Solune Winegrowers (Back to Previous Page)

Appellation: Nevada County Location: 16303 Jewett Lane Grass Valley, California 95945 Phone: (530)271-1274 Winemaker: Jacques Mercier Tasting Room: Small Days/Hours: Sat and Sun, 12:00 to 5:00 Parking: N/A Picnic Facilities: Picnic Tables Available Red Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Malbec, Tannat, Graciano, Red wine blend, Titan – Red wine blend, Port White Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Fleur de Lune – White wine blend Production: N/A

Map

The Winery

The name Solune is a combination of the French words for sun and moon. When the 15 acre estate was purchased in 2001, it had three acres already planted to vineyards. The winery is in old red barn surrounded by towering pines and includes a small tasting area. Outdoors, you will find picnic tables and a great spot to enjoy the beauty of the landscape.

The Vineyards

At the 2600-foot elevation where the vineyards are planted, a diurnal shift of 40-50% is not uncommon, and contributes to the ability to create wines with good acidity. It also contributes to the decision not to grow warm weather loving vines like Zinfandel and Barbera. The winery began planting experimental varietals in 2002 to discover which did the best in this high altitude terroir. They plan on planting an additional seven acres in 2007 based on what they have learned.

The Wines

Solune creates a European style field blend wine of all five Bordeaux’s called Cinq Etoiles, as well as a Gewürztraminer/Muscat field blend called Fleur de Lune. The wine style is definitely European, and matched perfectly to the grapes produced in these high mountain vineyards. All of the wines have great body and balance, with layers of flavors that linger long after the wine is gone. The Tempranillo alone is well worth the short drive out of Grass Valley for a taste.

The Winemaker

Originally from Quebec, Canada, Jacques Mercier took a Sommelier diploma program as his first step in developing an overall passion for wine and winemaking. He later became an award-winning home winemaker, and then went on to become a certified wine judge. He decided to be a full-time winemaker after moving to California, and bought the property near Grass Valley. Besides being an accomplished winemaker, Jacques has dual PhDs in physics and physical chemistry. 

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