Winemaker Bob Cabral

California Wine Country

Winemaker Bob Cabral.

Winemaker Bob Cabral is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, after a long time. His last appearance on the show was this episode on October 20, 2021.

This 2024 harvest will be Bob Cabral’s 45th harvest in the wine business. Bob Cabral Wines is his label now. He grew up in Central California where his parents were growers of red wine grapes and almonds.

Bob pronounces almonds “amands” with the short A, which is a pronunciation unique to the California central valley where they grow. (This pronunciation is close to the form and pronunciation of the French word for almonds, “amands”.) He studied winemaking at Fresno State and got a Master’s in Biochemistry, moving to Sonoma County in 1986. Bob has travelled the world for his business.

He worked for DeLoach vineyards under Randy Ullom, who is now at Kendall-Jackson. He just celebrated thirty years there. Then he went to Kente, worked for some consulting winemakers, then Alderbrook, now owned by the Orsi family.

2011 Winemaker of the Year

Back in 2011 Wine Enthusiast magazine named Bob Cabral its Winemaker of the Year. Now they are tasting Bob’s 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Bob tells about how he is getting ready to move to Paradise Ridge. He will lease half of their winery and he will make his wines while Paradise Ridge will also continue to make wine. It should be open in July. Paradise Ridge will also be open for visitors.

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Next they taste a 2021 Rosé called American Girl, a Rosé of Pinot Noir. He first made it this way in 2016, but he stopped making it until 2021 again. “It may be a pain to make but it’s not a pain to taste!”

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Dan Berger says it has a little of the richness of a white wine but also some of the structure of a red. Steve Jaxon declares that it is one of the best Rosés he has ever tasted. Dan suggests it would go perfectly with Steak Tartare. “An explosion of flavor in your mouth,” in Bob Cabral’s words.