Montoliva Vineyard And Winery News

Open Labor Day 2010

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:47:00 -0600

Mon, 06 Sep 2010

Join us on Monday, September 6th as we induldge in our Labor of Love. We'll be open from 1pm until 4pm pouring all those great Montoliva wines you've grown to know and love (and maybe even one or two you aren't familiar with)

Friday Night Movies in the Vineyard Update

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:01:00 -0600

Wed, 21 Jul 2010

The Big News of this last week is that Julianne and I finally sat down and put together an actual schedule for July/August/September Friday Night Movies in the Vineyard.

Get the full listing, and lots more information here

Cheers

Mark Henry

Independence Day Closure

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:59:00 -0600

Sun, 04 Jul 2010

We will be closed on Sunday, July 4th. Happy Independence Day Everyone!

Memorial Day

Mon, 31 May 2010 10:08:00 -0600

Mon, 31 May 2010

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

President Abraham Lincoln

November 1863

Montoliva Vineyard & Winery will not be open on Monday, May 31st, 2010

Holiday Hours

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:45:00 -0600

Wed, 16 Dec 2009

Montoliva Vineyard & Winery will be open/closed the following dates:

December 19/20: Open noon-5pm

December 26/27: Closed

January 2/3: Closed

January 9/10: Open noon-5pm

Julianne and I wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday.

Closed Sunday December 6th

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:16:00 -0600

Wed, 02 Dec 2009

As many of you know, we practice extended macerations on many of our more complex red wines (and thinking about playing around with it on some of our Pinot Grigio next year). As such, crush season tends to run a lot longer for us than most California wineries. In fact, we just pressed the last of our Sangiovese last weekend. So, Julianne and I are taking a few much desired days off, and will be closed on Sunday, Dec 6th.

Grape Affair & Hours of Operation

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:40:00 -0600

Sat, 12 Sep 2009

We will be closed on Saturday, September 12th.

As Julianne and I have not yet mastered the art of bi-locational presence, we will be closed on Saturday, September 12 so that we can pour our wines at the annual Nevada County Grape Affair. We will be open again regular hours, noon to 5pm on Sunday, September 13th. Come visit us at Grape Affair. Live music, good food, terrific wines from all of Nevada County's wineries, arts and crafts (Julianne's daughter, Ryan, will be displaying her hand crafted jewelry). Always a great time.

Twitter Joins Montoliva Vineyard & Winery

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:43:00 -0600

Thu, 04 Jun 2009

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
                                                                  Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
                                                                  Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
                                                                  Attributed to Bill Gates, 1981
"Why would anyone want to know what I had for breakfast?"
                                                                  Mark Henry, 2009

I confess, I didn't "get" Twitter. Maybe I still don't....really. But, hey, no reason we can't have fun with it, anyway. And since I don't remember what I had for breakfast, and I can't believe anyone but my Mother cares (Hi Mom!), I won't be tweeting the mundane details of my life. Sign up for the Montoliva Vineyard & Winery Twitter feed and you will get occasional glimpses into the life of a professional vineyardist and winemaker. The bonus feature? It will always be in verse...haiku, cinquain, or my favorite, iambic pentameter. You can follow our Twitter feeds right here.

Mark Henry
Winemaker, Vineyardist, Hi-tech visionary

Memorial Weekend Hours

Sat, 23 May 2009 13:27:00 -0600

Sat, 23 May 2009

Memorial Weekend Hours

We will be closing at 4:30 on Saturday, May 23rd so that we can present a Winemaker's Dinner at Harmony Ridge Lodge that evening.

We will be open on Monday, May 25th from noon until 4pm.

See you soon!

Our WineMaker Mark Gets His Picture In The Paper!

Sat, 23 May 2009 13:31:00 -0600

Sat, 23 May 2009

And no, it has nothing to do with any Grand Jury investigation!

San Francisco Chronicle says "Montoliva Vineyard & Winery Rocks!"

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:53:00 -0600

Tue, 27 Jan 2009

Since planting the vineyard in 2000, Julianne and I have had a singular vision - to create Italian varietal wines that are true to their heritage, while still being distinctly Californian. We believed that by planting Italian varietal grapes, especially Sangiovese, in the higher elevations of the North Sierra Foothills, and eschewing modernist, New World style winemaking in favor of traditional Tuscan winemaking, that we could produce wines with the nice fruit flavor that Calfornia reds are known for, AND maintain the underlying gravitas of Tuscan wines (boy, that was a mouthful!). Have we succeeded? We'll let the SF Chronicle take it from here.

