Bucher Wines Valentine’s Day The Year of Self-Love
With Valentine’s Day just a few days away we wanted to share a great blog post from our friend Kyle of The Kosmopoliman. He’s been drinking our Rose for quite some time, since we first met him at Grand Cru Custom Crush and hosted him last Spring for a visit (read about that visit here) so when we decided to celebrate Vday with our Bucher Wines Rose we were thrilled. See clips from his blog post below and read more on his blog The Kosmopoliman. here.
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“It’s safe to say: 2019 is officially the “Year of Self-Love.”
With a little help from Ariana Grande’s self-loving anthem “thank u, next” and Marie Kondo, self-love is on everyone’s mind.Everyone, including my barber, is telling me about their self-care routines in 2019. “
“All the recent chatter about self-love has led me to a single decision: to dedicate Valentine’s Day to myself this year. It’s the perfect day to go all-in with a few of my favorite things, like, rosé.”
“No, self-love isn’t all diamonds and rosé (to quote my Twitter frenemy, Lisa Vanderpump). But it can at least be rosé.”
“My pink drink of choice this Valentine’s Day is, of course, from one of my favorite independent wineries in Sonoma County’s Wine Country, Bucher Wines. They just so happen to produce one of my favorite Russian River Valley rosé wines, too.”
“Bucher Wines’ Rosé of Pinot Noir is crisp and refreshing with delicate notes of strawberries and watermelons. This Rosé of Pinot Noir the perfect rosé to enjoy on a warm day at the park, on the beach, or on the roof with friends. It’s also the perfect rosé to enjoy at home on Valentine’s Day, all to yourself or with a special someone.”
“To elevate this wine, pair it with this simple and indulgent recipe: Dungeness Crab Linguine with Prosecco Lemon Sauce.” Recipe here.
“Bucher Wines’ Rosé of Pinot Noir is only available for purchase online at Bucher.Wine or at The Grand Cru Custom Crush tasting room where you can make an appointment to taste Bucher Wines.
Tastings are appointment-only and normally cost $25 per person (waived with a purchase of $100 or more). Mention Kyle Legg, The Cosmopolitan Man, or 49Miles.com when booking your reservation here and enjoy a complimentary tasting for two ($50 value)!”
“Well, well, well look who blinked and missed all of November and jumped right into the following month all too suddenly? Anyone else not sure where the time went? This time of year is my absolute favorite even if it does go by way too fast, and I plan on savoring every last (very quick) minute of December.
Even if I can’t drink I’m not letting that stop me from throwing a good soireé. If you know me, you know I love to host a party. I’ve hosted a Friendsgiving or a Holiday party for as long as I can remember — it’s my favorite thing to do, to get friends, old and new together, eat, drink, be merry, and maybe throw in a 90’s jam session on the rooftop deck in faux fur coats (that’s a story for another time).”
“Generally, a lot of thought goes into the whole hosting experience, it can be overwhelming and stressful but today I’m sharing my four tips on how to easily host a fabulous party. It’s the stuff I’ve learned over the ten years of throwing get-togethers around this time of year, my no-fail-works everytime hosting tricks.
One: Get fresh florals. Flowers are beautiful and set the mood, they scream festive and liven up the place. But I don’t get just any florals, I like to go for something that will last me a few weeks, something like eucalyptus leaves, holly berries or Douglas tree trimmings– that way not only does the place dress up it, but it actually smells like Christmas. That piney scent really does wonders for the room’s ambiance.
Two: Get good local wine. Living in San Francisco there is no shortage of great wineries nearby. Every year I try to have a mini supply on hand of local wines I love and want to support, in recent years I’ve been in the habit of buying and opening a magnum of something really delicious. I ask all the invited guests to bring a bottle of their favorite as well, that way the wine never needs to stop flowing. This year 
Grand Cru Custom Crush located in Windsor, California
Views of a tasting with Bucher Wines at Grand Cru Custom Crush. Make your reservation online here.
“Three: Use real glassware, I love the idea of stemware, but not everyone has 20 wine glasses stored somewhere, especially in San Francisco. I usually pull together stemless cups, small glasses, champagne coups, wine glasses, and even fun colored glass, like the blue ones in the pictures above. All the glassware collectively pulled together really makes for a thoughtful elegant spread, and the click-clinking makes for one hell of a party. Plus not sure about you, but wine tastes so much better out of real glass as opposed to plastic.”
“Four: Asking your guests to contribute and bring something whether a bottle of wine or an appetizer allows you to focus on prepping your home and less time in the kitchen or market picking out beverages. For my first ever Friendsgiving I slaved all day in the kitchen making a turkey and all the sides, I didn’t get to finish until guests were already in my apartment and even then was cooking and fussing with the food. Having them bring a little something alleviates whats on your hosting plate and allows you to be more in the moment with your guests.”
Thanks to Bucher for sponsoring this post and sending some wine!
“We recently discovered Bucher Wines, a wonderful family owned boutique winery located in Healdsburg California with a fabulous tasting room and winery production in Windsor, CA.. Bucher Wines specializes in Estate-Grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Wines. Bucher uses only grapes grown on their property located on the acclaimed Russian River Valley’s WestSide Road. Being a local winery, it’s easy to plan a wine tasting for your next trip to wine country. Bucher Wines recently joined a brand new Tasting Room, Grand Cru Custom Crush in Windsor California. The tasting room is by appointment only. Or, you can purchase wines direct via their online shop.”
