Kubani Wines

Kubani Wines was founded by Rajeev B. Parikh with the brand’s first vintage in 2022. Kubani is an homage to family; with the word created as a portmanteau from his children’s names, Shibani and Kunal.

Rajeev’s wife once asked him, “You are such an active person — how are you going to handle retirement?” Half jokingly, he suggested opening a wine bar. At the time, wine was already becoming an increasingly important part of his life. His lawyer at the time, formerly an importer of French wines, regularly introduced him to people connected to Napa Valley, including friends associated with Paradigm and Miner Family Winery. Although their meetings were often work related, his lawyer repeatedly told him, “The way you drink wine, I think it’s time you go to Napa. You clearly enjoy wine and you have a good palate.”

Eventually, his lawyer encouraged to visit Miner Family Winery and meet with then winemaker Gary Brookman, one of his lawyer’s favorite winemakers. Through those early introductions he also met Dave Miner. Around the same time, Steve Gage — now General Manager at Parallel Wines and someone Rajeev refers to as his mentor — introduced him to numerous winemakers and winery owners throughout Napa Valley.

At the time, the Indian community was not particularly focused on fine wine. Rajeev was buying wines by the case, so wineries began offering him wholesale pricing. He started selling wine within the Indian community, although he quickly realized that palate preferences tended to differ from the wines he personally gravitated toward. His first serious wine experiences in Napa Valley were Petite Sirah and Zinfandel — varieties he immediately fell in love with. From there, he continued visiting wineries recommended by his lawyer and industry friends.

Eventually he told his wife he wanted to make wine himself. Her response was practical: “You have a daughter who needs a wedding — do you know how much that costs?” Ironically, his daughter married during 2020, when restrictions on gatherings significantly reduced wedding expenses.

As he became more involved in Napa Valley, people continually pointed him toward Bobby Moy including Steve Gage. Bobby has made all of the Kubani Wines. Dave Miner also encouraged him, mentioning, “You have a good palate and a real passion, which is what you really need.” Rajeev immediately told Dave, “I want to make a Petite Sirah.” Dave offered one important piece of advice: “Go slow and low with your production.”

Before entering wine production, Rajeev was heavily involved with Riedel glassware. His interest began after being served wine in a Riedel glass at a restaurant in Los Angeles. Curious, he researched the company further. During trips to India, he noticed most wine was still being served in small goblet-style glasses, so he became a distributor for Riedel in India focusing on wholesale accounts. This business kept him closely connected to wine culture while also supporting Indian wineries, particularly in Nashik. At the time, many wineries struggled with proper storage conditions. Electricity costs were extremely high, and refrigeration systems were sometimes unplugged to save money, often damaging the wines in the process.

Riedel eventually offered him the opportunity to oversee the consumer side of operations in India. However, he quickly realized the market was still developing. Younger consumers were purchasing expensive Riedel decanters as flower vases, while others worried servants would break them or complained they had nowhere to store them. The role required a level of long-term commitment — at least another decade — that he ultimately decided would conflict with family priorities.

Today, he oversees nearly all direct-to-consumer sales himself, particularly in Palm Springs, and personally delivers the wines. Rajeev often pours the wines at events and tastings in southern California.

Winemaker
Bobby Moy grew up in Napa Valley and has worked in a diversity of wine related jobs including as the wine buyer for the SidewaysWineClub (owned by a company who purchased the rights to the name from Fox Searchlight Pictures following the popularity and increased interest in the Santa Barbara wine country after the release of the Sideways film). While living on California’s Central Coast he began pursuing sommelier training, consulting for local restaurants and also working several harvests.

Moving back to Napa Valley he found it was difficult to find sommelier related work; so, he pursued his passion for Pinot Noir and moved to Corvallis Oregon and enrolled at Oregon State University in their food science program. After graduating he worked a few months for winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown in Calistoga. He continued to make wine; through a professor he met while at Oregon State he took a job at BlueBird Hill Cellars in the Willamette Valley – and then later moved back to California and worked a short time at Virginia Dare Winery in Sonoma County. His own wine brand is Chiron Cellars.

