Blog Post By Meg Barkley
Ride for Wine: Napa Valley’s Only Wine & Cycling Club
The idea for Clif Family started on Gary and Kit’s long cycling adventures through the Dolomites in Northern Italy. Their rides often included a rest break at welcoming mountain huts called Rifugios. At these stops they would enjoy refreshments including local food, wine and beer while connecting with fellow travelers.
The hospitality that they were given at these Rifugios is what we sought to create in our own Napa Valley Tasting Room. A stop where wine tasters, food lovers and cyclists alike could come together in a warm and hospitable setting to enjoy all things Clif Family. On any given day in the Clif Family Tasting Room, we host a mix of adventurers through our door – foodies, wine lovers, Cabernet collectors, hikers, runners, yogis, and cyclists.
At our Tasting Room, you may find a group of friends gathered on the patio for lunch from our Food Truck while enjoying a bottle of Clif Family Rose of Grenache. Or you may find a couple enjoying a flight of our Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Often, you will find a cyclist (maybe even Gary) in full cycling gear to celebrate the end of a long ride with a glass of Clif Family Rte Blanc Sauvignon Blanc paired with our famous Porchetta Bruschetta.
Adventure is at the heart of what we do. Photos, maps and memorabilia from Clif Bar’s early days and Gary and Kit’s cycling adventures line our walls. “Fred”, the bike that helped inspire the original Clif Bar, hangs above you as you taste through our Clif Family wines.
In 2012, we launched our Club Peloton wine and cycling club with the goal of creating a community for our cyclist friends. We claim it as the first and only wine and cycling club in the Napa Valley.
Our Club Peloton members receive wine four times a year, plus a box of the latest Clif Bar products in each shipment. Sometimes our members receive a new Clif Bar flavor before it launches to the public. Club Peloton members can access purchasing a custom Capo Club Peloton Cycling Kit, other special swag, discounted pricing on shipping, complimentary tastings that can be paid forward, perks and specials for local cycling events, hotels and spa partners and much more.
The highlight of the membership is the annual Club Peloton Ride led by Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford. Your day begins with a nutritious farm to table breakfast created by Executive Chef John McConnell, that leads into an invigorating sag-supported ride with the Clif Family Team and ends with an afternoon of food, wine, and great conversation.
Does Club Peloton sound like the wine club you have been seeking? We’d love to have you join the family. Let us know if you have any questions and take a minute to fill out this form so we can tell you more about Club Peloton.