The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2016

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june 2016  /  the tasting panel  /  81 by Bey Tsadik / photos by Hardy Wilson hen 3 Badge Beverage Corporation President and fourth-gen- eration vintner August Sebastiani purchased the new company headquarters last summer, he hadn't expected to stumble upon a key piece of family history that would impact the organization's future. Last June, the old Sonoma Firehouse was transformed into office and warehouse space, which now also includes a stylish tap room to host trade tastings. While researching the space in old newspaper archives, Sebastiani discovered that his grandfather had been a volunteer firefighter out of that very building. Something Old "The generational connection to my family was so exciting," says Sebastiani, whose dad and uncle had also been volunteer firefighters there. The old Firehouse, built in 1948, was vacated more than a decade ago in favor of a new state-of-the-art space for fire department headquarters. "Part of what we were most proud of was owning the building and its history specifically," he continues. Sebastiani later recovered three service badges—Active, Retired and Honorary— from his grandfather's time as a volunteer firefighter, which inspired the new company name: 3 Badge Beverage Corporation. Wines and spirits arms The Other Guys and 35 Maple Street Spirits became 3 Badge Enology and 3 Badge Mixology at the beginning of this year, a move that reflected both the growth and unification. Now, the 3 Badge Beverage head- quarters is positioned only one block south of the city plaza—a respectful nod to The new 3 Badge Beverage Corporation head- quarters are housed in a converted firehouse where Sebastiani's grandfather once volunteered. W "As a négo- ciant, we're conantly taing wines not ju in our portfolio, but also weird, off- beat, fun lots from all over the world"

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