From vines to wines
HURRY UP AND WAIT” AND “QUALITY over quantity” best described described this year’s wine harvest in the Sierra foothills.
A wet spring and cool summer slowed down the harvest to well beyond September for many wineries—one of the latest in memory. “In agriculture, you take it as it comes,” says Lynn Wilson, co-owner and winemaker [...]
Lone Buffalo Vineyards: Where the buffalo roam
THE FOOTHILLS HERITAGE IS STEEPED IN WINEMAKING, not just gold mining.
Vineyards were introduced in Placer County in 1848—the same year gold was discovered.
Prohibition shut down this bigger-than-Napa wine industry in 1920. But winemaking made a comeback in the ’70s.
Nowhere is the county’s recaptured heritage more visible than at Lone Buffalo Vineyards, a [...]
Smith Vineyard’s bustling new tasting room
DESPITE THE RECESSION, WINERIES ARE rushing to open tasting rooms downtown, making a trip to one of the region’s historic towns more worthwhile.
In Grass Valley alone, three new tasting rooms have opened recently: Avanguardia Wines has come to town; Sierra Starr Winery has relocated to a bigger location); and Smith Vineyard is opening a [...]
Sierra Starr Winery is a rising star
PHIL AND ANNE STARR BOUGHT A small vineyard in Grass Valley in 1995, intending to move their flower nursery there from the Monterey area.
But Phil, who spent most of his life in farming, couldn’t resist the lure of grape growing and winemaking. “There’s no other product like wine — in variety, complexity and its taste [...]
Nevada County wineries praised in S.F. Chronicle tasting contest
NEVADA COUNTY WINERIES WERE BIG WINNERS in the S.F. Chronicle’s annual wine tasting contest, one of the most prestigious regional contests.
The winning wineries included Avanguardia, Indian Springs, Lucchesi, Montoliva, Naggiar, Pilot Peak, Sierra Starr, Smith, Solune and Szabo.
Pilot Peak won the prestigious “Best of Class: Judge’s Choice” award for its port.
A list of the winners [...]
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, Sangiovese and [...]
The most unique wine aerator comes from the Foothills
WINE DECANTERS COME IN ALL SHAPES and sizes. One of the most unique aerators comes from the Sierra Foothills.
The Gallicchio Glass Vino Aerator is a hand-blown glass decanter that allows the wine to gently breathe and release its full flavor and aroma as you pour. It also replaces the cork to preserve freshness.
Aerators [...]
A bounty of grapes in the Sierra Foothills for latest season
THE WINE HARVEST SEASON IS UPON US, AND MOST Sierra foothills growers are predicting a bumper crop, thanks to mild weather, a burst of summer rainfall and no frost damage.
This year’s grape harvest is expected to last through mid-October, led by Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Tempranillo, then Syrah, Zin and Grenache, and last, Cabernet [...]
New Avanguardia and Sierra Starr tasting rooms in Grass Valley
DESPITE THE RECESSION, SIERRA FOOTHILL wineries are forging ahead with expansion. It shows the wineries’ bullishness about the future, where California wine consumption is growing despite the prolonged downturn.
This summer, Naggiar opened a $1.5 million, 3,600-square foot wine tasting room with a long wooden bar and beamed ceiling, a private tasting room and fully equipped [...]
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