Wine N' Ice At Truckee River Winery

Wine N' Ice At Truckee River Winery is an annual grand tasting, ice carving competition, and charity fundraiser held each winter at Truckee River Winery in Truckee, California — located in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe. The event draws visitors for a combination of competitive ice carving, wine poured from the winery's own production, food from local eateries, live music, and outdoor winter games.

The centerpiece of Wine N' Ice At Truckee River Winery is the ice carving competition, which awards prizes to the top 3 contestants. Truckee River Winery itself has been producing wine since 1989, when founder Russ Jones — a UC Davis Enology and Viticulture graduate — began crafting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a two-car garage in Sierra Meadows. The winery now produces over 12 styles of wine across two Sierra Nevada production facilities, with winemaking led by Russ Jones on reds and his daughter Katy Carroll Jones on whites and rosé. Katy's Orange Barn Ramato is among the winery's more distinctive offerings.

Because specific ticket prices and 2025 dates have not yet been announced, visitors should check the official Truckee River Winery website under the events page for current details before planning attendance. The Truckee location — at 10061 So. River St. — is an intimate micro-winery setting, so early registration is advisable once tickets become available. The event is held outdoors in winter conditions, so layering appropriately for Sierra Nevada temperatures is practical preparation.

Truckee sits at high elevation in the Tahoe basin, giving the winery's wines a distinctive mountain character shaped by significant temperature variation and Sierra snowpack. The winery sources from Sierra Foothill vineyards and planted 600 vines of Malbec at its Cedar Ridge property in spring 2023, signaling continued investment in estate fruit.