HOLIDAY HANDBOOK
Ask Kali Kopley what her favorite wine is and she’ll respond with a question.
‘Do you mean today?’
Kopley was living and skiing in Tahoe, on her way to law school, when her love for wine interrupted. A wine shop she frequented in Squaw Valley closed, providing an opportunity for Kopley to move in with Uncorked.
‘I only knew that I liked [wine],’ said Kopley, who confessed she had about a fifty-fifty chance of distinguishing a glass of chardonnay from a glass of sauvignon blanc when her wine business first started five years ago. But after the doors to Uncorked opened to the public, so did the world of wine open for Kopley.
‘It opened up this whole avenue of creating these awesome relationships with winemakers,’ Kopley said. ‘Learning about what makes the terroir so special, what makes wine so special. What’s in the bottle that I personally like, and what’s in the bottle that others with a different palate would like.’
Uncorked in Squaw Valley and Tahoe City specialize in boutique wines — the hard-to-find, hand-tended, limited-production bottles. Kopley and Tahoe City business partners Debbie and Marc Metcalf stock bottles to make any buyer happy, offering diverse selections from different regions and winemakers, at a range of price points. More than just a wine shop, Uncorked has a bar, where guests can enjoy the bottle they just purchased, sip a glass from the daily selection, and pair their wine with a cheese platter. The result is a cozy, welcoming establishment where old friends gather and new friends are made, both over a glass of vino.
‘After five years, I’ve established so many great friendships through what started out as just a glass of wine at the bar,’ Kopley said.
This holiday season, Kopley is feeling ambitious. Not only is Uncorked in Squaw Valley gearing up to celebrate its five-year anniversary in February, but Kopley and the Metcalfs are making preparations to open two new locations, one at Northstar and the other in Truckee. Uncorked in Truckee will emulate the same loungy vibe created in Tahoe City and Squaw Valley, while the Northstar establishment, Petra, will feature charcuteries and small plates, as well as wine. Petra has a targeted opening date of Dec. 18, and Kopley hopes to open Uncorked Truckee the beginning of January. How does she do it? It must have something to do with the wine, which improves many things — smiles, conversations, and powder days included.
~Comment on this story below.
