Adventure Inside and Outside of a Bottle
Blog Post By Linzi Gay
The Clif Family experience was built around the spirit of adventure and nothing exemplifies this more in our product offerings than our Adventure Series wines – Rte Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Bici Rhone-style Red Blend and The Climber Bordeaux-style Red Blend.
Each label is a black and white photograph of favorite adventures, from rock climbing in Yosemite to cycling in Italy’s famous mountain ranges. And each of these photos has a story that goes along with them. Here are those stories.
Rte Blanc Sauvignon Blanc: This photo was taken of Gary on the Passo Gavia in 1986. The Passo Gavia is one of the highest mountain passes in the Italian Alps and it is famous among cyclists who visit from around the world to tackle the steep ascent. This particular trip was the beginning of many white road adventures, taking the roads less traveled. As Gary will tell you, there are red-road journeys and there are white-road journeys. Look at any map and you will see these different routes. When you are on the red road, it is about the destination. On the white road it is about the road and the adventure. This trip inspired our Rte Blanc (literally ‘white road’) Sauvignon Blanc and the label pays homage to the journey.
Bici Rhone-style Red Blend: Another famous mountain pass in Italy is the Passo Giau. It’s a relentless climb and it is one of Kit’s favorites for its beautiful scenery and dramatic peaks which are well worth the time in the saddle. The photo that is the label on our Bici (bike in Italian) Red Wine perfectly captures Kit at the pinnacle of her own white road journey.
The Climber Bordeaux-style Red Blend: From the seat of a bike to hanging on to the side of a mountain, adventure has many forms. The Climber on our label is Ron Kauk, a longtime climbing partner of Gary’s and friend of both Gary and Kit. He’s famous for putting up some of the hardest routes in Yosemite. In the photo on the label, Ron is climbing Heaven in Yosemite, a route that was first climbed by Ron in the 1990’s.
What’s on the label is not the only part of these wines to enjoy. Winemaker Laura Barrett creates these wines to become part of the stories you create on your own adventures.
Cheers!