Meet the Winemakers

QUALITY WINE IS CREATED IN THE VINEYARD by a farmer, crafted by an artist, and chemistry brings it all together. Though foothills’ winemakers come from all walks of life, they share in this experience. Dozens of winemakers and winery owners are re-settling the foothills wine growing region, whose roots go back to the Gold Rush […]

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. […]

Good Times Return to Wine Making

NATURE HAS BEEN KIND TO CALIFORNIA WINEMAKERS this year. It has been a splendid growing season, starting with a quick bloom this spring and ending with warm days and cool nights during the harvest. This has led to renewed optimism for winemakers, who have contended with topsy-turvy weather and economic hardship in recent years. A […]

Tasting Notes: Barrel Tasting, Gifts, “Holiday in the Hills”

BARREL TASTING This is a unique opportunity to sample wine straight from the barrel before it is finished. It gives you a chance to learn how wine ages. The wine is drawn from the barrel with a long glass tube, or “thief,” and poured into your glass by the winemaker. Sometimes barrel tasting is a […]

Tasting Notes: What’s new at foothill wineries

SIERRA FOOTHILLS WINERIES WON HIGH HONORS in the 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the world’s largest competition of American wines. Sierra Vintners wineries that won medals included Avanguardia Wines, Lucchesi Vineyards, Montoliva Vineyard, Naggiar Vineyards and Pilot Peak Winery. Montoliva won “Best of Class” for its 2008 Sierra Bella. “Now try to tell me […]

Grass Valley Wine Co. finds new location

More wineries are expanding in downtown Grass Valley, and the county’s wine association has a new name, showing industry growth despite the economic downturn. The Grass Valley Wine Co. — a venture of Bent Metal, Pilot Peak and Solune wineries — has found a new location, at 128 Mill St. in the historic downtown. The […]

Fall for wine tours and tasting

FALL IS AN IDEAL TIME TO VISIT FOOTHILL wineries, when the vines and trees show off fall colors. In Nevada County, the big red barn at Smith Vineyard is redolent of New England. Naggiar Vineyard’s Tuscan-style tasting room reminds you of the Italian countryside. In Placer County, the Wine Trail is a collection of wineries […]

NEW: Grass Valley Wine Co. plans forging ahead

Here’s the logo for the Grass Valley Wine Company, the new wine bar in downtown Grass Valley that we wrote about previously. It will feature wines from Pilot Peak, Montoliva, Solune and Bent Metal at 151 Mill Street in downtown Grass Valley. “GVWC is planning to offer the best urban ‘casual wine tasting experience’ and […]

10 Foothill wines for the New Year

HERE ARE SOME FAVORITE Nevada County wines and a champagne for the New Year: Sierra Starr Bright Champagne This is a Brut bubbler with a touch of sweetness. Zesty pear and apple flavors tickles your palate. It is popular with those who don’t like most dry champagnes. $15 Naggiar Mistero 2006 The best of Zinfandel, […]

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