wines

Sonoma, CA
www.AmalgamWines.com

Region: Sonoma and Paso Robles

Owners: Ken Wallis

Winemakers: Ken Wallis

About: What really made me love wine so many years ago was how it has this amazing way of triggering all of our senses and bringing people together. For me, wine is so much more than a simple glass of fermented grape juice. The awe and excitement of that very first sip, and how a simple grape can deliver an endless spectrum of scents and flavors, while at the same time, instantly connecting people to a place, to a moment in time, and to each other. I chose “Amalgam” for my brand to capture the true essence of what I want to create with my wine. First, I create blends (an amalgam of grapes). Next, I want to bring people together (an amalgam of people) around my wine as a memorable experience. Working with lesser known grapes in interesting and new combinations helps me provide people with new experiences in wine, and hopefully capture that awe and excitement every time a new wine is created, a new bottle opened.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? I love creating blends, and highlighting the best of the individual grapes while together they become something entirely new and interesting. Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc are definitely grapes that are close to my heart, and I love working with. The different flavors and aromas they can bring to a wine just makes me happy, and I love to explore how they can play a role in less common blend combinations.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? It was early in my wine exploration that I opened a bottle of Niagara Gewurztraminer. The range of flavors and tropical character was far beyond anything else I had tried and it was a truly eye-opening experience. It was the catalyst for my interest in wine (hence why my first white blend of Albarino and Gewurztraminer is called Catalyst)

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? It is amazing to explore how these uncommon grapes bring new flavors and aromas to a wine. It is always exciting to me to have wine in my glass that I don’t already have an expectation of what it will smell like, taste like. They are just…. more interesting to me.