Behind Commercial Row in Old Town Truckee, a little green house stands alone next to the post office. This building, once home to Truckee’s most famous Madam and rumored to have a ghost or two, currently houses spirits of a different kind. Known now as the Pour House, this local’s favored spot is a wine store and tasting bar enthusiastically operated by proprietors Dean Schaecher and Christa Finn. Home to 370 wines, from California favorites to unique finds from Chile and Argentina, the wine bar is ideal for both seasoned wine lovers and for those just stepping into the rabbit hole of the wine world.
Approachability: A Different Wine Philosophy
The popularity of the Pour House is largely attributed to its approachability and local focus. When one walks through the painted purple door, the feelings of exclusivity and snobbery occasionally associated with the wine world cease to exist.
Instead, Schaecher and Finn believe in identifying the customer’s tasting preference, and finding the wine to match. When asked about wine philosophy, Schaecher’s response was ‘drink what you like, and drink often.’ He continued, ‘Wine doesn’t have to be fancy, it’s a beverage meant to be enjoyed with food. The application of that is where it gets complicated. To me … it doesn’t have to be expensive, it doesn’t have to be an event, it doesn’t need to be exclusive. It just has to be your taste. I drink plenty of $10 [bottle] wine almost every day.’ Finn added to this philosophy, stating, ‘It’s not really about our taste in wine, it is about our customer’s taste in wine.’
Customers clearly respond to this philosophy. Jennifer Casas, while tasting at the wine bar during the interview, said she ‘likes the personal service with Dean and his wife. They will happily suggest whatever you want, but are never over opinionated.’ Local patron Bob Fink shares in this opinion, saying, ‘Dean specializes in getting to know your tastes and matches them with great value wines. Of course you can also buy more expensive wines, and that’s part of why I like the Pour House so much, because you can get excellent advice for your tastes and your pocketbook.’
Value and Diversity by the Glass or Bottle
Known for discovering values at any price point, Schaecher and Finn can help you find almost anything, from a rare French Burgundy to an inexpensive bottle for a casual dinner at home. An ever-popular option with the changes in Truckee’s economy over the past year has been the $10 wall of wine. This ever changing collection of up to 30 wines offers traditional choices such as domestic Chardonnay or Merlot to more unusual selections like a Spanish Grenache, French Muscat or Italian Pinot Grigio. The common theme across bottles is an exceptional wine for the price and a label that won’t be found at the local grocery store or Costco. Schaecher originally created this selection for the ‘ski bums with good palates.’
Another way to try incomparable wines without breaking the bank is through one of the Pour House’s wine clubs. Schaecher and Finn offer several wine club options to fit your palate and pocketbook. For example, the Adventurers Club includes either two bottles a month for $40 or less, or one bottle a month for $25 or less. The wine club title is reflective of the Pour House philosophy of education and regional selections. Finn describes it as a club where the ‘focus is on varietals and regions around the world, where you can expand your wine horizons to areas you have not tried before. These wines are representative of what wine from the region is suppose to taste like.’ Also, in response to the economic climate, Schaecher and Finn offer a Poor Pour House wine club, a choice of two wines for $25. Detailed tasting notes and the stories behind the wine are included with all selections.
If a glass or taste is on the mind, the wine bar is the place to wet your palate. The Pour House is the only wine bar in the Tahoe Truckee region that offers $1 to $3 tastes, based on the price of the bottle. This pricing enables both novices and aficionados to taste wines from around the world or to share a glass or two prior to dinner without pulling out the gold card. Note also the selection of artisan cheeses, fresh bread, olives and chocolate that are also available, great for a pre-dinner appetizer or a quick stop for a contribution of food and wine on the way to a dinner party. Some of us may have been known to create a meal with these selections right at the tasting bar.
Locally Owned and Community Minded
As parents, small business owners and socially conscious individuals, Finn and Schraecher make community a priority. Finn says, ‘We got to where we are because this is where we wanted to be. We wanted to stay in Truckee and we wanted to own our own business to have the freedom to contribute to our community in various ways.’ These beliefs also mean action for the the Pour House family. In just four years of business, Schaecher was nominated as ‘Volunteer of the Year’ once, the Pour House has been nominated as ‘Small Business of the Year’ three times by the Truckee Chamber of Commerce, and the Pour House has won the KCRA ‘A List Award.’
The Pour House is actively involved in Slow Food, Stone Soup, and acts as a drop off point for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for Mountain Bounty Farms, the Little Fish Company and Shaw Family Farms eggs and bread. In addition, Finn volunteers for Kidzone and Glenshire Elementary, the family is often seen at Truckee River Watershed Council and Truckee Day events, and Pour House gift certificates or donations are found at the auction tables for nonprofit events. Weekly or monthly tastings also require a $5 donation to a local nonprofit such as Sierra Senior Services, the Family Resource Center of Truckee or Project MANA.
The Pour House exemplifies those endangered traditional small business values of family, integrity and community. Fink sums it up: ‘The Pour House has provided a place to be for a wonderful community of people whether for regular tastings or for special events, or even those special ‘let’s meet at the Pour House’ dates. The Pour House is the coolest place to hang in Truckee for me!’
The Pour House is located at 10075 Jibboom Street behind Commercial Row in Old Town Truckee. For more information on tastings or the wine club, call 530-550-9664 or visit thepourhousetruckee.com. Tastings are scheduled every Friday in December from 5 to 7 p.m. A $5 tasting fee will be donated to the KidZone on December 11 and to Sierra Senior Services on Dec. 18.
~ Discuss this article with the author. Email srogerson@moonshine.ink.
