March 3rd—or 3/3…For most of you, it’s probably just another Monday. Honestly, I always thought so, too, until I discovered that March 3rd is International Triplet Day!
Who cares about triplets, Ben? Well, I do, because I am a triplet!
In 1987, just four days after the Minnesota Twins won the World Series, the lovely Judee Curley along with a terrified Tim Curley and a clueless two-year old Molly Curley, welcomed three baby boys into the world: Aaron, Ben and Jack. A family hoping to have another darling baby girl instead welcomed three boys into the mix.
As a father who recently went from one daughter to two, I can’t imagine the jump from one child to four in an instant. Just writing that gave me the heebie-jeebies! So, huge kudos to my mom, an ‘Atta-babe’ to my dad, and a heartfelt ‘sorry’ to my sister.
And so, in honor of this being International Triplet Day, I’ve curated three special wine bundles celebrating my brothers and me.
Triplet Day Shipping Special—Because Good Things Come in Threes!
In honor of International Triplet Day, we’re making it easier than ever to stock up on your favorite Anaba wines.
Now through March 6th (three days only!)
Order fewer than 6 bottles? Shipping is just $20
Go for 6 or more? Shipping is basically free—just 33 cents!
Use code TRIPLETDAY at checkout to unlock 33% savings on the wines in these bundles if you want to create your own bundle or add additional bottles.
Baby A – Aaron
Aaron is the big bro (two minutes older than me). He’s been in the restaurant industry for 20 years and worked in some of the finest restaurants in Wine Country until COVID moved him to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (he works at a great restaurant in Dallas if you want to say hi!). There, he found the love of his life – his cat Cody, who looks like a baby seal.
I will give Aaron credit (shhhh, he can’t know that I’m saying this); he has an incredible knowledge of wine. He loves all things Pinot and Chardonnay, but to this day he has always had an infatuation with the Petaluma Gap. He asks to see pictures of the fog in The Gap (doesn’t get too much fog in Dallas) and always asks how hard Hank is working (“Hank” is what the two of us call our wind turbine here at Anaba – don’t ask why.) In honor of Aaron, his bundle is going to feature some of our favorites from the Petaluma Gap AVA.
2019 Sangiacomo Roberts Road Pinot Noir
Always a fan favorite within the Anaba family, the 2019 Roberts Road is tasting better than ever. A true example of our winemaker Katy Wilson’s ability to produce delicious and age-worthy Pinot, this 2019 vintage is still bright and fresh, with mouthwatering strawberry and cherry notes, plus a subtle hint of spice that has developed over time. Also, Aaron spent a lot of time in Italy in 2007 (he still talks about it every day), so it wouldn’t be right not to include some kind of Italian nod in his bundle. The Roberts Road Vineyard is owned and farmed by the famous Sangiacomo Family of Sonoma Valley.
2019 Pepperwood Ridge Vineyard
Pepperwood Ridge Vineyard is just down the road from Roberts Road in the heart of the Petaluma Gap. When we first released this wine, it tasted very similar to the Roberts Road Pinot, with all that bright, fresh red fruit. But as it’s aged, it’s gained darker fruit flavors and much more spice and earthiness. It’s a Pinot that true Pinot lovers will absolutely appreciate. Aaron’s friends in Italy would probably love it too, since it has some similarities to a nice Chianti. There are only a few bottles left, so you won’t want to miss out!
2021 Define Series Chardonnay – Petaluma Gap
The introduction of the Define Series at Anaba was always about doing something unexpected. The first ‘different’ thing about this wine is that it’s the first Chardonnay we’ve ever made under the Petaluma Gap AVA. Secondly, we used a reductive style of winemaking, a hallmark of many Old World Chardonnays. By barrel-fermenting this wine with more lees, it has a crisp minerality balanced by a gentle key lime pie-like finish. (I didn’t even realize this when I picked this wine for Aaron, but he always texts me when he’s having key lime pie!)
Ok, that’s Aaron’s bundle. He won’t let me hear the end of it if his bundle is the most popular one out there!
Baby B – Ben
Yours truly. I’ve been in the wine industry for 15 years, I’ve spent six years here at Anaba, and it’s my job to take good care of our Wine Club members.
In my early days of wine drinking (we all grew up in Sonoma, so you can decide when ‘the early days’ started), I was never really exposed to great Pinot Noirs. My now mother-in-law liked Pinot Noir in the early stages of my courtship with her daughter, but I never really understood the appeal. That was until I started trying the great Pinot Noirs made here at Anaba. Learning how finicky Pinot Noir is to grow, and seeing all the work it takes to make great Pinot, helped me understand why a young guy with no money wasn’t falling in love with $10 bottles of Pinot!
Anyway, here’s my bundle—I hope you like it more than Aaron’s!
2021 Soberanes Pinot Noir
Soberanes is my jam. When I’m pouring this wine in the tasting room for our lovely guests, I love all of our Pinots, but if John (our owner) was to say, “Ben, you’re doing a great job, go pick a bottle for you and your wife to enjoy tonight,” this would be the one. It was the first wine I fell in love with at Anaba, and I think that because it’s one of our deeper, fuller bodied Pinots. The Soberanes Vineyard is farmed by the famous Pisoni family of the Santa Lucia Highlands, and if you haven’t heard of Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot yet, you’re missing out!
