Resting on the banks of the Truckee River, in a turn-of-the-century old red barn, lies the Truckee River Winery. The small winery, owned and operated by Russ and Joan Jones, makes some truly great wines. It’s more than just a curiosity; Russ is a serious wine maker graduating from UC Davis in enology and opening the winery in 1989. Russ’s wines are made by hand in small batches by the open fermentation method. Reds are aged in French oak barrels.
Surprisingly, Truckee is not as harsh of an area to make wines as you might imagine, since heat is only needed when temperatures reach around zero degrees. Russ is assisted by his wife, Joan, who he calls his cellar rat. (Not sure he addresses her that way in public.) Truckee River Winery makes 4 wines: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and a mellow, soft Merlot.
Meeting Russ, you feel that this man loves his work. His wines are all hand made and carefully brought to maturity by his experienced hands. In this day of machines and huge fermenting tanks, it’s heart warming to experience wines made in the old, time-honored fashion. When drinking a glass of Russ’s wines, you are truly tasting the result of a man who has put his heart into his work and the flavor of his wines bare witness to this. His wines can be found on the menus of most restaurants in Truckee and Lake Tahoe as well as “Florian’s Fine Wines” in Truckee.
You are invited to learn more about these fine wines and the wine making process at Truckee River Winery.com or you may call Russ, or Joan at 530-587-4626. They’d love to hear from you.