“All of Bucher’s Wines pair amazingly well with food. Their Pinot Noir wines are light, yet have depth and complex flavors. The current Pinot Noir releases are ready to drink now. If you are impatient with aging, or you can save them in your wine fridge for a special occasion. Pinot is one of my favorite food wines because it is so diverse. You can enjoy it with a Thanksgiving turkey, a seafood dish, or a hearty stew and it will taste outstanding.
To change it up a bit, Bucher Wines Rosé of Pinot Noir smells delicious and has delightful fruity flavors. We loved this wine with appetizers, it goes great with soft cheeses, particularly goat cheese. If you love white wines, Bucher’s Unoaked Chardonnay has fruity flavors which pairs well with the turkey, buttery rich dishes like potatoes au gratin or risotto…yum! All of these wines are food friendly and would be a great addition to any holiday meal. I wouldn’t worry too much about the pairings as I believe you should really just drink what you like! With three great wine offerings from Bucher Wines everyone can get a glass of something that they enjoy at your next holiday gathering. 
The lovely Aimee Rancer of The Ohio Transplant enjoying a mid week wine down with Bucher Wines. Guess what her favorite Bucher Wine is? Read more below and you’ll find out…
“For the longest time, I always thought there was only two types of wine people actually enjoyed drinking. And those were Chardonnay and Merlot. Ahh, how cute (and naive that was).”
As I got settled into my California living, I started to actually take an interest in wine – after all, we’re an hour away from one of the biggest destinations for wine in the world, right? And even better? When you’re wine tasting, vineyards provide you with delicious and delectable snacks – and sometimes it’s FREE!
As my palette started to morph and I became a lot more informed on the wine landscape, it dawned on me. I ACTUALLY REALLY LOVE WINE. Well, that one’s obvious. But, I like wine besides Merlot! Or, as I used to order back in the day, “the house red.”
More often than not, you can find amazing wine at your local grocer and if you’re really lucky, you find wine at your grocery that’s good, affordable, AND semi-local. I consider that a win/win.
One of my favorite brands as of late is Bucher Wines. As a small family run winery, Bucher is committed to providing the best wine possible – for any occasion and for any price point (a personal passion).
“I’m sharing 3 varieties that are a) TASTY AS ALL GET OUT and b) reasonably priced!!!
RED: 2015 Bucher Russian River Pinot Noir. Think dried cherry, Ceylon tea, and cranberry. It’s savory and earthy and makes for a delicious sipping wine perfect for an Italian meal or steak. Price point: $40
WHITE: 2017 Bucher Unoaked Chardonnay. This wine is crisp with a touch of citrus that throws you back to summer nights. I personally dig this one and I’ve never been the biggest fan of Chards before now! Price point: $30
ROSE: 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir. I LOVE a good rosé. How typical of me. But for real! It’s refreshing and truly, the best of both worlds. So, how can you go wrong?? This one for me is a sip anything, any day kind of wine. Price point: $25.
Is it 5 o’clock yet or is it just me? And if you love the sound of these wines above, check ‘em out for yourself through the Bucher website or for a complimentary tasting (up to $50 as an Ohio Transplant reader) at their tasting room in Grand Cru Custom Crush (1200 American Way, Windsor, CA 95492).”
The Bucher Wines Russian River Pinot Noir and Bucher Wines Rose of Pinot Noir.
What a perfect pairing, the Bucher Wines Chardonnay, Rose and some popcorn and nuts! All that is missing is a cheese plate.
“Owned by husband and wife, John and Diane Bucher, Bucher Wines is located in Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley. The vineyard is actually situated on Bucher Farms, an organic dairy farm started by John’s parents in 1958 after they emigrated from Switzerland. Today, Bucher Farms is still a working dairy farm, consisting of 700 milk downs and 700 heifers, calves and bulls.
After graduating from UC Davis in the late 1980s, John returned to Healdsburg to manage the family farm. He started the process of converting it to an organic dairy farm and, wanting to diversify a bit with higher value crops, John started to look into grape growing as a possibility. In 1997, after researching which grape varietals would do best, the first Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir blocks were planted. Additional plantings of Pinot and Chardonnay soon followed.
Bucher’s Pinot Noir grapes have long been sold to several notable Sonoma County wineries, including Williams Selyem, Merry Edwards, Siduri and Arista. But in 2011, the Bucher family decided to try their own hand at winemaking and later that year, John and Diane, along with the help of their children, crushed their first grapes for Bucher Wines. Their first vintage was released two years later.
Bucher Wines’ 38-acre vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on 15 distinct blocks, and the organic sustainable practices used on the farm and dairy continue into the vineyard.”
Bucher Wines produces Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Rosé of Pinot Noir made from 100% estate fruit. Their winemaker is Adam Lee, a Pinot Noir specialist who has earned a reputation as one of California’s top winemakers.
Yes, Pinot Noir from California can vary dramatically, but Russian River Pinot Noirs tend to showcase notes of cherry and red fruit, smoke and earthy elements. That was certainly true of these wines, like the 2015 Pommard Clone Pinot Noir, which displayed cherry pie and cranberry notes, smoke and a subtle earthiness on the long, velvety finish.
Bucher Wines can be ordered online or sampled at their new tasting room in Windsor, Grand Cru Custom Crush. If you happen to visit, be sure to mention you read about Bucher Wines on Wander & Wine and they’ll treat you to an extra taste of something special.
To read the full Wander & Wine blog post about Bucher Wines, visit