Tahoe Tastings Begins Daily Wine Tasting Cruises in June: Experience Lake Tahoe Aboard the Golden Rose, a One-of-a-Kind 1953 Chris Craft Water Taxi
Lake Tahoe’s only wine tasting boat cruise, Tahoe Tastings offers cruises Thursdays through Sundays from June – October
(Lake Tahoe, Calif. – March 28, 2017) – Tahoe Tastings announces it will begin daily, Thursday – Sunday cruises June 1, 2017. Tahoe residents and visitors are invited to experience the beauty of Lake Tahoe aboard the Golden Rose, a beautifully restored 1953 Chris Craft Venetian Water Taxi, while tasting a curated selection of high-end boutique wines from across Napa Valley and Northern California.
The Golden Rose accommodates individuals, small groups and private parties, comfortably seating up to 16. Daytime cruises depart at 11am and the Sunset cruise departs at 6pm Thursdays through Sundays (June – October).
Guests begin each cruise with a glass of champagne from Napa Valley’s Schramsberg Vineyards. During the cruise, guests will taste eight different wines, including both reds and whites. Each wine is personally selected by owners Shane and Diondra Colquhoun from world famous Napa Valley, as well as wines from across Northern California and the Central Valley. The chosen wines are exclusive to the winery tasting rooms, with the exception of the Golden Rose. Each guest receives a souvenir wine glass and is able to purchase bottles of their favorite wines to take home.
The only 1953 Chris Craft Venetian Water Taxi in the world, the Golden Rose is a beautiful example of the classic wooden boat. From the wooden boat races of the 1930s to the annual Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance, one of the most prestigious judging events for classic wooden boats in the world, Lake Tahoe has a rich history celebrating wooden boats. When the Colquhoun’s discovered the Golden Rose in Bellingham, Washington, they knew they had to bring it home to Lake Tahoe.
“You could say it was love at first sight,” said Shane Colquhoun, owner and licensed captain. “The woodworking is just spectacular, they used yellow Alaskan Cedar, Ironbark from Australia, Pernambuco wood from Brazil and of course the original refinished mahogany. We also love the large windows that have a rose etched in the glass at each corner and the 24-karat gold leaf throughout. That’s how she got her name, Golden Rose.”
At her new dock in South Lake Tahoe, Golden Rose is an instant attraction. And now,
visitors will have the unique experience of cruising Lake Tahoe in the one-of-a-kind wooden boat while sampling delicious wines from across the region. Owner Diondra Colquhoun explains how they came up with the concept of a wine tour.
“Besides being longtime boaters, we are wine enthusiasts and love discovering new regional wines. On our many trips to Napa and wineries across Northern California we’ve been able to discover some incredible wineries and are excited to bring these wines aboard the Golden Rose,” said Diondra Colquhoun.
About Tahoe Tastings
Lake Tahoe’s only wine tasting boat cruise, Tahoe Tastings offers cruises on the beautiful wooden Chris Craft Water Taxi, The Golden Rose, Thursdays-Sundays from June – October. Each cruise can comfortably seat up to 16 and departs from Tahoe Keys Marina in South Lake Tahoe and circles the beautiful Emerald Bay. Once on board guests will enjoy a champagne toast. During the 2-hour cruise, guests will sample from eight boutique wines (both red and white) personally selected by owners Shane and Diondra Colquhoun. Book a private party aboard the Golden Rose; perfect for corporate events, engagements, bachelorette parties, wedding party festivities, honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays and more. For reservations, visit www.tahoetastings.com. Be sure to book in plenty of time as space fills quickly. Stay in touch and be the first to know about special tours and promotions, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About the Golden Rose
The Golden Rose was built in 1953 as a Chris Craft Double Cabin Fly Bridge Cruiser and was originally named “In the Mood.” After being damaged in a storm in Puget Sound, it was discovered in a boat yard by Terry Buzzard, the owner of Island Mariner Cruises in Bellingham, Washington. Instead of allowing the beautiful Chris Craft to be scrapped, he decided to recreate her as a Venetian Water Taxi. The boat was stripped down and meticulously rebuilt with the help of his friends at Glen Cove Boatworks. The boat’s large windows have a rose etched in the glass at each corner. All of the original chrome pieces were plated in 24-karat gold, which is where she got her new name, Golden Rose. The boat is such a fine piece of workmanship that Christopher Columbus Smith III (third generation Chris Craft), commented after riding in it, that he wished the company had made such a beautiful boat themselves. For more information on the history of the Golden Rose, click here.
