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Explore Chardonnay in The Sierra Foothills |
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The Sierra Foothills and the California Gold Rush - this is where it started and once gold was discovered people from all over the world flooded into these foothills with the dream of becoming rich. Signs of this are evident from Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa. You can visit towns that date back to the 1850s; stay in Bed and Breakfasts that are historic buildings or see remnants of mining activities along Highway 49, named after the men who rushed to California in 1849 looking for gold. A distinctly different region in the foothills is the California Shenandoah Valley. Its valley position and the sandy and clay loams as part of the soil make-up, along with the Sierra Series granitic rock that make this a unique viticultural area in the Foothills. Chardonnay is fourth in the Sierra Foothills in terms of vineyard acreage following Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Click on the Sierra Foothills AVA links in the navigation bar on the left to go down the page to explore the regions listed in the table below. In the Navigation bar you will also find links to vineyard and winery associations and Chambers of Commerce which will direct you to information about area restaurants, lodging and local highlights.
How Great Chardonnay is Created - Terroir
The vineyards in the Sierra Foothills are relatively remote and are found at elevations between 1,200 to 3,600 feet above sea level which is well above the fog line. This makes for long, sunny summer days. Nights are cooled by breezes flowing from the Sierra Nevada. The soils from 1,200 to about 2,000 foot levels are made of decomposed granite and at elevations above the 3,000 foot level are crushed volcanic rock. Both soil types provide good drainage but lack many nutrients. Microclimates make it possible for the cool climate loving Chardonnay to be grown in the same vineyards as warmth loving Zinfandel.
Sierra Foothills Chardonnay is golden colored and marked by creamy aromas surrounding fresh fruit - apple, pear and citrus lemon topped by roasted hazelnuts. The wine is balanced showing citrus, apple and pear flavors and cream character with hints of baking spices and nuts.
What's this about malolactic fermentation, oak versus non-oak, lees...? Stay tuned as we will investigate how all of these things influence the character of Chardonnay.
Chardonnay and Food Pairings
Foods that are enhanced by Chardonnay are: fish, grilled salmon, roasted chicken with rosemary, pork tenderloin, curried sauces, foods with white sauces and salads.
Create Your Own Tour
These pages will provide the tools you need to create your own self guided tour. Explore one region or sample the highlights of several. Find links in the navigation bar to the left to move back and forth between the different California AVA regions where Chardonnay is grown or visit different varietals. Those links will take you to pages like this that will direct you to more information including lists of wineries and links to additional information about food, lodging and area highlights. Stay tuned as, over time, we will provide more information for you to fine tune your exploration.
The Sierra Foothills sub-AVA links in the navigation bar will take you down the page to explore the AVAs listed in the table below. In the Navigation bar you will also find links to vineyard and winery associations and Chambers of Commerce which will direct you to information about area restaurants, lodging and local highlights.
North Yuba |
El Dorado |
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Fair Play |
Fiddletown |
CA Shenandoah Valley |
Below are tables with lists of the wineries in each AVA. Often there is overlap between counties and AVAs such as El Dorado County and Amador County which share the California Shenandoah Valley AVA. These are important designations on wine labels and are a way of communicating about the basic characteristics of the wine - if you understand the terroir of the regions. Wineries are part of Counties as well as part of AVAs and may list their wines with the different designations. In addition, while most Sierra Foothills vineyards and wineries are single vineyard affairs although quite often they have premium offerings made with grapes from other sources. These are reflected on their labels. The codes below can be found at the end of each winery listing and indicate the AVAs with which they overlap.
| CA SV = CA Shenandoah Valley | ED=El Dorado | FP=Fair Play | FT =Fiddletown |
A label with the AVA name, such as "El Dorado" often means that the grapes were sourced from two or more vineyards within that region. Wineries that offer wines where the majority of their grapes come from outside of that region will list that on the label as the source such as, "Paso Robles." We indicate this by OS=Out Sourced. SV=Single Vineyard wines are often, but not always, the same thing as estate wines . Estate wines are indicated by ES. RE=Reserve Wine which is a special edition, perhaps because of an especially great vintage year, produced by the winery. The letters above can be combined in different ways, for example SV+OS=Single Vineyard+Out Sourced from another region. OV=Old Vine.
| ES=Estate | SV=Single Vineyard | OS=Out Sourced | SV+OS=Single Vineyard+Out Sourced | OV=Old Vine | RE=Reserve |
The lists below show only those wineries that produce or offer Chardonnay. Click on the Zinfandel logo above to go to The Sierra Foothills Zinfandel page to see the complete list of wineries in the region.