2016 Turbine Red Blend
Turbine Red is our homage to the Rhône River Valley, a longtime love of our owner, John Sweazey. I always say that Burgundy (Chardonnay and Pinot) is our first love, but we also like to flirt with Rhône a little bit! But this wine is more than just a flirtation!
I picked the 2016 Turbine Red for my bundle not just because it tastes incredible and has an appealing blend (45% Syrah, 41% Grenache, 9% Mourvèdre, and 5% Petite Sirah), but because 2016 was a very special year for me! That’s the year my wife (who’s actually a twin—though not as rare as a triplet!) and I got married here in Sonoma. Eight(!) years later, it’s still the best thing that’s ever happened to me! Two darling little girls later, she continues to give me the world, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without that day in 2016!
I promise you will love this wine. And as you drink it, I hope it makes you think about all the special people in your life, too. We only have one case left, so Aaron may have the upper hand when it comes to inventory, but if we sell out, I can find another very suitable option to replace it!
2021 JMK Estate Chardonnay
When I told you to open the 2016 Turbine Red and drink it while thinking about the special people in your life, think about how special this wine is, too—it’s named after our owner John’s two children.
The 2021 JMK Chardonnay is my favorite Chardonnay we’ve got right now. It’s perfectly balanced—crisp lemon citrus up front, with a lush, creamy vanilla finish. It impresses everyone, from the people who only like crisp Chardonnays to the people who only like oaky Chardonnay. I even have the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) folks loving this wine. And you will, too!!
There you have it! Ben’s bundle. I’m impressed with it, and I believe you will be, too!
Baby C – Jack
Right off the bat, you may notice something off—Baby A, Baby B, Baby C—Aaron, Ben, and… Jack?
Before we were born, we obviously didn’t have names, so the doctors simply called us A, B, and C. To this day, we’ve never gotten an explanation for why Jack wasn’t given a C name. But honestly, it’s fitting for Jack—because he’s the Define Series of the Curley family, in all the best ways.
Aaron and I look alike, think alike, and act alike. Jack is just Jack—and he’s incredible for it.
Jack played collegiate water polo and still plays competitively for San Francisco’s Olympic Club. Some of my favorite college memories involve driving down to Malibu to watch him play. He dabbled in the wine industry for a bit but eventually moved into a very successful career. Last year, he married an incredible woman who is, frankly, way too good for him (I can say this because Aaron doesn’t read these articles!), and he is the best uncle to my little girls. (Again, Aaron lives in Texas.)
Jack’s bundle was a little harder to put together, but I think I’ve picked a winner!
2021 Define Series Pinot Noir
Jack’s bundle wouldn’t be complete without a Define Series wine! The defining characteristic of the 2021 Define Series Pinot Noir is that we used a single cooper (barrel maker) for this wine. Typically, we use barrels from multiple coopers, which means we’re getting different woods from different forests in France. But for this wine, we used Cavin cooper barrels made from French oak sourced exclusively from the Châtillonnais forest.
There’s no dramatic difference in the percentage of new oak or time in barrel compared to our other Pinots, but the result is a lush, elegant wine—just like Jack! Deep blackberry notes with a hint of spice, plus noticeable but not overpowering tannins make this wine ready to drink today, or you can hold onto it for another five years.
2023 Grenache Blanc
An homage to Jack’s bachelor days in Chicago. Crisp, light, and refreshing, with bright lemon and honeysuckle flavors, this is the perfect summertime patio wine. Spring is just around the corner, and no one ever says no to a wine that tastes this good. You’ll open a bottle with your friends, and next thing you know, you’re opening another—because it’s just that easy to drink. Enjoy it on its own or pair it with grilled veggies and barbecued chicken, and you might just feel like Jack, having a party and looking out over Lake Michigan!
2021 Teldeschi Petite Sirah
Jack’s bundle wouldn’t be complete without our ‘big boy’ wine! When we were growing up, my mom would come home from Costco with a 60-pack of Bagel Bites. Later that day, only 20 would be left, and we’d know that Jack had gotten into them. Jack is a tall guy and I’m convinced those Bagel Bites are what made him grow so much more than Aaron and me.
Anyway, our Teldeschi Petite Sirah is our boldest, fullest-bodied red. We always pour this for visitors who come in and: a) think they’re in Napa; and b) assume that every winery makes Cabernet Sauvignon.
Anaba is not in Napa, and we don’t make Cabernet Sauvignon—but when we pour them this wine, it satisfies their craving for a big, bold red. I love this wine because it starts out with a dry, tannic mouthfeel, but as it evolves, it stays full-bodied while smoothing out into a beautifully rich finish.
And that’s Jack’s bundle! A little bit of everything—which is exactly what my ‘little’ brother is.
And that’s a wrap
I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. It made me miss my brothers since I don’t see them as much as I should, but it also reminded me of all the good times we’ve had together.
When people find out that I’m a triplet, they always ask what it was like growing up as one. I never have a good answer—because it’s all I’ve ever known. But I can tell you this: it was a pretty incredible childhood.
Growing up with two brothers the same age as me, an older sister who PUT UP WITH US, and two loving parents who let us grow up in beautiful Sonoma? Yeah, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.