Spring Drive to Penn Valley Daffodils
and on to Grass Valley Hills and
Naggiar Vineyards and Winery


March 19, 2018


©2018 Herbert E. Lindberg

The hills and valleys of Nevada County are brilliant green after a couple months of rain following a very dry winter. This is a perfect time to take a drive on the southwestern back roads of Penn Valley and Grass Valley, and to stop at a vineyard or two to give you a motivating destination. Mary and I took the back roads to Naggiar Vineyards -- you can make the tour yourselves during the coming month to see some of the same beauty.

Note: Soon thereafter I combined pictures of this trip with previous pictures to make an eight minute video so you can experience the beauty in action. Click on the image below to open the YouTube video.  Better yet
for larger screens, click here to view it in 1080p resolution from my personal website.



Plan your trip to enjoy the tasting room and events at the winery. You can also enjoy excellent food at their bistro.

Tasting Room Hours:
Friday & Saturday 12:00 – 9:00pm
Sunday 12:00 – 5:00pm

Complimentary Tasting Hours:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
12:00 – 5:00pm

Naggiar Bistro Hours:
Friday 2:00 – 8:30pm
Saturday 12:00 – 8:30pm
Sunday 12:00 – 4:30pm

Music Shows:
Friday 6:00 – 9:00pm
Saturday 6:00 – 9:00pm
See their Events Page for more info, and take some well-spent time to explore their interesting web site (link in the title line of this page).



Daffodils along Indian Springs Rd. a mile or two south of Hwy 20,
viewed back toward Hwy 20 near Lake Wildwood.


Most of the blossoms faced away from the road, toward the fence,
but I managed to spot a few showing their bell shaped faces.


Another shot from a slightly different position and angle, to better show the daffodils, fence,
and beginning bloom of the row of trees just on the other side.


Turned left to see the fence and trees, and pond in the near background


There were only a very few white daffodils.


Closer view of the dominant yellow daffodils


Then we continued down Indian Springs to where it intersects Spenceville Rd and turned right, away from central Penn Valley.  Not far past Pilot Peak Vineyards and Winery is Oak Meadow Rd.  This sign on the corner of Spenceville and Oak Meadow announces some of the home owners in Oak Meadow Ranches. We turned left along Oak Meadow Rd on our way to see Barry and Ann Wright -- Ann is a volunteer in the Visitor Center at South Yuba River State Park, a position Mary held for many years.


The first road on the left is Parsons Rd, one of the most beautiful intersections in this community.


This barn has been renewed over the years and now makes a beautiful
setting with the nearby fence, trees and large pond in back of it.


Another shot with the barn and pond more in the open


Another shot reveals a beautiful home on a hill.
The home has matured in the past few years.


A closer view of the home


Farther along Parsons Rd, on the left.


We turned around and back to Oak Meadow Rd, then continued to Indian Ct. to see Ann but no one was home, including their beautiful horses. So we retraced our path to Spenceville Rd and took it back to Indian Springs Rd, where we turned right and headed to McCourtney Rd. Then after a leasurely drive mainly south along McCourtney and its beautiful country homes it eventually blended into Lime Kiln Rd and shortly we turned right onto Wolf Rd, to head toward Naggiar Vineyards and Winery. Another ten to 15 minutes of gently winding road brought us to Garden Bar Rd and then to Rosemary Lane, where we turned right and came first to Summerwood Arabians.


We continued on Rosemary Lane at 5 to 10 mph (to avoid dust) and parked at the Naggier wine tasting parking lot. I didn't take pictures because I already have a complete compliment from previous trips (http://lindberglce.com/2014/Naggiar/Naggiar.html.)  At the tasting room building we ordered a couple glasses of wine and a meat, cheese and crostini toast platter. Mary took this shot of me while we enjoyed the wine and snack for lunch.  Mary didn't want her picture taken.

This is essentially the view out the bistro window,
but I went outside to take it to avoid the row of trash barrels near the building.


I walked closer to the pond to get this shot
of the Naggier winery on the opposite side.
I believe the homes on the left are Naggier family homes.


As we began our walk back to our car I snapped this picture of one of the
several statues that grace the wine tasting and party bandstand area.


This is the one lane bridge on Garden Bar Rd not far from Rosemary Lane as you approach Naggiar Vineyards and Winery (but now we're heading away from Rosemary Lane).


Right at the bridge is a small ranch with grazing bovine.
I reached my arm across in front of Mary and
snapped this freehand through her window.


The home at the bridge


More bovine grazed along the creek the bridge crosses as we drove along Garden Bar Rd.  This road blended into Wolf Rd, from which we turned right onto Lime Kiln Rd.  This took to Hwy 49 and then back to Grass Valley proper.




Much more information about Naggiar Vineyards and Winery is available at their website, including a beautiful video about their winemaking process.  Watch this in full screen.  Also, click for my photo coverage and Roadmap to Nevada County Vineyards more generally.

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