OROVILLE — This weekend saw the return of the North Sierra Wine Trail after a 2020 pause in operations.
Ticket holders were able to visit 11 wineries that span from Oroville to Bangor, continuing to Dobbins/Oregon House and finishing in Sutter Buttes.
Tickets to the two-day event were $30. Included in the purchase was full access to all wineries included in the trail, a map displaying the locations of wineries, and a commemorative wine glass.
The trail took guests through a variety of microclimates, beginning at LIVE VINE Vineyard & Winery — a winery in Oroville that overlooks the Thermalito Afterbay.
Owners of LIVE VINE Vineyard & Winery, Shawn and Susan Smith, said that the trail was something they had been looking forward to returning after the year long absence.
In the break between the 2019 and 2021 wine trails, LIVE VINE has quickly grown. Now as the North Sierra Wine Trail returns for a new year, LIVE VINE is in the process of building a new facility to house an expanded tasting room overlooking the water.
The third stop on the wine trail was the 27 acre Long Creek Winery and Ranch, founded in 2001 by Lou and Yola Cecchi and now operated by the Phulps family. The winery is located at 323 Ward Blvd. in Oroville.
Owner Mike Phulps said taking over the winery four years ago came with a learning curve, coming into it — “not knowing anything about agriculture or the wine industry.”
Now Phulps said the learning curve has long passed, as he looks forward to the weekends when the winery tasting room opens up.
“We enjoy it,” Phulps said of the North Sierra Wine Trail. “We enjoy being a part of the trail and enjoy the experience of sharing our wines and our foods. It’s something we look forward to every year now.”
Phulps noted that for being a “boutique winery,” events like the North Sierra Wine Trail are a fun occasion, offering a new way for people to experience a variety of wineries throughout the region.
“Every winery you go to has something different. We’re kind of rural out here and you can’t see it from the street and we have a beautiful pond and a creek through the property.,” Phulps said. “We have a beautiful pond and a creek through the property.”
Phulps remarked that despite being in the winery business, there’s no competition in his eyes.
“In the winery business, you don’t talk bad about the other wineries. We support all the other wineries. We keep a map behind the counter if we get someone from out of the area and we encourage them to go see all the other wineries,” Phulps said. “Obviously, we’d like for you to buy a bottle of wine but it’s not necessary to buy a bottle of wine.”
Grey Fox Vineyards, founded in 1996 by the Arrigoni and Cecchi families, was the fourth stop along the wine trail. Located at 90 Grey Fox Ln., owner Jeanne Cecchi said that their winery has participated in all North Sierra Wine Trails since it began.
“We’ve been doing the (wine trail) ever since it started,” said owner Jeanne Cecchi. “It’s kind of a tradition with the only reason we didn’t have it last year being coronavirus.”
As for the 100-plus degree weather, Cecchi said that the trail usually takes place in April when temperatures are lower and because of that, the wine trail has seen fewer visitors this year. But the winery is taking this in stride, offering them more time to get to know the folks that visit compared to busier years.
“It’s going to take some time. People are still coming out and some aren’t used to going out again yet but we’ll get back to normal,” Cecchi said.
Despite the hot weather, it didn’t stop Linda Ginter and 6 of her friends from showing up.
“We like getting together and doing activities all through Oroville,” Ginter said. “We love our community and we want to support it. We’re just 7 ladies out to have a good time and support our community.”
Ginter and her friends who participated in both days of the wine trail made sure to have a designated driver as well.
“We’ve got a designated driver. He’s waiting for us in a van,” Ginter said. “He’s just waiting for us winos.”
The other wine producers along the North Sierra Wine Trail were Munger Family Vineyard, Sicilia Vineyards, Cordi Winery, Purple Line Urban Winery, Spencer Shirey Winery, Renaissance Vineyards and Winery, Lucero Vineyards and Winery, Hickman Family Vineyards, Grant-Marie Winery, and Bangor Ranch Vineyards and Winery.
June 28, 2021 at 06:01PM
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North Sierra Wine Trail returns after a year off - Chico Enterprise-Record
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