Local Wine Bars

Best Local Wine Bars

There’s nothing like sipping on a glass of vino to help one embrace the ambiance of a small town setting, while facilitating conversation with friends, both old and new.

Whether you are a casual wine appreciator, or a true oenophile, you’ll want to be sure to check out this list of our hand-picked wine bars in North Lake Tahoe.

Tahoe Wine Collective

Tahoe City tahoewinecollective.com

Passionate about limited production beer and wine, Allison Yonto, owner of Tahoe Wine Collective in Tahoe City, regularly visits the Sierra Foothills to discover new wines and bring a curated selection of small-batch mindfully farmed bottles to the wine bar.

Formerly a full-time bookkeeper, Yonto has always loved wine and in 2022 received her Certification in Winemaking from UC Davis. For many years, she worked on the finance side of the wine business, before deciding to tackle the wine-making side as well.

A visit to Lewis Grace in El Dorado County inspired Tahoe Wine Collective. “I thought to myself that there’s something here not being shared,” says Yonto. “I visited many backwoods wineries discovering many unknown wines that should be shared with people.”

Recognizing a fantastic market opportunity for local wineries in the tourist-rich Tahoe Basin, Yonto decided to create a space where little-known regions and producers would be featured. Often choosing to forego a distributor when selecting wines for her collective, Yonto spends a lot of her time traveling to local wineries. When she opened the Tahoe Wine Collective in 2020, her goal was to highlight the unique, small-batch wines she’s discovered in her travels. Visit the Tahoe Wine Collective for a beautiful selection of locally produced wines that perfectly complement warmer spring days. Enjoy live music Thursday and Saturday nights. Their current white wine flight offers a Secret Revine Sauvignon Blanc from Loomis, the La Mesa Chardonnay from Amador, and Lavender Ridge Grenache Blanc from Calveras.

Glasses

Incline Village glasseswinebar.com

Located on the lower level of the Incline Village Center, Glasses recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Owners Rob and Kathleen Martin were inspired by the endless educational and connection opportunities that the wine world offers. A former schoolteacher, Kathleen delights in sharing her latest finds with customers, and deep diving into subtleties of flavor. With the couple’s eidetic memory for customer preferences, Glasses is the perfect place to revisit a tried-and-true bottle, or discover a new favorite.

With its cozy, intimate atmosphere, Glasses is often described as an extended living room by regular customers. Glasses offers a large selection of domestic and international wines, as well as beer and light bites. The menu changes frequently, ensuring that every visit there will be something new to try. It is a regular stomping ground for many Incline Village locals, who come to enjoy the company, the incredible wine selection, and live music on Saturday nights.

Uncorked

Tahoe City, Truckee, Olympic Valley & Northstar uncorkedtahoe.com

With four locations in the area, Uncorked pioneered the Tahoe wine bar scene and has served many local wine lovers since opening their first location in 2007. Uncorked strives to provide unique and exciting wines to pair with great food. Over a decade later, they continue to serve as a popular gathering spot for the après ski crowd as well as the local community. Chris and Kelsey Barkman work as the operating partners, and their son Jack serves as the Uncorked Mascot.

Chris is a sommelier certified by the Court of the Masters, and is devoted to providing a diverse selection of wines representing the best interpretation of each varietal and region. His culinary arts career spans over 14 years, including working at Oliveto under chefs Paul Bertolli and Michael Tusk, who both came from Chez Panisse in Berkeley.

Petra Restaurant and Wine Bar is where the Barkmans share their love of good food, wine, and seasonal pairings. Uncorked offers a monthly wine club and wine classes for those interested in learning more about the fascinating world of wine.

The Pour House

Truckee thepourhousetruckee.com

For the past 14 years, Dean Schaecher and his wife Christa, have owned and operated The Pour House, located in downtown Truckee. The quaint, blinkand-you’ll-miss-it shop is nestled just behind the historic main street. This is the perfect place to learn about wine, regions, varietals, and food pairing.

The Pour House offers a selection of reasonably priced, hand-selected wines from around the world that will most certainly impress your palette. The Schaechers’ wholeheartedly enjoy sharing their love of wine with others. Avid oenophiles themselves, Dean and Christa urge their customers to be adventurous and have fun with the wine drinking experience.