Why you should visit Nevada City wineries
This blog post covers the best wineries in Nevada City and Grass Valley, California.
Nevada City oozes small-town charm with a California twist. It has Victorian-era homes, tree lined streets, and plenty of wine. Nevada City wineries reflect the charm, history, and community feel of their hometown.
It’s also very accessible. Nevada City is a short drive outside of Sacramento (only 1 hour 15 minutes!). Several of the wineries on this list are located in the center of town, which makes them easily walkable. But it’s still smart to bring a car since public transportation isn’t widely available.
The Nevada County wineries on this list are located in three places: downtown Nevada City, the neighboring town of Grass Valley, and the Sierra Foothills just outside of town.
How to access Nevada City, California
Nevada City is a small town in California. It’s within easy driving distance of two cities.
Sacramento, California is a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Nevada City. The Sacramento International Airport (SMF) serves Sacramento. It would be easy to fly into Sacramento, rent a car, and drive from the airport to Nevada City.
Reno, Nevada is a 2 hour 15 minute drive east of Nevada City, California. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) serves the city.
Grass Valley is a small town located just four miles down the road from Nevada City. The two towns are a 6 minute drive apart.
The best Nevada City wineries
After gold was discovered in Deer Creek, Nevada City became the largest historic Gold Rush town in California. If you’re a history buff, you’ll definitely appreciate the town’s charming main street.
Nevada City Winery (Nevada City, CA)
The Nevada City Winery tasting room is located in the heart of downtown Nevada City.
They make a diverse selection of award winning delicious fine wines. Red wines include Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sangiovese Rosé are also offered. They even make a “North Coast Brut” sparkling wine with notes of citrus fruits and pear.
Nevada City Winery has two tasting experiences. The Guided Tasting is a seated tasting led by an employee. Guests sample five current release wines over the course of 60 minutes. The Guided Tasting fee is $30 per person (waived if you join their wine club).
The Tour & Tasting is a 90 minute experience that includes a guided tour through the production facility and cellar. The winemaker may join but won’t lead the tour itself. The cost is $45 per person.
Each local tasting experience requires a reservation and prepayment. The Nevada City Winery tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday.
Szabo Vineyards (Nevada City, CA)
Szabo Vineyards founder Sándor searched the entire West Coast for land to plant a vineyard. He settled on Nevada City, California because he found the acidic granitic soil he knew would produce superior grapes.
Sandór Szabo (aka Alex) meticulously hand-crafts his wines from a selection of robust varietals.
He works with well known grapes such as Grenache, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Suavignon Blanc. His Vizir wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
The Szabo tasting room offers a variety of great wines by the glass, bottle, or case. You can also enjoy a wine tasting at the moodily lit bar.
The Szabo tasting room is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 2-7 PM. It’s closed Monday through Thursday.
The best wineries in nearby Grass Valley, California
Grass Valley is a hub for the local wine industry. Historic downtown Grass Valley is a short 6 minute drive from Nevada City. You could easily visit both towns in one day! We’ve gathered tasting room information from the local wineries to help you decide where to begin your wine tasting journey.
Sierra Starr Vineyard (Grass Valley, CA)
The Starr family began producing wine in the Sierra Foothills in 1996.
Since then, they’ve crafted award-winning wines from Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
With a focus on sustainability they utilize dry farming, solar power, and an underground “gravity flow” winery.
The Sierra Starr Vineyard tasting room is located in historic downtown Grass Valley. Anne Starr (one of the founders) runs the tasting room, so this is a great chance to speak directly with the owners if you’re interested.
Avanguardia Wines (Nevada City, CA)
Avanguardia Wines call themselves an “ultra-boutique” winery.
While most Grass Valley and Nevada City wineries make Zinfandel, Avanguardia Wines goes against the flow by working with unusual grape varieties.
They make non-traditional blended wines from half a dozen grape varieties. For example, their Ampio wine is a blend of Mondeuse and Carmine.
Mondeuse hails from the French Alps while Carmine is a University of California cross of Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon, and later Merlot.
Avanguardia Wines also works with the Italian grape Corvina, which creates a varietal wine rich with dark fruit flavors.
You should visit Avanguardia Wines if you’re looking for a winery that thinks outside the box and beyond Zinfandel.
The Avanguardia Wines tasting room is mere steps from the Lucchesi Vineyards and Sierra Starr Vineyard tasting rooms in downtown Grass Valley. You can easily visit all three wineries back to back!
The Avanguardia Wines tasting room opens Wednesday through Sunday at 12:30 PM. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.
Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery (Grass Valley, CA)
Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery has a 20 acre vineyard and winery nestled in the Sierra Foothills of Nevada County. Their traditional wines are produced in small lots.
Lucchesi works with grape varieties including Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot.
They also grow three Portuguese grapes – Tinto Cão, Tinta Negra Molé, and Touriga Nacional – which they turn into port style wine.
Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery has two tasting room locations.
The downtown Grass Valley tasting room (128 Mill Street) has seating both indoors and outdoors. Every week on Friday and Saturday there are live music bands playing blues, classic rock, and country.
Their winery tasting room (19698 View Forever Lane) is located about 15 minutes outside of downtown Grass Valley. After you enjoy a wine tasting you can take a seat, dig into your picnic, and enjoy glorious views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Wine tastings are available from 12-5 PM and cost $10 per person. Reservations are recommended but not required.
Naggiar Vineyards (Grass Valley, CA)
Naggiar Vineyards crafts traditional Rhône, Bordeaux, and Italian style wines from California grown grapes. The Tuscan-style tasting room features beautiful panoramic vineyard views.
Naggiar Vineyards has a sizable one hundred and thirty-five acre estate in the Sierra Foothills that boasts sixty acres of grapes.
Varieties such as Viognier, Chardonnay, Mourvedre, Malbec, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Barbera, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Petite Sirah comprise their wines.
The standard wine tasting costs $15 per person to taste six wines. Reserve tastings include three high end wine pours for $15 per person.
Naggiar Vineyards is a 31 minute drive from the center of Grass Valley and a 33 minute drive from Nevada City.
Similar wine regions to explore
So what do you think? Did our list of the best Nevada City wineries convince you to become a Nevada County native? If you’re looking for more California wine country gems, you’re in the right place.
Nevada City is within driving distance of the best California wine regions. There are literally thousands of wineries you could visit. We’ve got several suggestions to help you narrow down your choices.
Lincoln, California is a 50 minute drive southeast of Nevada City. Lincoln is a Sacramento city suburb with a rural feel. The best Lincoln wineries combine high-quality wine with down-to-earth vibes.
Somerset, California is 1 hour 40 minutes southeast of Nevada City. The Somerset area feels like a hidden gem even though it’s only an hour from Sacramento. The best Somerset wineries boast mountain views, picturesque hilltop vineyards, and lots and lots of wine.
Like Nevada City, Placerville is a former Gold Rush town full of history. Today this tiny town deals in wine, not gold. Our list of 16 wonderful Placerville wineries will lead you on a quest for the best “liquid gold” (aka wine!) in the area. Placerville, California is a short drive from Sacramento.
