Tahoe Ridge Winery in Genoa, NV

With gas prices hitting new records seemingly every day, staying closer to home for your vacation is becoming much more attractive. Luckily, there are some really attractive weekend getaways close to the Reno/Sparks and Carson City areas that offer up a great alternative to a longer trip.

The Tahoe Ridge Winery in Genoa is one of those attractive options. Genoa is Nevada's first settlement, so you can find a lot of history in this quaint little town about 40 miles south of Reno. Mormon Station State Park commemorates the first settlement in the state, and across the street from the park, you'll find the Genoa Courthouse Museum, with a very nice collection of artifacts from Genoa's earliest days.

Right up Main Street, just two blocks from the museum, you'll find Northern Nevada's only winery, the Tahoe Ridge Winery and Marketplace. While the winery still produces its wines from California and other grapes, their vineyards in Minden, (just down the road from Genoa) will be producing their own grapes shortly.

The History of the Winery

Tahoe Ridge has actually been in business since 1994 (it began in 1990 as Churchill Vineyards, changing the name in 1994). Tahoe Ridge has partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno Agricultural department and many other academic institutions to pioneer wine growing in the state of Nevada. They created several research vineyards around the state to discover the best places to grow grapes in the high desert.

In October, 2001, Tahoe Ridge harvested their grapes, crushed them, and was the very first winery to produce its own wines in the state (Chardonnay grapes from Gardnerville), which were released in 2002. The rest of their wines are still produced in California, however. In 2005 they moved all their operations to Minden, and began producing wines from California grapes in their own facilities. This became the first commercial grape crush in the state. In the future, the winery plans to move all its' facilities to the Van Sickle Ranch, just on the outskirts of Genoa, where they will build a new tasting room, as well.

The Winery and Marketplace

The winery is worth even a day trip from Reno or Carson City, just because of its historic value, and the fact that they offer free tastings of all their wines. They produce reds, whites, and a rose, and they also offer gourmet food items, and all types of home décor relating to wine. On a warm summer day, it's a great idea to stroll the shady streets of Genoa, stop in for a taste or two of wine, and then spend the night in one of Genoa's bed & breakfast inns.

Genoa's Bed & Breakfasts

There are two B&B's located in Genoa.

Genoa House Inn

180 Nixon Street

Genoa, NV 89411

775-782-7075

An authentic Victorian home listed in the National Register of Historical Places, the Genoa House is located right in downtown Genoa, and has three rooms with private baths.

Wild Rose Inn

2332 Main Street

Genoa, NV 89411

877-819-4225 or 775-782-5697

The Wild Rose Inn is a newer facility, with five rooms, offering afternoon tea and a full breakfast with your room.

So, explore historic Genoa for a weekend getaway that's close to home and relaxing.

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