Squaw Wine Fest Continued.. But for this day, in addition to this delightful alpine ambiance, add a festival atmosphere, some of the best wines California has to offer and live music. Welcome to the Alpen Wine Fest. Admission to the wine event is $40 and includes a commemorative Spiegalau wine glass and wine tasting with over 40 different wineries.  There is a silent auction and raffle where lift tickets, art, weekend vacation packages, cruises, meals, merchandise, andmost importantly, collector & rare bottles of wine are all part of the booty. 

The event benefits the Jimmie Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis.  The center was founded by Lake Tahoe native Jimmie Heuga who won a bronze medal in the men’s slalom at the 1964 Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.  Jimmie’s father was a long time employee of the Squaw Valley Ski Resort.  In 1970 Jimmie was diagnosed with MS and prescribed a sedentary lifestyle.  Instead he began a rigorous exercise program which made him stronger mentally and physically.  From those beginnings came the Center which strives to help patients gain control of their lives through health and wellness programs. 

The wineries who took part in this great charity event are some pretty heavy hitters, including Grgich Hills and Hall Wines from Napa, Bonterra from Mendocino and Pezzi King from Dry Creek.  We saw Solune from Nevada County, Holly’s Hill from El Dorado and Vino Noceto from Amador representing the Sierra Foothills and Hering from Clarksburg as well as M2, one of the great new Lodi wineries.  By our count there were 11 wineries from Napa, 8 from Sonoma, 4 from Mendocino, 3 from the Delta regions, 7 from the Sierra Foothills, and we counted 9 foreign wineries for a total of 42. What a great way to tour these magnificent wine regions without getting into a car or a plane. 

The event took place on September 2nd this year and lasted three hours; from 2:00 until 5:00 pm.  There were two music venues in addition, that added to the overall ambiance. It never seemed crowded and there was plenty of opportunity to talk to the individual wineries about their wines, something that can be tough at many of these events.  It was certainly well worth the price of the admission and worth a repeat visit.  Hope to see you there next year!