Pahrump Valley Winery raises the bar
It may be hard to think of the desert as being anything but dry but at Pahrump Valley Winery, things are quite lush. Southern Nevada’s only winery, located about an hour west of the Las Vegas Strip, allows visitors to drink in the fun things it has to offer – beautiful scenery, wine tours and tastings, a gourmet restaurant open for lunch and dinner, a wine-related gift shop, and events such as the annual Grape Stomp.
Owned by Nevada-based winemakers Bill and Gretchen Loken, the winery is garnering international acclaim with Nevada’s first red wine to ever win a gold medal. Their 2005 Nevada Ridge Zinfandel won “Gold” at the 2009 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition and is Nevada’s first estate red wine produced from grapes grown solely at this family-owned vineyard. The winery, which has received 188 national awards since 2004, also won numerous other medals this year for several of its other wines.
Free guided tours of the winery are offered most days at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m., although it’s recommended to call for a current schedule. On the tour, folks learn about the history of the winery and how wine is made. There is also a tasting bar where they can sample the award-winning wines during a pause in the tour and peruse the one-of-a-kind items in the gift shop.
The winery also has its own Zagat-rated restaurant, Symphony's Restaurant, that offers a picturesque view of the valley. There is a dress code – casual business attire – but prices are reasonable and complement the relaxing atmosphere of quiet elegance. The restaurant offers both lunch (11:30-3 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m.-closing) .At lunch, guests can choose from several sandwiches ($8.95-$9.95) and lunch-portioned entrees. There is also a selection of appetizers and salads that are served at both lunch and dinner. Starters include Lobster Bisque, Crab Cakes and Coconut Shrimp and among the salads are Caesar Salad, an Apple Pecan Salad, and Italian Chopped Salad.
For dinner, guests can enjoy a selection of entrees such as Seared Alaskan Halibut, Chicken Tuscany, Surf and Turf, Winery Scampi, Angus New York Steak, Pasta Primavera, Australian Lobster Tail and several others. Of course, for both lunch and dinner, there is a nice selection of wines on the menu.
It was back in 2003 that the Lokens became management consultants to the winery, subsequently taking ownership in 2005. Since then, they have made major renovations, expanding the vineyard from 350 vines to its current 1,550 vines of Zinfandel and Syrah grapes planted on nearly three acres. The expanded tasting room displays an exhibit of the Winery’s national wine awards received since 2004.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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