Exploring California Wine Country in Tuscan Style: Grand Reserve Inn
Recently I was invited to a 3 day content creator stay at the Grand Reserve Inn, the new home of Teneral Cellars at Wilderotter Vineyards. Read on to find out what we ate and sipped, plus why you need to make the Shenandoah Valley your next weekend wine country getaway.
Grand Reserve Inn is a luxury boutique inn located at Wilderotter Vineyards in Amador County, a short journey from Sacramento.
Amador County, more specifically the Shenandoah Valley is home to more than 50 established wineries. This region has quietly established itself as one of the most prestigious producers of high quality varietals including Grenache, Vermentino, and Mourvèdre.
I wore classic pieces to match the vibe of this Tuscan style villa: Celine sunglasses (The Real Real) House of Aama scarf, Jenni Kayne fisherman sweater, Tibi skirt, Loeffler Randall boots, Raddicchio Tote by Kayu (gifted). Links to shop are further down.
Woman-owned Teneral Cellars is lead by longtime wine executive Jill Osur and renowned hotelier Tracy Prigmore.
The duo strategically purchased the stunning 26-acre Wilderotter vineyards complete with a 6-suite Tuscan style villa in 2023 with their own capital, followed by investor capital. The two have quickly set about reshaping the wine industry to meet the needs of its largest customers: Women.
Here are just a few ways in which Jill and Tracy are disrupting how we wine down since throwing open the door of Grand Reserve Inn in June of 2023:
Donating 10% of sales profits to organizations and initiatives that empower women and fight for gender equality and social justice.
Championing equity in pay for women and BIPOC vintners. Its “Title IX All In” Zinfandel features tennis legend and equal pay trailblazer Billie Jean King.
Promoting building wealth for women through investing – 82% of its 52 investors are women.
Incorporating sustainable practices by moving towards biodynamic farming thereby eliminating the need for water pumped from the ground.
Teneral Cellars originally began as a digital brand in 2020 during the pandemic. With an emphasizes on community and inclusion, on the back of every bottle is the phrase, “Open a bottle, open a conversation”. Their new acquisition Wilderotter Vineyards is planted with nine grape varieties producing 6,000 cases annually. Cheers to that!
Ten-er-al adj. Teneral is the act of claiming your power within to transform the world with grit and grace.
The word “teneral” is the physical state at which a dragonfly emerges from its cast. The dragonfly logo graces the bottles of the brand and symbolizes transformation.
I was the first of the group of content creators to arrive on the grounds of Teneral cellars, and was soon greeted by its founder Jill Osur and her friendly canine companion Sierra. Jill is a former Cal athlete and it clearly shows; she is tall, fit and strong with the outgoing personality of a long time team sports player. She looks you straight in the eye and immediately puts you at ease. Jill’s business partner Tracy Prigmore brings the real estate development and hospitality expertise. Tracy is poised to open a new hotel in the historic southern California town of Redlands. She is a straight shooter with that natural no-makeup glowy skin we all wish we had, and a passion for skiing. Tracy founded “She’s Got a Deal” which mentors and nurtures women of color emerging entrepreneurs.
Jill Osur of Teneral Cellars at Grand Reserve Inn
Neatly situated at the top of the rolling hill estate, the Italian-Tuscan style Grand Reserve Inn is crafted of field stone walls and travertine flooring.
Luxury awaits at The Grand Reserve Inn, Plymouth Ca.
A large arched oak door is flanked by tall juniper trees. Reminiscent of what you’d find on the ridge lines of Florence. Just beyond the door is a large inner facing open-air courtyard, with quietly trickling fountains. This is where you will spend time getting to know the other guests over specially prepared farm to fork meals overseen by General Manager Ravel Hanes. For breakfast, make your way into the Great Room with a grand fireplace, dining tables, and kitchen. This is also where insomniacs (me) will head if you need to prepare a warm cup of milk or camomile tea to fall asleep.
Guest suites at Grand Reserve Inn are generously sized and thoughtfully appointed. Each suite boasts a large soaking tub, custom closets, an intimate seating area facing an oversized fireplace.
High ceilings with exposed hand-hewn beams draw the eye upwards. French doors open onto dedicated patios revealing a panoramic view of the vineyards. Speaking of views, not one patio or window overlooks an adjoining suite, guaranteeing privacy and seclusion.