2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Gold Medal
2006 MV&W Aglianico

Silver Medal
2006 MV&W Estate Sangiovese

Bronze Medal
2006 MV&W Sangiovese
2006 MV&W Due Baci
2006 MV&W Sinistra

5 wines, 5 medals

Closed Saturday & Sunday, January 10 and 11

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:25:00 -0600

Tue, 06 Jan 2009

Montoliva Vineyard & Winery will be closed on Saturday, January 10th and Sunday, January 11th. We will reopen on Saturday January 17th. Cheers!

Holiday Hours

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:53:00 -0600

Sat, 20 Dec 2008

Holiday Hours:

We will be open for tasting on December 20 & 21st from noon until 5pm for any last minute wine purchases. We will also be open on Saturday, December 27th & 28th from noon until 5pm. Got friends and/or relatives in town? Bring them by. Our '06 Sangiovese, Sinistra, Aglianico and '05 Syrah are all pouring very nicely. Our Winemaker, Mark Henry, will be here, and can be quite entertaining. We look forward to seeing you!

Annual "Primo Vino"

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:08:00 -0600

Sat, 29 Nov 2008

"Primo Vino" - First Wine. This is your opportunity to barrel sample the fruits of the 2007 and 2008 harvest side-by-side, and compare with the 2006 wine we recently released. How does Aglianico transform from a young, vibrant, bright fruit tart into a well-rounded, voluptuous, complex beauty? Wonder what our Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like before we blend it with Sangiovese? Come find out as you sample your way through 3 vintages in various stages of maturation. Our winemaker, Mark Henry, will be there to talk you through each barrel. This post-Thanksgiving event is sure to provide interesting insights into how wine is styled.

What: Primo Vino '08
When: 1-3pm Saturday, November 29th
Where: Montoliva Vineyard & Winery

Comfort Food 2008

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:55:00 -0600

Mon, 10 Nov 2008

We've had our first few heavy rains of the season. The vines have drank deeply, and are preparing for their long winter's nap. Hmmm, sounds like a typical Saturday evening at the Henry household! Julianne and I love this time of year. Nothing to do in the vineyard, even if we wanted to. The harvest is pretty much done, with the smell of freshly filled barrels dominating the winery. Low music, exotic cheeses, delicious wine, softly discussing the day's events while the rain creates a gentle background ambiance. We feel a bit selfish for keeping this to ourselves, so Saturday, November 22nd, we have invited Dedrick's Cheese of Nevada City to come out and pair up some tasty Italian cheeses with our recently released 2006s. If you were here for our '06 Sinistra release, you know how tasty it is with the imported Tavoliere sheep's milk cheese. We will have all of our new releases available, including the almost sold out Sei Ore, which will be perfect with your Thanksgiving dinner.

What: Comfort Food 2008
When: 1-3pm Saturday, November 22nd
Where: Montoliva Vineyard & Winery

Fall & Winter Winery Hours of Operation

Tue, 22 May 2007 07:42:00 -0600

Mon, 10 Nov 2008

We are open for visitors from noon until 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Please come by and visit our Garagiste, sample some extraordinary Tuscan-style wines, meet winemaker Mark Henry.

2006 Sinistra Release Party!

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:58:00 -0600

Sat, 27 Sep 2008

The Long Wait Is Over!

2006 Sinistra Release Party - Saturday, September 27th, 2008.

How could we have known the our '05 Sinistra would be so popular? Sure, we believed we had captured "Lightning in a Bottle" with this blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Aglianico. This was reinforced when we took top honors for Italian Blended Red Wines at the 2008 Dallas Morning News International Wine Competition. But, wow! We ran through the '05 so fast we barely had time to pull the last case for our personal cellar.

After months of phone calls and emails wanting to know when the '06 Sinistra would be ready, we finally have an answer...and a date! Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 27th. We'll be opening up the winery, turning up the stereo, serving some really tasty gourmet cheeses...oh yeah, and officially releasing the '06 Sinistra.

The blend is a little different this year. Same grapes, slightly different percentages, same great wine. Hmmm, unfortunately, same small quantity. Julianne and I opened a bottle earlier in the week, and it promises to be a worthy successor to the '05 Sinistra. We look forward to seeing you!

Cheers

Mark & Julianne Henry

Community Giving

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:16:00 -0600

Sun, 27 Apr 2008

Ways in which Montoliva gives back

Mark and Julianne’s shared philosophy that a strong community requires generosity and reciprocity has inspired them to be involved in local, state and global projects and charities, including the following:

CalTrans Adopt a Highway Program adopt-a-highway.dot.ca.gov

Mark and Julianne are hands-on participants, removing litter along a stretch of I-80 in Colfax monthly.

Disabled American Veterans davca.org

10% of Montoliva Vineyard & Wineries profits from the 2007 Gold Harvest Wine Trail were donated to The Disabled American Veterans of California.

