My lack of posts are directly and exponentially related to the amount of time I have devoted to winter sports this season. For that I am sorry. Even though my days are spent snowboarding, snowshoeing, shovelling and brewing in a hot tub, my nights are spent tasting the wines at the local restaurants. All around West Lake Tahoe are suitable wine lists in fine-dining restaurants and dive bars alike. The fun part is trying to find the perfect glass of Cabernet that relaxes and refreshes you after a full day on the mountain.
My absolute favorite restaurant/bar is Cottonwood in Truckee, CA. It sits on the hill top off of Brockway Road. Although they are best known for their apres ski mud slides, their wine list does not go unnoticed. A couple good reds that are available by the glass keep me coming back.
If you are interested in trying a higher class wine (think Stag’s Leap “Artemis” Cabernet), buy the bottle and pair it with the braised venison from the daily specials menu. I did this a few weeks ago with some friends and have been yearning for a repeat.
The only two pieces of advice: 1) Make a reservation, Friday and Saturday nights are especially busy and 2) Bring a pillow; after a busy day, some good food, and a couple glasses of wine the body is ready for bed.
