Best of the Foothills Celebration

On Saturday March 6th, I attended the Foothills Celebration in Downtown Grass Valley with CC and a few close friends. It was such a nice treat to see the area crowded with people and thriving. (Well, not so much the crowded part when I was in line for wine tasting…Just kidding!)


This photo was taken inside Stucki Jewelers (one of the several stops on the event path). Nevada City Winery was there pouring a Gewurztraminer and a Zinfandel. I mention Nevada City Winery because I am fond of their Rough and Ready Red, and because they produce a Petit Verdot, which is not found very often as the main grape in a wine. Off topic, but FYI, another great (100%) Petit Verdot can be found here.



Here is a shot of the Avanguardia tasting room. They were pouring a white blend I liked called Selvatico.

Another of my favorite stops was The Owl Bar & Grill. They were serving up a garlic and nut bread that I would have to describe as addictive. The funny part is, if you go to their website, it is indeed described as addictive. I did not read their website before I came up with a descriptor for the (I guess it's called Billy Blue) bread! I wrote about it and then grabbed the URL afterward. :)

Lone Buffalo Vineyards was at The Owl to accompany. Their wines not only have cute names, they are quite tasty. You can test them out here or at their tasting room.

Finally, our last stop (and my personal favorite food wise) was a spot called Jim E's Club 141. It is a wine and tapas "bar" with a big fireplace and couch. And they serve bacon wrapped dates. If that isn't enough to convince you, below are some other things you might see on the menu:

Mini Grilled Cambazola Brie topped w/ Cranberries and Orange Marmelade



Artichoke Jalapeno Cheese Bread




Brie & Pear Quesadilla w/ Raspberry and Chipotle



Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms wrapped in Puff Pastry


You can become a fan of Downtown Grass Valley, follow them on twitter @gvdowntown, and support their small businesses by attending their upcoming events. If you missed the fabulous Foothills Celebration, there is another food and wine spectacular taking place in September at the Nevada County fairgrounds called a Taste of Gold. If you can't wait that long, here's a link to the downtown tasting rooms, and the great local shops and restaurants!