Heifer International heifer.org

This non-profit organization’s goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation jdrf.org

One of our favorite volunteers at MVW, Anthony McIsaac, was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes at the age of 10. We participate annually in the Walk to Cure Diabetes as well as other fundraising efforts throughout the year.

Kiva kiva.org

The mission of Kiva is “ to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.” By offering person-to-person loans, individuals in developing nations are empowered to become entrepreneurs and advance toward economic independence, improving life for themselves, their family, and their community.

We're doing a little "market research" this weekend

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:47:00 -0600

Wed, 02 Apr 2008

For the weekend of April 5th and 6th, Julianne and I will be down in the South Sierra Foothills meeting with fellow winemakers and discussing winemaking (and mostly enjoying sampling some as yet unbottled '06 Zinfandels and Sangioveses). Therefore we will be closed this weekend. You can still find all our fine wines (including the sold-out Sinistra) at Basement Wines in Colfax. I believe Bela Sera Restaurant in Colfax also has one or two more bottles of Sinistra. It goes very well with their Sicilian-style cooking.

Cheers

Mark Henry

News & Notes, and March/April Schedule

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:22:00 -0600

Fri, 14 Mar 2008

Although Spring doesn't officially start for another week, things are starting to look perky around the vineyard. Buds are swelling, and probably 10-15 days away from bursting (which means I need to get the pre-season pruning done).

The herb garden is coming alive. Garlic shoots are coming up nicely. And it looks like the Lavendar, Dill, Thyme and Rosemary made it through our winter pretty well. Not sure about the basil.

We will be open for visitors our regular time (noon-4pm Sat/Sun) the weekends of March 15/16, 22/23, and 29/30. We will be closed the weekend of April 5/6.

We are still pouring the following wines:

Rose - There are only about 10 cases left of this really nice summer wine. You should prepare and stock up!

Syrah - We are really pleased with the way this wine is aging. So much more potential than we realized when we bottled it last Spring.

Sangiovese - About mid-Winter this wine developed an interesting chocolate flavor in the mid-palate (detected by Mark, confirmed a couple weeks later by an unprompted visitor comment!).

Pinot Grigio - Still off-dry, but has taken on a bit more of a typical California minerally character.

Sinistra Super-Tuscan Blend - Not surprisingly, we sold out of this wine a couple of weeks ago. There are still about 8 bottles of it at Basement Wines in Colfax, and I believe Bella Sera restaurant in Colfax still has a few bottles.

We anticipate selling out of our '05 vintage by mid-summer, so this month would be a good time to visit and stock your cellar.

Cheers

Mark and Julianne

Closed Saturday & Sunday February 23 & 24

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:43:00 -0600

Mon, 18 Feb 2008

We will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, February 23 & 24. Open regular hours noon-4pm on March 1 & 2.

Closed Sunday, February 10

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:20:00 -0600

Fri, 08 Feb 2008

Julianne and I will be taking this Sunday off to visit some of our fellow winemakers in other regions. Julianne calls it "winetasting", I call it "market research". Either way, its tax deductable!

Valentine's Day WineMaker Dinner

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:46:00 -0600

Fri, 18 Jan 2008

Want to impress your sweetheart with the ultimate in dining on Valentine's Day?

Join area-renowned Chef Mike Garman and Winemaker Mark Henry at Basement Wines in Colfax on February 14th, as we present our first annual Tuscan-style Valentine's Dinner. The menu will include 5 courses of Cal-Italian cuisine, matched up with the Tuscan-inspired luxury wines of Montoliva Vineyard & Winery. You won't want to miss Chef Garman's new take on the classic Italian Osso Bucco, paired up with Mark's Super-Tuscan Sinistra.

$65 per person. Seating is limited. Seating is at 6:30pm. Call Basement Wines at 530-346-9550 to place your reservation.

Closed for the Weekend

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:49:00 -0600

Sat, 29 Dec 2007

Montoliva Vineyard & Winery will be closed the weekend of December 29/30 to attend a family function.

Kick Off New Year's Eve with Montoliva Vineyard & Winery

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:59:00 -0600

Sat, 29 Dec 2007

Is there a better way to start your New Year's Eve celebration than fine Italian dining accompanied by Montoliva Vineyard & Winery wine? We don't think so either, so we've arranged a special wine tasting at Bella Sera Restaurant & Wine Bar in Colfax. Bella Sera is the North Sierra Foothills' newest fine dining establishment. Chef and owner Tamara Bogaczyk draws on her Sicilian roots to create a dining experience like no other. At the wine bar we will be pouring samples of our current releases, including the popular '05 Sangiovese, and '06 Pinot Grigio. Reservations are highly recommended and available from 5-9pm. Start your New Years evening with Montoliva and Bella Sera, and it will indeed be a "beautiful evening".