Select Wines
Chardonnay
The 2022 Kubani Chardonnay, Napa Valley, is primarily from grapes grown in the Muir Hanna Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District with a small amount from Santa Barbara County. Muir Hannah Vineyard is well known as being one of the vineyards that supplied the grapes for Chateau Montelena’s winning 1973 Chardonnay in the Judgement of Paris tasting. The grapes were harvested at 22.2brix, were fermented using indigenous yeasts and were 100% barrel fermented undergoing full malolactic fermentation. This wine is medium to deep gold in color; distinctly Chardonnay, but the aromatics are brightly lit and full of energy. The nose smells green apples, Kaffir lime, pineapple, kiwi, lychee, Meyer lemon, butter, honeysuckle and jasmine. This is a beautiful expression of the variety; lifted, bright and full of energy and richness of flavor, this wine is vibrating at a different pitch then most California Chardonnays. Its flavors include golden delicious apples, pineapple, honeycomb, lemon zest, nectarine, lime and a finishing note of brioche. Lingers with a mouth watering brightness, a refreshing component of this wine due to it’s zippy acidity. Saline but not briny if that makes any sense. Pair with a view of the rugged Pacific Ocean from the northern California coastline and a plate of oysters.

Pinot Noir
Rancho Ontiveros in the Santa Maria Valley was once part of a Spanish land grant. While studying ranch management at Cal Poly State University, Rancho Ontiveros proprietor, James Ontiveros and the 9th generation of Ontiveros family who have been farming in Santa Maria, convinced his father in 1997 to plant an initial 5 acres acres of 5 heritage clones of Pinot Noir, inspired in part by other vineyards in Santa Maria growing this variety, such as Le Bon Climat. Today, Rancho Ontiveros is planted to 153 acres of Pinot Noir. The vineyard sits on ancient sand dunes, with well-drained soils ideally suited to Pinot Noir.

The 2022 Kubani Pinot Noir, Bani’s Enchante Santa Barbara County (Rancho Ontiveros). Bobby drives down from Napa to oversee the pick with the grapes harvested by 2am, drives back to Napa and starts foot treading by 8am. This wine was 100% whole cluster fermented. It is pale ruby in color and slightly hazy; the nose smells strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate and some spice tones including white pepper, dried sage, duff (dried leaves) and cinnamon stick. And some floral undertones including of dried rose petals and lavender. Bright across the palate, carrying a balanced and lively acidity and lightly tangy, this wine tastes like strawberry, pomegranate, Rainier cherry – finishing with savory notes of white pepper, tea leaf, matcha powder and sage. The tannins are well integrated, lingering with a polished and seamlessly integrated feel. If you want to be cerebral, this wine contributes a lot to that conversation. If you want to simply enjoy it in the moment, it does that to. This wine is named after Rajeev’s daughter Bani – and the first vintage was produced in 2021.

Grenache
The 2021 Kubani Grenache, California (SB and Amador) is from a two vineyards both biodynamically farmed, from at Bobby calls them, “the dirtiest looking vines” but they deliver all the desired flavor and character that he is looking for from this variety. This wine is 100% varietal; it is pale to medium ruby in color. An elegant showing, on the brightly lit bouquet, there are scents of dried rose petals, wild strawberries, raspberries, orange peel zest, a light influence of dried herbs and an underlying note of dill. A union of both red fruits and savory influences, this wine tastes like pomegranate, raspberries, strawberries, cherry cola and blood orange, while finishing with layers of dried anise seeds, white pepper and dried sage. Finishes with rounded tannins, bound together so that the mouth feel is perceived as lightly creamy. Their feel is gentle and fit into the finish like a perfectly cut and aligned puzzle piece. This wine is in a balanced equilibrium at 4 years post vintage. Pair this beauty with a roast lamb covered in an assortment of dried herbs and spices.

Red Crush Blend
The 2023 Kubani Red Crush Blend, California includes 59% Grenache from the Sonoma Coast and Amador, 37% Old Vine Carignane from Suisun Valley and 4% Old Vine Petite Sirah from Calistoga. This wine was fermented whole cluster using indigenous yeasts and was aged for 18 months in neutral French oak barrels. This wine is deep ruby in color. The bouquet immediately offers a spicy, dark and more edgy aromatic character with scents inclusive of dark pepper, cured meats, smoked sage, brambly fruits including raspberry and blackberry and red cherry. The spiciness on the bouquet is just as noticeable on the palate. Brooding a bit with darker thoughts, this wine tastes like crushed peppercorn, dried sage, dried bay leaf, cloves, spicy red plum skin, dark raspberry and red cherry. The acidity keeps this wine fresh. The tannins are broadly dispersed, persisting with a grainy, gravelly and dusty tug that along with dark spice, outlasts the fruit on the finish. This wine is mean to be easy drinking and be available at restaurants through their by the glass programs. Enjoy this with BBQ or a margherita pizza liberally topped with red chili spice.

Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2022 Kubani Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley is deep ruby and opaque; this wine is sweetly fruited with influences from its tie in oak taking a far back seat to this aromatic conversation. This wine smells sweetly fruited and like blackberry pie, raspberry jam, dark figs, boysenberry, mulberry and fruit roll-up candy. With a light note of sweet baking spices to complement the aromatic profile. And like the bouquet, the palate is also sweetly fruited and ripe, but not quite crossing into the territory of being jammy. Its flavors are of raspberry, cherry pie, boysenberry, Pakistani mulberry and Santa Rosa plum. The plush textured tannins are ripe and rounded, felt primarily on the front of the palate with a light dusty character. Comfortable and easy drinking in its youth, this is a riper expression of ‘Napa Valley’ and this vintage, noted for its extended heat spike later in the growing season.

The 2019 Kubani Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Mountain Cuvee is 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain and Calistoga. This wine is deep ruby in color; brightly lit, the bouquet is an interplay between both red fruits and sweet barrel spices. This wine smells like raspberry jam, boysenberry, blueberry, blackberry, ripe Santa Rosa plum and non fruited contributions of mocha, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon stick. Crowd pleasing across the palate, this wine is showing in a sweet spot at 7 years post vintage. It tastes ripe but never quite crosses into the spectrum of being over ripe. Flavors include dark raspberry, cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, Satsuma plum, dark mulberry and dill. Lingers with a layer of cloves and white pepper. The tannins are ripe, resolved and rounded, and at this age are integrated nicely into the finish. Their texture is pillowy and never heavy, a break from other Napa Valley mountain reds where texture often dominates for a number of years after bottling.

The 2020 Kubani Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Reserve was sourced from grapes growing on hills west of Oakville. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; the bouquet shows plenty of aromatic depth with both red and darker fruit aromatics. It smells like dark plum, blackberry, boysenberry, dark mulberry and cherry. And dark chocolate. The freshness of fruit is quite evident 6 years post vintage both on the bouquet and the palate, with the oak letting the fruit do most of the talking. Shows plenty of flavor but with a surprisingly soft textural profile that is somewhat latent before showing a bit more hillside grip. This wine tastes like red cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, Persian mulberry, and a finishing note of dark cocoa powder. The acidity is bright and balanced. The tannins are broadly dispersed with a well-tumbled texture that persists with a gentle dusty tug outlasting the fruit on the finish.

The 2022 Kubani Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Reserve is deep ruby and opaque; the grapes are from different sources than the 2020 bottling. This wine smells pretty at 3.5 years post vintage. The nose smells ripe, yet also bright and lifted with aromas of blackberry pie, boysenberry jam, fresh plum compote, raspberry and cherry. Additional notes include red licorice and chocolate. Sweetly fruited and ripe, the palate is an immediately enjoyable expression of this variety with flavors of dark raspberry, blackberry pie, mocha, cocoa powder and vanilla. The acidity offers some lift here, giving life to an otherwise ripe expression and vintage. The fully ripe and polished tannins are never heavy, still they are present and noticeable with a lasting gravelly and dusty pull broadly felt across the palate. Bring this bottling to a gathering with good friends and great conversation—you won’t be disappointed.

Napa Winery/Tasting Room
The Kubani wines are produced in a winery(with an adjoining hospitality space) located in an industrial zone a few minutes’ drive south of downtown Napa. This area is known as the ‘Crusher District”, named for numerous wineries who typically do not own vineyards but make their wine in this part of town and often have associated tasting rooms. This space was previously used by Y. Rousseau Wines. Since then, the tasting space was completely renovated and features an intimate room for guests to enjoy the wines, directly next to the entrance to the barrel room and winery.

As of our latest update to this profile, Kubani shares the tasting room space here with several other brands produced here including Chiron Wines, SUNCRU and Uncharted.

The wines are sold direct to consumer via the website. Visits are hosted by appointment at the winery in Napa Valley. For more information, to purchase wine or to join the mailing list or wine club, please visit: www.kubaniwines.com