Officially designated wine regions in America are known as American Viticultural Areas or AVAs. Our AVA is Sierra Foothills. Nevada County is at the northern end of the region, which runs about 200 miles in length along the western shelf of the Sierra Nevada Mountains roughly between 1000 and 3000 feet in elevation. The AVA stretches from Mariposa County in the south, to Yuba County in the north. Amador County with its collection of old vine Zinfandel vineyards is the best-known sub region within the AVA. Nevada County is among the least known. 

    The Sierra Vintners is the name of our local association of wineries. Mario Clough, owner of Lucchesi Vineyards and Winery is the association’s current president. Sierra Vintner’s primary function is to promote Nevada County as a wine destination.

    The Sierra Vintner’s can trace their origins back to 1991 and the first meeting of what was eventually to become the Nevada County Winery Association. That first meeting was held on Banner Mountain, the site of Tony Norskog’s winery, the Nevada County Wine Guild. At the time, with five wineries in the county, we concluded that we wouldn’t have much impact. It would be eight years before the next meeting.

    The Nevada County Winery Association was formally established in the spring of 1999 with six wineries. The county’s first Wine Trail, the Gold Harvest Wine Trail, was set for October 23 of that same year with five wineries participating.

   The Nevada County Winery Association morphed into the Northern Sierra Winery Association and then again into the Sierra Vintners. Over that span, the association was responsible for creating some memorable events. In addition to the Wine Trail where everyone went to each winery, they established A Grape Affair where all the wineries came together in one location.

    Perhaps the most memorable events were the Winter Wine and Food Celebration dinners put on at the Fairgrounds combining 25 local wineries and restaurants in a multi-course extravaganza.

   But those dinners only lasted a few years. The Grape Affair fell by the wayside. Even the Wine Trail, after attempting a variety of different dates, and seasons, was abandoned.

    Under Clough’s direction, the association is showing welcome signs of vitality. The most significant thing Clough did was to change the association’s bylaws to allow out-of-county wineries to join. Until then, only wineries inside Nevada County could be members of Sierra Vintners.

    That is a significant change. Currently six wineries, primarily from the north Auburn area of Placer County, and Grant Eddy Winery in Yuba County to the north, have joined. The Sierra Vintners increased from 13 to 19 wineries.

     That allows for the development of winery-rich pocket regions. Previously, Naggiar and Sierra Knolls appeared quite to themselves in the south county with no other wineries close by. Add in five wineries from north Auburn that are only a few miles away, certainly closer than any Nevada County winery, and it becomes a dynamic sub region.

  What the association did was divide the area into three sub regions, roughly the south, west, and north-east sides. Hwy 49, south of Grass Valley including the north Auburn area in Placer County centers the south side. Hwy 20 West, down through Penn Valley centers the west side. The north-east side stretches along Hwy 49 from North San Juan through Nevada City-Grass Valley and then out along the Hwy 174 corridor. Each region will have it’s own Wine Trail.

    It makes sense on so many levels. It solves Wine Trail’s biggest problem, which was too much distance between wineries. Now each trail will include six or seven wineries, a more realistic but still busy number to see in a day. It creates more time for ambiance and less pressure to move on.

    The first Wine Trail on May 16 features the west-side wineries including Avanguardia, Szabo, Coufos. Pilot Peak, Gray Pine, and Bent Metal. On July 18, it will be the north-east’s turn, September 26 will focus on the south side. Go to www.sierravintners.com to see participating wineries.

    Tickets for each Trail are $30, or $25 for Club members of participating wineries of any of the Trails. $10 for designated drivers. The real savings come if you but a ticket now for all three Trails. Those tickets are $65, $55 for Wine Club members. The catch is you can only get the three-Trail ticket up until May 15. Buy in advance, save on all three.

    It is up to each winery to put their own spin on the Trail but expect an assortment of wine tasting, food, and music at the stops. Bent Metal has built a bocce ball court. That is always fun with a glass of wine in hand.

   It is good to see the association active again. Other recent accomplishments include an updated brochure and map, a Sierra Vintners booth built to take to out-of-town wine tastings, and a billboard on Hwy 49 near Combie Road.

    While there is still much work to be done raising awareness of the wine regions at our end of the Sierra Foothills, highlighting winery pockets helps by adding to the overall diversity and complexity that our region has to offer. A thriving wine industry is the perfect partner for such a culture-rich area as this. You can do your part by getting out and supporting the wineries on the Trail.