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WINERIES OF THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS
Fine Italian Food & Spirits
Montoliva Vineyard & Winery STORY BY BARBARA KECK | PHOTOS BY JOHAN MARTIN
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“I think that Italian varietals grown in this part of the Sierra Foothills are perfect for
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Old World winemaking styles.” - Mark Henry
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vineyards yearly), he focuses his 11 wines on eight Italian varietals from central southern Italy that he grows himself or sources nearby. He is thrilled to source grapes from a high-quality Sierra Foothills organic producer of intense Pinot Grigio grown at 3,300 feet elevation, and he has found a grower in the delta near Sacramento that produces Nebbiolo and Teroldego that meets his exacting specifications. Some great Dolcetto comes his way from time to time, and he procures that quickly for vinifying into a tasty, lively, snappy, summertime wine.
Gatekeeper’s Museum | Tahoe City | March 2 12-3 p.m. $ | tahoesnowfest.org
Loft Bar Launch Party Diamond Peak Ski Resort Incline Village | March 5 3 p.m. | (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com
Y
ou might not find Chicago Park on your GPS, so try Grass Valley instead. But Montoliva Vineyard & Winery is there in Chicago Park, which has a long history of Italian immigrants. It’s worth the rambling drive past the general store to visit this winery, talk to fervent winemaker Mark Henry, and get to know this part of Nevada County. Henry is a champion of growing Italian varietals in this part of the Sierra Foothills. He was one of the first to plant two important varietals here: the much-lauded clones of Sangiovese that were introduced to the U.S. by Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo in 2001, and Aglianico, an important grape from southern Italy. These were wise choices, as Chicago Park is at 2,200 feet elevation on the western slope of the Sierra Foothills with warm summers, cool evenings and soils of decomposed granite. “I think that Italian varietals grown in this part of the Sierra Foothills are perfect for Old World winemaking styles that result in lean and powerful wines with a subtle front-end, earthiness in the mid-palate, and a soft and lingering finish,” Henry says. When I first visited Montoliva in 2009, it was a garagiste winery. Production was a mere 350 cases. Now at 1,500 to 2,000 cases (depending on yield of
Wine N Ice Competition
North Tahoe PUD Pancake Breakfast North Tahoe Event Center Tahoe City | March 5 8:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. $5-$10 | tahoesnowfest.org
Chili Classic Mark Henry. | Johan Martin
His practice of planting vines close together as is done in Italy gives him a bountiful harvest. Montoliva believes in sustainable agriculture with no pesticide use and drip irrigation that is highly regulated. Grape skins and stems are composted and returned to the vineyard. You’ll enjoy your tasting at Montoliva for many reasons, but perhaps in part because of the continuing garagiste feeling of this winery. The Tasting Room is open on weekends at the winery at 15629 Mount Olive Road, Chicago Park. Cell coverage is limited get directions before visiting. | (530) 346-6577, montoliva.comn Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the second edition of the popular guidebook
“Wineries of the Sierra Foothills: Risk-Takers & Rule-Breakers” available on Amazon. All
CHEFS COMPETE FOR THE BEST CHILI The second annual Lake Tahoe Mid-Winter Chili Classic takes place on Feb. 24 on National Chili Day. Some of the area’s best restaurant chefs will go head-to-head at Stateline Brewery & Restaurant in Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe. Chili cooks compete to take home the trophy, cash and bragging rights for “Lake Tahoe’s Best Chili.” Spectators can taste signature chili from master chefs’ recipes and vote on who will be crowned the winner. Tickets, which grant one tasting of every contestant and one vote for “People’s Choice” award, are $30 online. | Tahoe Chili Classic on Facebook
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t a s t y t id b it s Wine Tastings The Idle Hour Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe | Feb. 23 5-8 p.m. | (530) 600-3304, tahoesouth.com
2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Mid-Winter Chili Classic Stateline Brewery (Heavenly Village) South Lake Tahoe | Feb. 24 5-8:30 p.m. | tahoe-events.com
Snowshoe Tour & Dinner The Chalet at Alpine Meadows Tahoe City | Feb. 24, March 5 4:30 p.m. $95 | palisadestahoe.com
Last Tracks Wine/Beer Tasting Diamond Peak Ski Resort Incline Village | March 2 & 9 4:30 p.m. $94 | (775) 832-1177 | diamondpeak.com
Courtesy TCDA
FOOD & WINE CLASSIC RETURNS The Tahoe City Downtown Association is bringing back its popular Tahoe City Food & Wine Classic to kick off summer on Saturday, June 11 featuring tasty bits from Tahoe restaurants and caterers and hand-selected wines. More event details will be released in the coming weeks at tcfoodandwine. com including information on tickets. | tcfoodandwine.com
