Minden winery geared to tourists

A little bit of Napa Valley is coming to Carson Valley.

Minden-based Tahoe Ridge Vineyards and Winery Inc.

and the owners of Van Sickle Station Ranch, a 600-plus acre ranch in Minden, announced they are planning to turn part of the ranch into a vineyard and winery, as well as a tourist attraction with museum, artisan village, tasting rooms, delicatessen, cooking school, gardens, stables and guest cottages.

"It gives people something else to do while they're here," said Rick Halbardier, owner of Tahoe Ridge and the chief executive officer of the Van Sickle Station Ranch vineyard project.

The multi-phase project will cost in the neighborhood of $10 million, according to Halbardier.

The group plans to offer a private placement in August to raise the needed cash.

Halbardier said some local investors from Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley, as well some Midwest investors, are interested in the project.

The architects for the project are Richard Rhodes from Richard Rhodes Architects and Planners, in Monterey, Calif., and Arthur Hannifan from Hannifan, Darney Architects LLP in Carson City.

Project engineers are Rob Anderson and Keith Ruben with ROAnderson Engineering in Minden.

The project is scheduled to break ground in February 2004, starting with the winery, where all production from crushing to bottling and labeling will take place.

That is expected to be completed by 2005.

Next the ranch's 150-year-old, 5,000- square-foot hay barn will be

restored and expanded to house a wine tasting area, gourmet gift and wine shop, deli and beef shop as well as the venture's administrative offices.

At the same time, six guest cottages will be built and several gardens, including herb, rose, vegetable and perennial, will be planted.

The artisan village will feature what Halbardier calls "lost arts," such as glass blowing and basket weaving.

A culinary school should be completed by 2007 also.

Roger and Gail Teig, who own the ranch, will continue to live in the main residence on the property and a ranch manager will continue to live in a second house.

Two ranchers will continue to ranch about 600 head of Black Angus cattle.

Between 12 to 15 acres will be planted in vineyards, which will need four years to bear fruit that can made into wine.

In the meantime, Tahoe Ridge will continue to use California-grown grapes as well as grapes grown on 10 acres scattered throughout Nevada, Halbardier said.

"We would have been crazy to do this 10 years ago," said

Halnardier, "to figure out how to grow grapes on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada." The wine maker produced its first wines, using California grapes, in 1998, and in 2002 released its first wine made from only grapes grown in Nevada.

Eventually, the vinter hopes to solely use the Van Sickle Station Ranch vineyards and facilities, which will be capable of producing 18,000 to 20,000 cases of wine a year.

Tahoe Ridge currently produces 36,000 bottles, or 3,000 cases, annually.

The property also has significant geothermal resources, which the venture is now trying to determine how to utilize.

One possibility, said Halbardier, is to use it to warm the vineyards during the early spring when the grapes can be damaged by a late frost.

Another idea is to use it to create an aquaculture, or fish farm.

The group has no plans to use the geothermal waters for a spa since the ranch is across the street from Wally's Hot Springs Resort in Genoa.

"We don't want to compete with our neighbors," said Halbardier.