Sierra Wine & Grape Growers Association

Our Next Meeting…

November – Annual Meeting

Date: Thursday, November 21st
Location: Ponderosa Hall, Nevada County Fairgrounds (Gate 2)

The November meeting has been, for many years, a short business session with elections and then a wine tasting. This year the Board of Directors has planned a more comprehensive Annual Meeting where we want to share with the membership what the BODs does and what the various coordinators do to keep SWGGA going.

Wine Exchange at January Meeting

Dec 7, 2019

From Peter Willcox:

We’re planning the wine exchange at the January meeting. It’ll be like last year, about a full case for exchanging with all, less if you want to do less. All on a bottle for bottle basis. We will advise in January how much to bring, if you wish to do a full exchange. Please let Peter Willcox know your intentions, so we can coordinate quantities.

Contact Peter at: willcoxps@yahoo.com

A UC Davis Course on Current Issues in Vineyard Health

Nov 20, 2019

Foundation Plant Services and UC Davis Extension are offering the Current Issues in Vineyard Health course on December 3, 2019. Enjoy a full day of lectures on issues related to vineyard health. Please see the attached agenda.

Winery Equipment For Sale

Nov 11, 2019

#55 (cm) Italian basket press: Great for red wine fermentations of ~250# – 800# of grapes. Excellent condition. Mounted on pallet for easy movement. $900
Includes $50 nylon mesh screen and $20 spare shivs, plus several oak spacers.
(Compare to ~$1000 new + $$$ shipping)

Stainless steel portable sump w/ screen: Perfect to fit under press or can be used for pumpovers. Has 2” tri-clamp outlet. $1200
(Compare to as much as $2000 new, plus shipping)

Education

Our monthly programs are a mix of educational and social gatherings with the aim of exploring all aspects of grape growing and winemaking. Most meetings are at the Nevada County Fairgrounds and combine technical and social elements.

Wine Tastings

Wine tastings and evaluations are an important part of our growth in developing our winemaking skills. In addition to meetings devoted specifically to tasting, we have casual sessions prior to our regular meetings.

Winery Visits

We have meetings at both commercial and our member home wineries and vineyards during the year. Seeing first-hand how others grow their grapes and make wine is a valuable part of our education.

Scholarships

Each year SWGGA awards a scholarship to a deserving highschool graduate pursuing a major in agriculture or the sciences. Funds for the scholarships are contributed by our members and friends.

Mentoring

Members of SWGGA are generous with their time and help each other with their winemaking and grape growing. New members, especially, are encouraged to ask questions.

Our Story

The Sierra Wine & Grape Growers Association

Originally founded in 1978, the Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association represents home winemakers and the farmers and their families who grow grapes in Nevada County, and adjoining Yuba, Sierra and Placer Counties in California.

Our membership is open to all those who either own a vineyard, make wine, or are simply interested in wine and being a member of the organization.
Members are continually increasing their knowledge of viticultural practices in the northern Sierra Foothills to produce premium grapes for high quality wines.