Varied and Wonderful Choices at Wine on The Water at Incline's Hyatt Regency

Sineaan Wines

The Wine on the Water event at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe benefitted the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe and gave the opportunity to taste wonderful wines and nibble on hallmark foods from some of Lake Tahoe’s best chefs. But I missed the effervescent presence of Hyatt’s renowned sommelier Kristi Snyder, who just arrived back from Pinot Camp in Oregon, so I guess I’ll hear about that some other time. The list of winery participants was a who’s who in great wines. So many lovely choices!


It was a sunny day and moderately hot there on the lawn near the Hyatt’s great Lone Eagle Grill restaurant, so starting with a sparkling wine was a good choice. The Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut is easy drinking. Some might call it an entry level sparkler, but it’s very flavorful and neither too dry nor too sweet. Aroma of apple and citrus, and citrus comes through in terms of flavor with a light toasty finish. Ste. Michelle is perhaps most famous for its Rieslings, but they have been making sparkling wine since the late 1970’s. This Brut clicks in at 11.5 percent alcohol, and retails for between $10-13 per bottle.


Keenan Winery from St. Helena is both solar powered and sustainably farmed, and in their last seven vintages, 38 of their wines were rated between 90-97 points by Robert Parker. Reilly Keenen, third generation, was spending his summer vacation from University of Oregon as the classic cellar-rat, which is the bottom of the rung in any winery and pretty much your best place to learn about winemaking from the ground up. He was happily pouring the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This nicely balanced wine was redolent of black fruit, and medium tannin on the finish. 14.3 percent alcohol $45/bottle. The 2009 Chardonnay sourced primarilyfrom Spring Mountain District vineyards had aroma of citrus, ripe pear and green apple, and taste of lush white peach with oak character. I enjoyed its crisp acidity and medium body. 1.39 percent alcohol, between $28-32/bottle.

The 2009 L’Ingenue from Elyse sources its fruit from Naggiar vineyards near Grass Valley in the Sierra Foothills. This is an exquisite white Rhone blend of 40% Roussane, 34% Marsanne, 20% Viognier and 6% Grenache Blanc. “Aromas of honeysuckle, lycee nuts, peaches and a hint of orange zest. Explosive fruit flavors,” notes the winemaker. 14.6 percent alcohol. $28/bottle.

Another lovely Rhone blend from Elyse is the 2007 C’Est Si Bon, also sourced from Naggiar vineyards. This red blend is a fruit, berry-flavored wine, with low tannin and, I confess, very much my favorite style in a Rhone blend. The blend is 46% Grenache, 26% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 4% Counoise and 1% Viognier. I am a pushover for Châteauneuf-du-Pape lookalikes, and the Counoise grape is the grape is a key component of many of these wines. Legend has it that Counoise was introduced from Spain into France and it was offered it Pope Urban V when the papacy was based in Avignon in the mid-14th century. This yummy wine from Elyse is 14.4 percent alcohol, $28/bottle.

Sineaan poured its 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir, sourced from 6 different famous Oregon pinot vineyards: Resonance, Able, Yates Conwill, Maresh, Wyeast and Schindler. This is a spicy, rich and very delicious Pinot Noir, dark, aromatic and with great natural acidity. 13.6 percent alcohol, $30/bottle.

Laird’s Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect end to a summer tasting, with its lovely pineapple flavor at the end of the palate. Aroma of apple, citrus and tropical fruits, and a hint of spearmint in the flavor too. 13.8 percent alcohol, $17/bottle.

The Hyatt Regency at Incline Village is located at 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV.  All proceeds from this event are donated to the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe.

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in September 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Manzanita at Ritz Carlton Northstar- top of the Wine Adventure List!

The wine experience at Manzanita, the fine dining restaurant at Ritz-Carlton in Northstar, is one of the highlights of wine adventures in the Lake Tahoe area. The enthusiasm of sommelier Gail Oversteg is contagious, and the expertise of chef Joseph Ramos in preparing dishes that enhance the wine experience is almost unbeatable.


At a recent tasting hosted by Steven Holt, market director-public relations for the Ritz Carlton Hotels of Northern California, I was simply in awe of the expertise of both Gail and Joseph. I think that you will be too.