My cozy seating area at Grand Reserve InnOne of several outdoor fire pits overlooking the vineyards at Grand Reserve InnRooms are thoughtfully appointed and feature overstuffed furniture and an oversized fire place
The environment of my suite made it possible to sink even deeper into my in-room massage where the onsite masseuse set about coaxing away my tension as if she were methodically flattening a sheet of bubble wrap.
In the evenings of my stay, which was fully booked with other influencers and content creators of various ages and walks of life, the Inn was locked up for the night. Normally, the innkeeper will occupy one of the guest rooms. This set up made me think of all the times I’ve heard of people leasing out a villa in Tuscany. How fabulous!
The vineyards of Grand Reserve Inn teleport you to Tuscany with gentle sloping rows of vines and oak trees that one can easily tour in comfortable shoes or boots. If you’re feeling nostalgic, take one of the vintage-style cruiser bikes out for a spin like I did. You can discover streams, olive groves, and spare handmade clay roofing tiles. The vineyard abuts several other properties with stately Italian style tasting rooms and country B&B’s off in the distance. The Teneral tasting room is a short walk next door and extends the design scheme of the villa with rustic touches. Both Wilderotter and Teneral Cellars wines can be purchased alongside delightful pairings like handmade corn nuts and Cow Girl creamery cheeses.
while exploring the property on foot I happened upon a stack of hand made clay roofing tiles Grab a Cruiser and explore the vineyards of Grand Reserve Inn Biking pretty through the vineyards at Grand Reserve Inn, the new home of Teneral CellarsGrand Reserve Inn vineyard views. Several other properties with stately Italian style tasting rooms and country B&B’s are off in the distance.
One of the things I love about women is that we are collaborative. The event could have been all about their own wines. Instead, we were introduced to a selection of wines from nearby wineries. There was never a sense of competition, rather respect and community:
Yorba Wines, Sutter Creek CA – the house brand of the Kraemer family, the proprietors and winegrowers of Shake Ridge Ranch.
Legendary vintner Ann Kraemer With Ann Kraemer and hotelier Tracy Prigmore of Teneral Cellars
We were treated to an intimate conversation with wine legend Ann Kraemer (former Domaine Chandon grape tender) and tasted varietals from her Shake Ridge Vineyards. Ann, a UC Davis grad is able to provide Yorba and Shake Ridge winemakers the highest quality fruit by custom-farming small vineyard blocks. Below is what we sampled with my top 3 in bold:
Casino Mine Ranch, Plymouth CA– The tasting room alone is worth the visit for its chic modern architecture and water wise landscaping.
Old meets new at Casino Mine RanchThe wine line up at Casino Mine Ranch. The rear wall is rammed earth, constructed from soil excavated from the property.
The property owner and matriarch was Simone Vanophem Shaw. Simone’s grand nephews Jim and Rich Merryman converted Casino Mine Ranch from an active gold mine to vineyards in 2012. During the search for gold, an underground spring flooded a mine shaft. The shaft was later converted to the properties wine cave. The grapes which comprise their Grenache Noir continue to this day to be fed by the same spring. The wine makers are Jessica Tarpy Shaheen and Andy Erickson. For lunch we dined on handmade wood-fired oven pizza along with a sampling of wine varietals.
2017 Grenache Noir. Grenache is the wine of choice in “blue zone” communities of Sardinia. Blue zones are regions in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians/ people at or above the age of 100.
Element Restaurant at Hanford House – Sutter Creek, CA
Pre dinner cocktail and menu at Element Restuarant in Sutter Creek CA
For dinners we descended upon two small town restaurants with big reputations. I say “descended” because as my friend and fellow attendee Malia Anderson put it, “Influencers be influencing”. With cameras clicking, lumi cube glaring, and the occasional drone flying, we turned more than a few heads. One of the Instagram husbands, who took to introducing themselves as “arm candy” made it clear that “the camera eats first”. To experience the dinner events just head to my IG highlights:
Situated in a historic gold rush town of Sutter Creek, Element at Hanford House wisely snapped up Sonoma culinary gem as advising Executive Chef. Dominica Catelli and Chef de Cuisine Tim Blankenship won me over with their elevated Meat and Potatoes dish.
Located on Main Street in Plymouth, Taste Restaurant & Wine Bar is a favorite of locals after a day of work in the vineyards. We enjoyed a beautiful 5-course meal prepared by Chef Micah of this Wine Spectator and ZAGAT-acclaimed establishment, paired with wines from Teneral Cellars. A must try appetizer is their famous mushroom cigars. See my IG reel for mouth watering video of all courses and pairings).