***A functioning website is the criteria for winery/vineyard inclusion in the lists below.***
If you go, the North Yuba AVA will be a quick tour since Renaissance Vineyard and Winery is only winery in North Yuba. The AVA is in the northwestern region of the Sierra Foothills. The vineyard is located at an elevation of 1,700-2,300 feet. This is a steeply sloping terraced vineyard that produces estate bottled wines. The soil is a mixture of decomposed granite and volcanic subsoil, clay and ash.
The Chardonnay has apple, mineral and citrus flavors. Barrel aged Chardonnay adds tones of honey and nuts.
Renaissance Vineyard and Winery |
12585 Rices Crossing Road (PO Box 1000), Oregon House CA 95962; Phone: 530.692.8229, 800.655.3277, Fax: 530.692.2497; email: sales@rvw.com, website: www.rvw.com. Tours and tasting Friday and Saturday by appointment only. Call the toll free #. ES |
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The county of El Dorado has two wine regions, El Dorado AVA and Fair Play AVA, with their own unique geology, soil types and elevation: The El Dorado AVA region in the north has an elevation from about 2,000 feet to 3,600 feet. The soil is composed of crushed volcanic rock. The Fair Play AVA region in the south has an elevation from 1,200 feet to about 2,500 feet. The soil here is unique being made of decomposed granite. The vineyards in these two regions benefit from their higher elevations which put them well above the fog line and allows for long, sunny days tempered by cool nights. Both regions are made up mostly of small, family wineries, which focus on small batches of single vineyard estate wines.
Classic El Dorado Chardonnay has aromas of roasted hazelnuts and peaches with flavors of green apples, pineapple and citrus. Barrel fermenting adds vanilla character. Malolactic fermentation creates a creamy, buttery finish. Check the label for the characteristics you prefer.
| Chateau Rodin | 4771 Green Hills Road, Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.622.6839; email: inquire@chateaurodin.com; website: www.chateaurodin.com. Open Wednesday-Sunday 11-5. SV |
| Colibri Ridge Winery & Vineyard | 6100 Gray Rock Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.7255; email: info@colibriridge.com, website: www.colibriridge.com; Open Friday-Sunday, 11-5. FP SV |
| Coulson Winery | 3550 Carson Road, Camino CA 95709-9507; Phone: 530.644.2854, (toll free) 877.253.9672, Fax: 530.644.3653; email: ed@coulsonwinery.com; website: www.coulsonwinery.com. Open daily 11-5. RE SV |
| Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge | 7740 Fair Play Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.3248, 800.245.9166, Fax: 530.620.6838; email: brian@fitzpatrickwinery.com, website: www.fitzpatrickwinery.com. Open Wednesday-Monday 11-5. SV |
| David Girard Vineyard | 741 Cold Springs Road, Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.295.1833; email: info@davidgirardvineyard, website: www.davidgirardvineyard.com. Open Saturday & Sunday 11-5. |
| Gold Hill Vineyard | 5660 Vineyard Lane, Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.626.6522; email: winemaster@goldhillvineyard.com; website: www.goldhillvineyard.com. Open Thursday-Sunday 10-5 otherwise by appointment. SV |
| **Holly's Hill Winery | 3680 Leisure Lane, Placerville CA; phone: 530.344.0227; email: winery@hollyshill.com; web site: www.hollyshill.com. Open Friday-Sunday 10-5. SV |
| Jodar Vineyards & Winery | 2393 Gravel Road, Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.644.3474. Tasting Room: 3405 Carson Court, Camino, CA; Phone: 530.644.3474; email: jodarwinery@foothill.net, website: www.jodarwinery.com. Open Thursday-Monday 11-5. ES |
| Latcham Vineyards | 2860 Omo Ranch Road (P.O. Box 80) Mt. Aukum CA 95656; Phone: 530.620.6395, 800.638.6041, Fax: 530.620.4884; email: granitespr@directcon.net; website: www.latcham.com. Open daily 11-5. |
| Lava Cap Winery | 2221 Fruitridge Road, Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.621.0175; Fax: 530.621.4399; email: lavacap@calweb.com; website: www.lavacap.com. Open daily 11-5. SV |
| Madrona Vineyards | 2560 High Hill Road (P.O. Box 454) Camino, CA 95709; Phone: 530.644.5948 Fax: 530.644.7517; email: Winery@MadronaVineyards.com; website: www.MadronaVineyards.com. Open daily 11-5. RE, ES |
| Narrow Gate Vineyards | 4282 Pleasant Valley Rd., Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.644.6201; email: wine@narrowgatevineyards.com; website: www.narrowgatevineyards.com. Open Friday-Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5 or by appointment. SV |
| Perry Creek Vineyards | 7400 Perry Creek Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.5175; email: wines@perrycreek.com, website: www.perrycreek.com. Open daily 11-5, except major holidays. OS, SV |
| Sierra Vista Vineyards & Winery | 4560 Cabernet Way, Placerville CA 95667; Phone: 530.622.7221, 800.946.3916; email: syrah@innercite.com; website; www.sierravistawinery.com. Open daily 10-5. SV |
| Single Leaf | 7480 Fairplay Road, Fairplay CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.3545, (toll free 888.663.5323) email: sales@singleleaf.com, website: www.singleleaf.com. Open Wednesday-Sunday 11-5. SV |
| Venezio Vineyards & Winery | 5821 Highway 49, Coloma CA 95613; Phone: 530.885.WINE, Fax: 530.885.9659; email: info@venezio.com, website: www.venezio.com. Open Wednesday-Sunday 11-5. OS |
| Windwalker Vineyard & Winery | 7630 Perry Creek Road, Somerset CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.4054; email: agilpin@innercite.com, website: www.windwalkervineyard.com. Open daily 11-5. OS |
The Fair Play AVA has 19 wineries that are all family owned and are conveniently located all within a 5 mile radius. The Fair Play Region is 2,000 - 3,000 feet above sea level giving the growing season long, warm days and cool evenings. The soils are deep, decomposed granitic sandy loam and produce distinctive and intense wines. The topography is responsible for a variety of microclimates which contribute to the wide diversity of wine varietals. This is a particularly fine location to explore local Sierra Foothills Chardonnay terroir because of the concentrated clustering of wineries and because of the unique granitic sandy loams of the region.
