Colfax Hwy. Wine Tour: Visit Montoliva and Solune

LIKE SAMPLING CHEESE, we enjoy savoring Sierra Vintners’ wineries in “small bites”:

A trip along Hwy. 49 to visit Sierra Knolls’ Bear River Wine Tasting room and Naggiar, for example; or a drive along McCourtney Road outside Grass Valley to visit Bent Metal, continuing along Indian Springs Road into Penn Valley, stopping at Pilot Peak.

It’s a pleasant way to spend a weekend afternoon, and our wine map will help you plan an itinerary.

The Colfax Hwy., or Hwy. 174—a “road less traveled” but convenient nonetheless—is a scenic route that includes two of our favorite wineries: Montoliva and Solune.

The wineries along Hwy. 174 are just 10 to 15 minutes from the junction of I-80 and Colfax—a quick detour for travelers zipping along the interstate from either Reno or Sacramento.

Montoliva and Solune—just down the road from one another—epitomize the small, family-owned wineries that produce award-winning wines.

Some examples: Montoliva’s Sierra Bella blend won “Best of Class” in the 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Solune’s 2007 Syrah won a Double Gold medal for Best Syrah in California at the 2011 California State Fair.

You can visit with the winemakers—Mark Henry at Montoliva and Jacques Mercier at Solune. We like to picnic at Solune, and Montoliva offers sweeping views from its vineyard.

More information about Auburn click here; for Colfax, click here.

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