Wine tasting: Avanguardia, Sierra Starr and Smith in Grass Valley

WINE HAS BEEN MADE AND SOLD IN Grass Valley since the French and Italian immigrants settled there in the 1800s. With its historic charm, shopping, dining and lodging, downtown Grass Valley has become a mecca for tasting rooms in the foothills.

As the wineries are preparing to open, the tasting rooms are warm and bustling. The gold-rush era buildings are architectural gems, and best of all, you often will be able to visit with the winemakers while tasting their blends. Here’s a look at three of them—all worth a visit and within walking distance of each other:

AVANGUARDIA
Avanguardia, which means avant-garde in Italian, specializes in hand-crafted artisan blends. More than 20 Italian, Russian and French grapes and University of California varietal crosses are estate grown—many imported especially for them.

From its dry white blend, Selvatico, to the generous depth of Ampio, a dry red blend, Avanguardia is on the cutting edge of the blending craft. One of the area’s first wineries is less than a mile from Avanguardia’s own vineyards on Jones Bar Road in Nevada City.

Its historic tasting room, known as the “Quick Building” was built in 1846, making it one of the oldest structures in Grass Valley. It is built of brick with horsehair plaster walls and furnished with antiques from the owner’s family. A pleasant courtyard is in the rear.
209 W. Main Street, 530-274-9911
AvanguardiaWines.com

SIERRA STARR
Seven years ago, Sierra Starr opened the first wine tasting room in Grass Valley. The Starr family capitalized on the recession, buying a new, bigger tasting room in the historic downtown to showcase their wines.

The tasting room is a splendid example of mid-1800s architecture, with brick and stone walls on all sides. Highlights include a mural of their vineyard, a hand-crafted wooden door and a custom bar.

Most of Sierra Starr’s wines are estate grown at its 12 acres of vineyards in Grass Valley. The winery’s flagship “old clone” Zinfandel comes from the oldest zin vines in the county. The Starr’s Sauvignon Blanc is a gold medal winner. Most of the wines have star-related names, such as Rising Starr Cabernet Franc.
124. W. Main Street, 530-477-8282
SierraStarrWine.com

SMITH VINEYARD
Smith renovated a building from 1871 into a spectacular wine tasting room. Guarded from the rain, an outdoor bar is a perfect spot for tasting and people watching year-round.

Inside, there’s a long bar, local artwork and handsome used brick walls. Musicians sometimes perform, adding to the ambiance.

The winery began operating in 1987 on a 10 acre vineyard planted in premium varietals in Grass Valley. Dr. Wayne Smith planted the first vineyard block in 1980, and the family owned business is now “three generations strong.”

Its wines include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Primitivo and Syrah. Three Brothers is a blended red that was created to honor the brothers that have worked in the vineyard.
142 Mill Street, 530-273-7032
SmithVineyard.com