We began with a toast of champagne, specifically the Laurent-Perrier Brut, Tours-Sur-Marne. Champagne is always a great way to begin any celebration, and its relatively low alcohol content (in this case, 12 percent) leaves room for more sipping and dining without that overly buzzed feeling. This champagne offers a fresh and delicate nose, hints of citrus and white fruit. Chardonnay is the predominant grape. Based in the picturesque village of Tours-sur-Marne, this champagne house is ideally located at the intersection between Champagne’s three foremost sub-regions: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs. $24/glass, $95/bottle. Go ahead and celebrate! Oh by the way, it WAS my birthday.

A Portuguese Vinho Verde, Grinalda, is a white wine that paired perfectly with chef’s Dungeness Crab stuffed in squash blossoms topping a golden tomato gazpacho. Refreshing and light, this wine features taste of white peaches and pears, and is rich and crisp.11.5 percent alcohol, $9/glass, $36/bottle.

Hats off to the 2009 Penner-Ash Riesling from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. I loved its gentle acidity, aroma of tropical fruit, spicy and all about green apple tartness. A perfect pairing with scallop cerviche. 11.5 alcohol, $10/glass, $40/bottle.

For the vegetarians among you, I don’t think you can beat the 2009 Erste & Neue St. Magdalener "Grobnerhof" Sudtirol Alto Adige. It has a lot of spice, very peppery in fact and yet a light tannic structure. Grape varieties used to produce this dark ruby red wine are Vernatsch and Lagrein. Snooth.com notes that the St. Magdalener 'Gröbnerhof' goes very well with light Mediterranean dishes and also with spicy Asian dishes. 13 percent alcohol, $9/glass, $26/bottle.

For you lovers of BIG California Chardonnay, try the 2009 Four Hearts, Hartford Court Chardonnay , Russian River Valley. “It has an opulent Burgundian style,” explained Gail as she poured it, “with layers of flavor, and a balancee acidity.” This winery sources grapes from four vineyards, thus the “Four Hearts” designation, and it is rich, weighty and mineral-driven.14.4 percent alcohol, $18/glass, $70/bottle.

Tasting this chardonnay engendered a discussion with Gail about the pendulum-swing of style preference in wine. She believes, and so do I, that the French style of wine-making, often referred to as Old World, is coming back in consumer preference. Less and less as I sit at various wine bars for an evening with friends do I see people ordering those big oakey showy California/New World style whites. Bravo!

But enough about dinner and appetizer wines; let’s go directly to desserts. After all, it was my birthday! Thank you Gail for pouring the 2009 Brachetto d’Acqui, Piemonte. At 5.5 percent alcohol, I could have the whole bottle! It was so tasty with the housemade coconut ice cream, that I was tempted. $14/glass, $32/375-ml bottle.

To finish, bread pudding, my personal favorite, was served with a glass of Porto, Niepoort Colheita 1995. Didn’t even ask about the alcohol. Birthday. $22/glass.

Manzanita is located in the Ritz Carlton Northstar, 13031 Ritz-Carlton Highlands Court, Truckee, California 96161 USA Phone (530) 562-3000 for reservations or reserve on http://www.opentable.com/manzanita-inside-the-ritz-carlton-lake-tahoe

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in August/September 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Wine Awards and Good Sommeliers at Wild Goose Restaurant on Lake TAhoe

The Wild Goose, an open-to-the-public venue of the Tahoe Mountain Club, has an award-winning wine list and unbelievably wonderful food. Lou Phillips, an experienced sommelier with a great palate, recently joined wine expert Patrick Hedderman’s team at the Wild Goose.

“I’ve rarely had the opportunity to work with a wine list that is as deep and mature as this one at the Wild Goose,” Lou said as he poured us a glass of Prosecco Nino Franco “Rustico” NV Valdobbiadene, which is a perfect anytime sparkler of an off-dry prosecco in a true Brut style and well priced at $9 a glass. “At the same time, we’re not afraid to serve our guests wines from up-and-coming regions like the Sierra Foothills.”


In August, The Wine Spectator magazine recognized Wild Goose with its Award of Excellence, bestowed on restaurants that offer interesting wine selections that are appropriate to its cuisine and appeal to all wine lovers. Over 340 wines to select from at the Wild Goose and 4800 bottles on site, the list is divided between a regular and a reserve wine list. We tasted from the regular list, and primarily those in the wine-by-the-glass section.

