Wine bars have been a fixture of San Francisco nightlife for some time. No surprise, they are now becoming ubiquitous in Lake Tahoe.

Rather than bending an elbow at the base lodge, many skiers and snowboarders (and summertime visitors as well) are opting to spend their aprés at one of these establishments. Most Tahoe wine bars have some food options to go along with their huge selections of domestic and international reds and whites, and if their menus aren't generous enough for you, most wine bars are conveniently located in the region's dining areas.

The following is a sampler of Tahoe's wine bars:

Apres Wine Company serves more than 50 wines daily by the taste, glass or carafe. Tasting Tuesdays and Girls Night Out Thursdays are regular specials. Ski Run Center in South Lake Tahoe.

Avec Wine + Food offers a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Monday - Friday that has a changing roster of four wines for $5 each. Rock Complex off Brockway Road in Truckee.

Petras, which features Mediterranean tapas along with an ample selection of wines, opened last autumn, bringing the Uncorked family into the Northstar Village.(530) 562-0600.

Picchetti Winery, the well-regarded and award-winning Cupertino vintners, opened a tasting bar in South Lake Tahoe with all the accoutrements of their Silicon Valley operation. 3135 Harrison Avenue in South Lake Tahoe.  

Spindleshanks has a great Bay Area vibe to go along with its cool happy hour in a rustic building. 6873 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe Vista.

The Pour House focuses on small, relatively obscure family-run and organic wineries. 10075 Jibboom Street in Truckee.

Truckee River Winery is not only "the highest and coldest winery in the Sierra", it is also the home of the legendary weekly bocce ball tournaments in the summer. In the red barn at 11467 Brockway Road in Truckee, (530) 587-4626.

Uncorked has a two locations, one in Tahoe City in the Cobblestone Center and one in Squaw Valley in the Village, and both offer a wide variety of reds and whites to consume on the premises or to bring back to your chalet.

Cheers!