Table of Contents

Copyright information i

Acknowledgements ii

Table of Contents v

PRELUDE vii

SECTION I INTRODUCTION 1

SECTION II "Quick Reference" to the Tasting Room Facilities 3

Getting Around the Wineries of Nevada County 3
Nevada City Tasting Rooms 3
Grass Valley Tasting Rooms 4

Other In or Near Town locations 5
Lake of the Pines 5
Truckee 5

Wineries Having No Public Tasting Room Facilities 6

Other Wineries not yet visited 6

How good are the Wines? 6

The Wine Competition Circuit 6

The Prestigious Winemakers 6
    JED STEELE - Indian Springs Vineyards 6
    JACQUES MERCIER - Solune Winegrowers 6
    MARK FOSTER - Nevada City Winery 7
    TONY NORSKEG - Nevada County Wine Guild 7

SECTION III History Overview - Arrival of the Wine Grape in Nevada County 8

Land Possession Before the Gold Rush 8
Land Possession Following the Gold Rush 9

Introduction of Winegrowing 9

The Beginning Wine Industry in Nevada County 11

Pre-Prohibition Years: 1840’s-1930’s 11

A Little Historical Commonality Between Napa, San Francisco & Nevada Counties 15

My Speculations About the Early Winegrowing Industry 16

Background On The Modern Nevada County Wine Industry 16
Wine Producers 18
Grape Growers 17

Marketing and Advocacy Organizations 18

Media Exposure 18

SECTION IV Local Perspectives - The Future of the Nevada County Winegrowing Industry 20

Sierra Vintners - Interview with President Alex Szabo 20
   Recent expansion 20
   Re-branding 20
   Quality of wines produced 20
   Master Plan and Budget 20
   Near future expansion 20

Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association - Interview with President Tom Besemer. 21

Nevada County Agriculture Commissioner 21
Some Views from Other Winery Owners - Responses to questions asked by John Olney 22

“What do you see happening for this area in the near as well as in the distant future.” 22
Rob Chrisman - Avanguardia 22
Mark L. Henry Montoliva 22
Lynn Wilson - Pilot Peak 22
Jacques Mercier- Solune 22

How do you plan to increase consumer visitation and thus retail sales, or do you even wish to increase these? 23
Rob Chrisman - Avanguardia 23
Mark L. Henry Montoliva 23
Lynn Wilson - Pilot Peak 23
Jacques Mercier- Solune 24

SECTION V Nevada City - Downtown Wineries & Stand-Alone, Second Tasting Rooms 25

The Town of Nevada City 25
Wineries Located Downtown 26
INDIAN SPRINGS VINEYARDS 26
NEVADA CITY WINERY 28
Wineries with a Stand-Alone Tasting Room 31
B.Y.O.B. WINE SELLERS 31
CLAVEY VINEYARDS 32
SZABO VINEYARDS 33

SECTION VI Grass Valley Area - 
Downtown Wineries and Stand-Alone, Second Tasting Rooms 34
The Town of Grass Valley 34
The Holbrooke Hotel 34
The Famous Ladies 35

SIERRA STARR VINEYARD and WINERY 35
AVANGUARDIA WINES    35LUCCHESI VINEYARDS and WINERY 36      
SMITH VINEYARDS   36
       
“Collective” Tasting Rooms 36 151 UNION SQUARE - Event Center and Retail Wine Tasting Room- 36Coufos Cellars 38 Double Oak Vineyards and Winery 38
Montoliva Vineyard and Winery 38
Naggiar Vineyards 38

GRASS VALLEY WINE CO 38
Bent Metal Winery 39
Pilot Peak Vineyards and Winery 39
Solune Winegrowers 39

Hwy 49 Near - Lake of the Pines 39 BEAR RIVER WINE TASTING 40

SECTION VII SOUTHERN COUNTY - LAKE OF THE PINES 41
Bear River Wine Tasting Facility 41
SIERRA KNOLLS VINEYARD and WINERY 42
NAGGIAR VINEYARDS  WINERY  43   
BESEMER CELLARS 45
CHARLES TRAVERS WINERY 47
      
SECTION VIII CENTRAL COUNTY EAST OF HWY  49
The Narrow-gauge Train - Began in 1876 - Colfax- Grass Valley 49
The Transcontinental Railroad - Completed 1869 - Cape Hood 50
Chicago Park 50
CLAVEY WINERY 50
MONTOLIVA VINEYARD and WINERY  
511LUCCHESI VINEYARDS and WINERY 54
SMITH - VINEYARD and WINERY 55
Empire Gold Mine 56
SOLUNE WINEGROWERS 57

SECTION IX CENTRAL COUNTY - WEST OF HWY 49 61
BENT METAL WINERY 61
PILOT PEAK VINEYARD and WINERY 63
The Community of Penn Valley 65
GRAY PINE WINERY 66
OAKSPRINGS VINEYARDS and WINERY 65
SIERRA STARR VINEYARDS 70
 The Town of Rough and Ready 72
COUFOS CELLARS 73

SECTION X NORTH CENTRAL COUNTY AREA 75
SZABO VINEYARDS 75
AVANGUARDIA WINES 77     
VILLANELLE ESTATE 79
Bridgeport Wooden Covered Bridge 80
French Corral - Site of 1st Long Distance Telephone Call 81
DOUBLE OAK VINEYARDS and WINERY 82

SECTION XI EASTERN COUNTY INCLUDING TRUCKEE 85
Hydraulic Mining Scars 85
Washington Township - The Gold Discovery in 2011 Was a Hoax! 86
Almost Lost in the Sierra's 87
The Town of Truckee 89
TRUCKEE RIVER WINERY 90

SECTION XII The Growers 92
Sierra Grape Growers Association 92
“HISTORY OF SIERRA GRAPE GROWERS ASSOCIATION - By Peter Arnold 92
The Current Association 93
Largest Vineyard in the County - S and L Vineyards 93
Other growers Not a Member of Either the Grower or Vintner Associations 93
An interesting Unattended Vineyard 94
Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association Annual Picnic 95

GLOSSARY 97
BIBLIOGRAPHY 99