A true gem is the 2003 Reisling from Dr. PaulyBergweiler Kabinett, which hails from the region of Mosel that could be termed a Golden Triangle. It has a classic aroma with a minerality which some liken to a petrol aroma, and on the back palate a mild white flower taste and honeydew and peach tones. A Kabinett is a high quality German Riesling made from fully ripened grapes, nice and light, semi-sweet with crisp acidity. If you have been drinking German Rieslings for a while, you might recognize this as a Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. Due to a change in wine labeling laws in Germany, it’s now just referred to by the overall Mosel term. Regardless of this quibbling, this wine paired well with Wild Goose’s house-made pretzels served with a mornay sauce, their very good Mac and Cheese, and dayboat scallops. $11 a glass.

The 2010 “Lucy” Rose of Pinot Noir from Lucia Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, California, is a wine that is hand-crafted by the Pisoni family which produces small lots of exceptional wines in this cool-climate growing region of California. This rose offers a fresh acidity on the palate, and its light taste matches the light rose color. Wild Goose pairs it with a butter lettuce and strawberry salad, perfect for a soft summer evening. $10 a glass.

The Perry Creek “Altitude 2401” is a Sierra Foothills Zinfandel from El Dorado County. It is a plummy fruit-forward zinfandel with ripe, earthy, jammy flavor. Winemaker Stefan Tscheppe produced this reserve wine in an old-world style. Named after Perry Creek’s Fair Play Farms Vineyard's that have an average elevation of 2401 feet, only 1000 cases were made. Tasting notes from the www.perrycreek.com website echo my experience: “Exotic papaya and guava play with lively acidity and rich berry, spice and chocolate flavors. Exotic spices and cherries in the long and smooth finish. “ 14.9% alcohol. $35 the bottle at Wild Goose.

The 2009 Broadley Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, has aroma of raspberry and taste of black cherry with a lot of spice on the palate. It paired well with a scampi linguini containing capers and forest mushrooms, $14 the glass. And finally a Nigl Grüner Veltliner Eiswein 2003 Kremstal, an Austrian ice wine that is absolutely delicious. $15 the glass.

Wild Goose restaurant and bar is located at 7320 North Lake Blvd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148. Open six evenings a week through mid-October, closed Tuesdays. Make reservations for dining via OpenTable or call (530) 546-3640. http://www.wildgoosetahoe.com/

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in August 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Sierra Vintners Pull it All Together at Nevada City Tasting Event

As a big booster of wines from the Sierra and its Foothills. I was delighted to go to the recent Sierra Vintners event held in Nevada City. Almost twenty wineries from Nevada and Placer County participated. Tasting tables were set up in a number of retail shops, hotels and restaurants – all within a short walk of one another. Brilliant. I suggest you get on the mailing list for an alert for future events: go to http://www.sierravintners.com/


Marilyn Szabo pours Primitivo

 First stop was the tasting of Szabo wines. The 2008 Syrah is produced from estate grown grapes from their 40-acre vineyard at 2100 feet elevation that sits almost exactly halfway between Grass Valley and Nevada City, with views that include the Pacific Coastal Range and the Sutter and Sierra Buttes. The wine has taste and aroma of raspberry, vanilla and black tea. The tannins to my taste were relatively high, which is not unusual for Syrah. There’s a bit of smokiness or teriyaki on the back palate too. $23/bottle, 14.6 percent alcohol.

Frankly, I thought that the Szabo Primitivo was one of the best Foothill wines I’ve tasted in a long time. Primitivo and Zinfandel are closely related; in fact the two varieties have identical isozyme fingerprints. This 2008 Primitivo is redolent of plum, chili and allspice. $19/ bottle, 14.3 percent alcohol. Winery owners Marilyn and Sandor Szabo have done a great job; their first vintage was just in 2006. http://www.szabovineyards.com/

