By Lou Phillips ·
Matt Levitt from Tahoe Blue flashes his smile and his vodka. ·
Picture yourself on a beautiful, sunny day sauntering down a tree-lined boulevard by the most beautiful lake in the world. You are at the annual Tahoe City Wine Walk, a yearly bacchanal that is one of the harbingers of summer at the North Shore.
Along with a lively crowd of your new best friends, you get to sample a variety of wines with food matches at each of the 30 or so roadside attractions. These are often served up by the winemakers and chefs themselves, which makes for not only a great wine and dine, but also creates an atmosphere of sharing wine and food knowledge and passion.
Some highlights enjoyed by attendees in June include Four Vines Winery from Paso Robles hosted by The Fat Cat Café. Four Vines poured its popular naked 2012 Chardonnay (un-oaked) and the 2011 Petit Sirah that the Fat Cat folks paired with yummy quesadilla bites and chicken lettuce wraps. The Chardonnay was bright and clean, and the Petit Sirah bold and spicy, both in the Four Vines house style.
Tahoe Dave’s Ski Shop was home for the day to Winery By The Creek from Fairplay and The Bridgetender. WBTC featured Ma Betty’s Zinfandel, a rustic hearty wine that delivered a mouthful of berries and bramble and is sold in an old fashion moonshine jug – pretty cool. The Bridgetender served up a variety of its fresh and creative housemade wraps that made this stop feel like a picnic.
Down the road at Tahoe Marine Supply, Matt Levitt, president of Tahoe Blue Vodka, poured his clean vodka. For a dance partner, Cheri’s Hand Dipped Ice Cream matched this spirit with some refreshing, cold and creamy treats.
Erin Crain from Renwood Winery pours for the people.
Sierra Foothill favorite Renwood Winery teamed up with the crew from Sunnyside at Oliver Luxury Real Estate. Renwood is the home of the oldest Zinfandel vines on record in California (Grand Pere vineyard) and the 2012 Zin had the spice and backbone to more than hold its own with Sunnyside’s faire featuring its famous fish tacos.
As the afternoon winds down and you think back on all the sips and bites, you realize you’ve just spent a day not just on Tahoe Boulevard, but at the intersection of Alpine Bliss and Wine Heaven. Cheers.
Don’t miss out on next year’s wine walk, go to visittahoecity.com for updates on next year’s date, generally held on the third Saturday in June to celebrate the Summer Solstice.
Lou Phillips is a Level 3 Sommelier and Wine Educator who specializes in guiding private and commercial clients in buying and selling wine collections. He may be reached at (775) 544-3435 or wineguru123@gmail.com.
