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Churchill Vineyards, the original name of the venture at inception back in 1990, was the vision of its founders Rick and Kathy Halbardier.
Rick and Kathy utilized their years of experience in the technical, hospitality and agriculture business world to formulate a vision for bringing a low water consumption crop, i.e. wine grapes, to the hot/cold arid desert climate of Nevada. The ag/tourism component would eventually lead to the development of Nevada's first full production winery operation.
The founders pioneered the planting of the first research vineyard in the state in 1990. By 1994, three research vineyards had been planted, two in the Carson Valley in Northern Nevada and one in the Pahrump Valley in Southern Nevada. Churchill Vineyards officially changed its name to Tahoe Ridge Vineyards and Winery and incorporated in the State of Nevada in 1994.
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By 1995, Tahoe Ridge formed a joint venture with the University of Nevada, Reno, to apply for a USDA Hatch Grant to build a three-acre vineyard plot at the Valley Road Field Research Station in Reno, Nevada. The grant was awarded and vineyard development began.
1996 – 1999, Several new research vineyards evolved under the developmental direction of Tahoe Ridge Vineyards and Winery. Tahoe Ridge built an experimental research winery at its home ranch in Minden, Nevada, and began making wine from the following Nevada grape varieties: Chardonnay, Semillon, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Lemberger. Tahoe Ridge began pouring the wine at several public/charity tasting events in both Nevada and California with positive acceptance by consumers.
Tahoe Ridge has formed valuable educational alliances critical to the continued success of a potential wine industry in the State of Nevada:
Dr. Elmer Swenson, Research Scientist, University of Minnesota
Dr. Peter Henstad, Assistant Scientist, University of Minnesota
Dr. Bruce Reisch, Viticulturist, Cornell University
Dr. Robert Pool, Viticulturist, Cornell University
Dr. Robert Wample, Viticulturist, Fresno State University
Dr. Harold J. Larson, Viticulturist, Colorado State University
Dr. Lamar Anderson, Horticulturist, Utah State University
Dr. Wayne Johnson, Horticulturist, University of Nevada Reno
Dr. Grant Cramer, Bio Chemist, University of Nevada Reno
Dr. Jim Wolpert, Viticulturist, University of California Davis
Dr. Stan Howell, Horticulturist, Michigan State University
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The year 2000 marked Tahoe Ridge's entrance into the commercial wine arena with its first 8-ton/500 case harvest/crush of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. This crush was conducted at the Truckee River Winery (a small red barn) in Truckee, CA.
Following the success of their first commercial year, Tahoe Ridge opted to move its wine production operation to the Olde Lockeford Winery Complex in Lockeford, CA in the summer of 2001. |
On September 16, 2001, five short days after the tragedy of September 11th, Tahoe Ridge released its first wines into the marketplace. This was an extremely difficult time for our country, the economy and was not the most opportune time to bring a new product to market. By April of 2002, Tahoe ridge sold out of the first commercial wines released the previous September. This was a major milestone for Tahoe Ridge.
By October of 2001, Tahoe Ridge harvested and crushed the first commercial wine ever made in the history of the State of Nevada. These Chardonnay grapes came from the Gardotti Vineyard located in Gardnerville, Nevada. The wine was processed, aged and released in September of 2002. 456 Bottles were produced. Each bottle was signed and numbered by the winemaker and was sold in a wood box at $35 each. The wine sold out of all retail allocations within two short weeks.
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August 2002 marked the second year of harvest/crush at the Olde Lockeford Winery facility. Tahoe Ridge expanded its production into the following new grape varieties: Zinfandel, Barbera, Cabernet Franc. Tahoe Ridge continued harvest at the Olde Lockeford Winery Complex through the harvest/crush of 2004.
In March or 2005 Tahoe Ridge made the committment to move its entire wine production operation to a leased space in Minden, Nevada. By harvest/crush 2005 we were setup in our new facility and ready to move forward with what would become the largest and longest harvest on record for Tahoe Ridge.
We brought in over 100 tons of grapes and compleated all crushing, pressing and barreling down operations by the end of December 2005 (working through several heavy snow storms along the way). Once again Tahoe Ridge made history by conducting the first commercial grape crush to ever take place in the State of Nevada and meeting its goal of 15 years earlier of building the first full production winery operation in the state.
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In November of 2002, Rick and Kathy Halbardier had the pleasure of meeting Roger and Gail Teig, owners of the historic Van Sickle Station Ranch in Genoa, Nevada. The idea of giving Tahoe Ridge a permanent home at the Van Sickle Station Ranch and preserving the historical nature of the Van Sickle Station Ranch for future generations seemed a natural fit, i.e. history meets history.
Close to 150 years earlier a budding entrepreneur named Henry Van Sickle had a vision and purchased the Van Sickle Ranch property in 1855. Henry built a tavern, hotel, boarding/dinner house, blacksmith shop, livery stables, dairy, creamery, and a thriving agriculture enterprise, which included farm fresh vegetables and fruits.
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