There’s some thought that Primitivo is a Croatian grape relative, but there’s not enough room in this column to go into that. However, this leads me to talk a bit about the intriguing wines of Rob and Marilyn Chrisman, owners of Avanguardia, on Jones Bar Road in Nevada City. Avanguardia specializes in hand-crafted artisan blends. Over 20 Italian, Russian, and French grapes and University of California varietal crosses are estate grown, many of which rootstocks were imported especially for them. They poured their Cristallo, a white wine blend where the dominant grape is the Georgian Rkatsiteli, a grape of high quality that is widely planted in eastern Europe but wines made from Rkatsiteli are seldom exported. At Avanguardia, it’s combined ( at about 70-90%) with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Melon de Bourgogne. Melon is the sole variety in the Loire wine known as Muscadet, sometimes referred to as the quintessential “oyster wine”. This is a delicious wine, dry, crisp, taut, and relatively full-bodied; and the fruit flavors are of apples and pears. $14/bottle. 12.5 percent alcohol. http://www.avanguardiawines.com/

If you want an interesting discussion about the history of wine along with some lovely wines to taste, then you will want to go visit Sierra Knolls Vineyards just south of Grass Valley near Lake of the Pines. and chat with John Chase, one of the owners. John is an interesting guy, also keen on alternative energy topics, and Sierra Knolls was one of the first 100% solar powered wineries in the Foothills. They are guided in their winemaking by Mike Foster from Nevada City Winery, and feature handcrafted small lot wines. Their 2006 Sangiovese is a terrific Italian varietal, with a nice spiciness. At $16 a bottle, 13.5 percent alcohol, you might want to stock up. http://www.sierraknollswinery.com/



Bent Metal's Scott Brown
pours his great Viognier



David Winn of Coufos Cellars
pours Buffo Blanc, Rhone blend

Other notable wines
I tasted:

• Naggiar Vineyards 2009 Mistero, a blend of 60% zinfandel, 30% sangiovese, 10% syrah, nicely fruit-forward. $22/bottle, 14.5 percent alcohol. http://www.naggiarvineyards.com/

• Coufos Cellars Buffo Blanc 2008, a white Rhone varietal blend of 40% Marsanne, 40% Roussanne and 20% Viognier. Tropical fruits, spice at the end. $17/bottle, 14.5 percent alcohol. http://www.coufoscellars.com/

• Bent Metal Winery’s 2009 Viognier, fruit forward with a great mouthfeel and smooth finish. $21/bottle, 15.2 percent alcohol. http://www.bentmetalwinery.com/

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in August 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Skinner Vineyards in Fair Play-El Dorado County is Worth a Visit



The Fair Play AVA is unbelievably beautiful right now, and an afternoon at Skinner Vineyards is a perfect way to experience these delights. The new Tasting Room at this new winery in the Fair Play AVA of El Dorado County features a state-of-the-art GreenTech winery, as well. The Skinner heritage in the wine business goes back to 1861 in El Dorado County.



Winemaker Chris Pittenger (left) and
Tasting Room Manager Ryan Skinner



The Skinner family has both a passion for winemaking in the Foothills and a dedication to continuing the Skinner winemaking tradition there. The new winery was designed with care to encompass many forward-thinking eco features. Winemaker Chris Pittenger often escorts visitors through the winery and vineyard manager Bryan Rahn has created a first-class vineyard, the Stoney Creek Vineyard, and you may have an opportunity to walk through there, too.

Skinner Vineyard’s winery is primarily solar powered; they installed a 55 kW PV system. They also situated the building so the sun side (south) maximizes the solar-power generating potential, and the solar panels line up to give the largest potential area for sun exposure.

In the winery, they strategically situated the barrel rooms on the north, more-shady side, of the building for better energy efficiency. Each of the four barrel rooms and the main cellar were built with temperature-controlled sensors, which allows for cooling to be supplied by the cool outside air.

All of the fermentation tanks are located within the winery, rather than being isolated outside. This simple design reduces energy costs significantly. The result is the use of much less electricity in order to keep the must and wines at a stable temperature in the tanks. The trellising systems optimize fruit temperatures, and the rows are run up and down the hills to minimize soil disturbance during development, preserving the topsoil and improving erosion control.

Skinner’s flagship wine is its Eighteen Sixty-One. This is a Rhône-style blend, a red wine made in the style of a Châteauneuf-du-Pap.