Hours of Operation on Saturday, November 17

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:57:00 -0600

Sat, 17 Nov 2007

We will be closing a bit early on Saturday, November 17th so that we may attend the wedding of a dear friend. Our hours will be noon-2pm on Saturday, and the regular noon-4pm on Sunday. We look forward to seeing you.

We'll be closed Sunday August 19th

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:08:00 -0600

Fri, 17 Aug 2007

We're attending the Family Winemakers of California tasting in San Francisco on Sunday, so the winery won't be open. Sorry for any inconvenience. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Mark & Julianne

We're Open!

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:41:00 -0600

Tue, 31 Jul 2007

After a few trial runs, and getting some of the summer family activities behind us, we are now officially open each weekend. Our hours are noon to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. The weather is nice, and the wines are pouring beautifully.

We're Open Today!

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:34:00 -0600

Sun, 01 Jul 2007

Today, Sunday July 1st, looks to be a beautiful day here in the Northern Sierra Foothills.

We will be open from noon until 4pm. If you are out wine tasting today, be sure to drop by.

Sunday June 24th

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 09:49:00 -0600

Sun, 24 Jun 2007

We presented our wines to Sacramento wine drinkers yesterday at the 5th annual Grape Escape held at Raley Field. Thank you to everyone who dropped by, and sampled our wines. By the end of the day we must have chatted with just about all 6,000 attendees. After accounting for all the empty bottles, it looks like our Pinot Grigio and our Super Tuscan Sinistra were the favorites.

We will be open today from noon until 4pm. Should be a nice day for visiting us and some of the other local wineries (Solune Winegrowers is just four miles down the road).

Cheers

Mark

Come by this Saturday

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:30:00 -0600

Fri, 15 Jun 2007

Two weekends ago we officially presented Montoliva Vineyard & Winery to region wine lovers at the Northern Sierra Wine Country Grape Affair. MV&W wines were the buzz of the afternoon. We sold all three cases of the '06 Pinot Grigio that we brought, as well as a fair amount of the '05 Sangio, '05 Sinistra and '06 Rose.

Based on this overwhelming response, we are going to open our door this Saturday, June 16th. If you visited us at Grape Affair, or even if you didn't, and want to come by to sample some wine, perhaps take some home for this evening's barbeque, the gate will be open from noon until 4pm. See you here!

How to find us -

From I-80 at Colfax, take Hwy 174 4.6 miles, left at Mount Olive Road in Chicago Park, we are .7 mile on the left.

From Grass Valley, take Hwy 174 8.5 miles, left at Mount Olive Road in Chicago Park, we are .7 mile on the left.

We'll be around this weekend

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 08:41:00 -0600

Sat, 09 Jun 2007

Last weekend we officially presented Montoliva Vineyard & Winery to region wine lovers at the Northern Sierra Wine Country Grape Affair. MV&W wines were the buzz of the afternoon. We sold all tree cases of the '06 Pinot Grigio that we brought, as well as most of the '05 Sangio, '05 Sinistra and '06 Rose.

Based on this overwhelming response, we are going to open our door this weekend. If you visited us at Grape Affair, or even if you didn't, and want to come by to sample some wine, perhaps take some home for this evening's barbeque, the gate will be open from noon until 4pm. See you here!

How to find us -

From I-80 at Colfax, take Hwy 174 4.6 miles, left at Mount Olive Road in Chicago Park, we are .7 mile on the left.

From Grass Valley, take Hwy 174 8.5 miles, left at Mount Olive Road in Chicago Park, we are .7 mile on the left.

Upcoming Events

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:24:00 -0600

Thu, 31 May 2007

So, where are we going to be in the coming months?

Grape Affair - 2 June 2007 The annual gathering of Northern Sierra Wine Country member wineries. This year will feature 15 wineries from Nevada County, pouring over 60 different wines. This is also our official roll-out. Our first presentation to wine drinkers who are not our neighbors or related to us. This year's event is at the beautiful and expansive Naggiar Vineyard, just outside Grass Valley. Visit www.northernsierrawinecounty.com for more information on this event.

Sacramento Grape Escape - 23 June 2007 The 5th annual Sacramento Grape Escape is moving to Raley Field this year. Over 50 wineries pouring wines they hope will measure up to ours. Lots of great food too. More information on this event can be found at www.sacramentograpeescape.com

Northern Sierra Wine Country Harvest Wine Trail 2007 - 15-16 September 2007 Nevada County wineries annual red carpet event. At each of the 15 participating wineries you will find special release wines, food, lots of live music and fun things to do in the vineyard. Too much stuff to list, so please visit www.northernsierrawinecountry.com and see what you don't want to miss out on.