The vineyard’s warm days and cool nights, coupled with its well-draining granitic soils, provide the ideal growing conditions for Rhône varietals. Skinner Vineyards' current collection includes 10 Rhône grape varieties, in addition to several legacy grapes grown by James Skinner himself. The first releases included a 2007 Viognier and 2007 Syrah, both made with fruit sourced from the Skinner family’s Stoney Creek Vineyard, and also a 2008 Grenache and 2008 Grenache-based Rosé from El Dorado. Skinner Vineyards offers another Rhône-style blend – the Seven Generations white wine, a blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier.

Mike Skinner, co-owner with wife Carey Skinner, has inherited his ancestor’s passion for growing high-quality grapes and producing premium wines that reflect the unique spirit and heritage of the Sierra Foothills. The Skinner family set out to reestablish the family legacy by planting vines just a short drive from the original vineyard location. In keeping with the spirit of the original ranch and distillery, Mike and Carey designed the new winery in Fair Play by using a drawing dating back to 1885 and the old sepia photographs as their inspiration. The adjoining tasting room, situated at 2,700’, has a breathtaking 360-degree view of the majestic foothill landscape; perfect for enjoying a glass of wine while viewing the snow-peaked Sierra during winter or the rolling acres of green vines during spring and summer. For more information and tasting room hours, call (530) 620-2220 or visit http://www.skinnervineyards.com/


Disclosure:  I assisted Skinner Vineyards with marketing communications for their grand opening in May 2011.

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in August 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Vins du Languedoc: Great Tastes, Fabulous Values

One of the best wine tasting events I’ve been to all year was the one featuring Languedoc AOC wines, where I tasted wines made from grapes that were unfamiliar to me and learned about the fascinating history of this wine region.


Below is a look at just a few of the 31 wines that were poured.  I was impressed with the aroma, taste and food-friendliness of all that I tasted.

Chateau du Donjon’s 2010 Rosé comes from a vineyard situated in Minervois, one of the oldest wine-producing areas in Languedoc.  Owned by the same family for 500 years, winemaker Jean Panis produced a ripe, soft and aromatic wine composed of 30% Syrah, 30% Cinsault, 40% Grenache.  A lovely pink-salmon color, the aroma is a fruit bowl of strawberries, red cherries and red plums.  The flavor is intense and echoes the fruit aroma, and the finish is dry and well balanced.  12.5 percent alcohol.  Average internet price (wine-searcher.com) is $14.

Domaine la Croix Chaptal, Les Terrasses Rouge, 2007 is produced on an estate that formerly belonged to Gellone Abbey, founded in 804. Winemaker Charles Pacaud’s red wine combines Grenace and Carignan with a touch of Syrah. The taste is of dark fruits that follow the aroma of cherry and perhaps coffee. It is spicy and fresh, and representative of the Terrasses du Larzac area wines. This growing area is in the western part of the rural district of Saint Andre de Sangonis, about 20 miles northwest of Montpellier, a popular tourist destination due to old abbeys and natural caves. Alcohol is low: 13 percent “because we have an especial terroir which expresses the grapes and so we have flavor at lower alcohol,” according to Pacaud. Price around $20 a bottle. Distributed by www.usawinewest.com or call (415) 331-4906 to find out where to buy it; it’s worth the hunt.

Piquepoul is a wine grape with which I wasn’t familiar before this tasting. About 3,000 acres of the light-skinned Piquepoul blanc are cultivated in France, and it is one of the oldest domestic grape varieties in Languedoc. Although the name means “lip stinger” because these grapes have high acidity, I enjoyed the Domaine Felines Jourdan, Blanc 2009, Grand Vins du Languedoc. Aroma of white flower, a bit frizzante and a clear crisp taste. Delightful. 13 percent alcohol. $11 the bottle. You can find it at several California wine shops via www.wine-searcher.com


Chateau des Karantes, Blanc, 2009, AOC Languedoc, is a blend of 54 percent Bourboulenc, 14 percent vermentino, 16 percent Roussane and 16 percent Grenache Blanc. The result is a wine with aroma and taste of honey, lemon, fruit tones of apricot, a long finish and a nice balance between the fruit and acidity. Again, a new grape experience for me: Bourboulenc. Korbrand’s Web site notes that “Bourboulenc is an extremely old grape variety which is thought to have originated in Greece where it was known as the Asprokondoura. A late-ripening variety, it tends toward leanness and neutrality, but when picked at optimum maturity it retains high natural acidity and shows fresh citrus qualities with floral notes.” 13 percent alcohol. $30 by the bottle. Imported by Eagle Eye Imports at www.eagleeyebrands.com or call (248) 396-3589.


For more information about the Languedoc region, visit www.languedoc-wines.com.

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in August 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".




Languedoc, located in the South of France, is the world‘s largest wine growing region and one of the oldest wine growing regions in France. “Today’s Languedoc is France’s wine frontier,” notes the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc, which sponsored the tasting. “Pioneering producers are employing both time-honored traditions and new techniques to craft wines of remarkable style and character, as well as excellent value.”

A rose might be a rose might be a rose, but a Rosé wine… now those are different from one another! Here are some you might try.

Rodney, a recent dinner guest, brought a Rosé from Uncorked in Tahoe City: Juliette’s Dazzle, a 2010 Pinot Grigio Rosé from Colan & Weiss Cellars. Grapes came from Horse Heavens Hills and the Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley, WA. I wasn’t wild about the wax overcap on this bottle (a real pain to remove!) but the wine was fantastic. Bottle notes:”A special block of Pinot Grigio at the Benches Vineyard was left to hang until it developed a bright tint, then slowly fermented.” A nice dry rose, 13.0 percent alcohol. $20 the bottle at Uncorked.

The recent Rosé Avengers and Producers tasting in San Francisco featured a number of Rosés you might want to experience.

A perfect beginners Rosé was the 2010 Isabel Mondavi Deep Rosé, a real cotton-candy of a wine made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Alcohol is 13 percent. $15 the bottle. http://www.imwines.com/

A nice fizzy Rosé, perfect for an aperitif, is the Elyssia NV Pinot Noir Brut from Freixenet USA. Yep, the same folks who make that nice champagne! This is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Trepat. This Spanish Cava is easy going, nicely balanced and medium in body, with a strawberry-raspberry-spice taste and a dry and refreshing finish. The Freiexenet website notes that Trepat is an indigenous grape to the region, with only 1,000 hectares of thie grape grown. “Trepat needs a specific soil and can be found close to the coastal regions of the Penedés due to the unique climates there. It is used only for rosado cavas.” 11.5 percent alcohol. $18 the bottle.


Left to Right, Urban Legend and
Six Sigma winemakers.



Six Sigma Ranch, Lower Lake, CA, produces 2010 Marianne’s Rosé, using only Syrah grapes from the vineyard planted in 2008 near the winery’s Diamond Mine Vineyard, Lake County. It has an amazing bright red color, and after a bit of time in French oak, the flavor reflects bright red fruits and spices, candied apples and raspberries. A nice crisp finish. Only one barrel was produced. This wine is limited to the winery’s wine club members… and that might be a good reason to join. 14.5 percent alcohol. $24 the bottle. www.sixsigmaranch.com

Urban Legend Cellars poured its 2010 Rosato di Barbera. Grapes for this wine were sourced in Clarksburg; the winery is in Oakland. “The flavor is all about strawberries. It’s not sweet but not too tart with a surprisingly silky feel. There’s a little bit of lemonade on the finish that keeps it incredibly refreshing,” notes the website. 13.8 percent alcohol. $18 the bottle. www.ulcellars.com

Finally, Terre Rouge Vin Gris d’Amador: This is a dry rosé that’s excellent as an aperitif and with a variety of appetizers. You might try this easy recipe for Goat Cheese Spread with sun-dried tomatoes and capers, concocted by Jane O'Riordan, an owner at Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Amador County.



Jane O'Riordan of
Terre Rouge

 Sun-dried Tomato Goat Cheese Spread
Makes about 3 cups. Keeps 4-5 days in refrigerator.

3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbl. sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
6-8 oz. fresh-style goat cheese, Montrachet or California log

12 oz. cream cheese

1 Tbl. Capers

In bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cut the cheeses into small hunks and add to bowl. Pulse/process until all the cheese is blended into a smooth spread with no white lumps. Add the capers and pulse briefly to mix. Scrape into a pretty serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve surrounded by crackers, toasted baguettes or sliced bread.

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in late July 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".