Fair Play Chardonnay is light colored with aromas of pear and citrus. Flavors show tropical fruit with a bit of pear.
| Busby Cellars | 6375 Grizzly Flat Road, Somerset CA 95684; Phone: 530.344.9119; email: info@busbycellars.com, website: www.busbycellars.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-5:30 or by appointment. OS |
| Cantiga Wineworks | 5951 Mt. Aukum Road, Somerset CA 95684; Phone: 530.621.1696 or 530.621.3352; email: info@canitgawine.com; website: www.cantigawine.com. Open Saturday-Sunday 11-5 or by appointment. OS |
| Chalet Fleur De Lys | 7696 Perry Creek Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.2246; email: MLajoie@entrix.com, website: ww.fleurdelys4wine.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-5 or by appointment. |
| Charles B Mitchell Vineyards | 8221 Stoney Creek Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.3467, 800.704.WINE (9463) ; email: info@charlesbmitchell.com, website: www.charlesbmitchell.com. Open daily 11-5. |
| Chateau Routon Winery | 2800 Omo Ranch Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.5815, Fax: 530.620.5504; email: winery@chateauroutoninc.com, website: www.chateauroutoninc.com. Open Wednesday-Sunday 11-4. OS |
| Colibri Ridge | 6100 Gray Rock Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.7255; email: info@colibriridge.com, website: www.colibriridge.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-5. |
| Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge | 7740 Fair Play Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.3248, 800.245.9166, Fax: 530.620.6838; email: brian@fitzpatrickwinery.com, website: www.fitzpatrickwinery.com. Open Wednesday-Monday 11-5. SV |
| Perry Creek Vineyards | 7400 Perry Creek Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.5175; email: wines@perrycreek.com, website: www.perrycreek.com. Open daily 11-5, except major holidays. OS+SV |
| Single Leaf | 7480 Fairplay Road, Fairplay CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.3545, (toll free 888.663.5323) email: sales@singleleaf.com, website: www.singleleaf.com. Open Wednesday-Sunday 11-5. SV |
| Windwalker Vineyard & Winery | 7630 Perry Creek Road, Somerset CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.4054; email: mailto:agilpin@innercite.com, website: www.windwalkervineyard.com. Open daily 11-5. OS |
The Fiddletown AVA is part of Amador County and is located at an elevation between 1,500 feet and 2,500 feet. Chardonnay is not grown in the Fiddletown AVA.
The CA Shenandoah Valley AVA is the newest Sierra Foothills appellation and it is located in Amador County. The designation comes because of geographic and historic reasons. Does the name sound familiar? It was named after the Virginia Shenandoah River Valley by settlers from the east. The CA Shenandoah Valley is north west of Fiddletown and north east of Plymouth in Amador County. The soil is well drained decomposed granite, sandy loam and clay. The elevation is around 1,100 feet. Summer temperatures can be very warm, ranging from 80 to 100 degrees.
Very little Chardonnay is grown in the CA Shenandoah Valley AVA.
| Deaver Vineyards | 12455 Steiner Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.4099, Fax: 209.245.6661; email: deaver@deavervineyard.com; web site: www.deavervineyard.com. Open daily 11-5. SV+OV |
| Story Winery | 10525 Bell Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6208, 800.713.6390, Fax: 209.245.6619; email: storyzin@cdepot.net; website: www.zin.com. Open Monday-Friday 12-4; Saturday-Sunday 11-5. SV, SV+OV |
| Villa Toscano | 10600 Shenandoah Road (P.O. Box 1029), Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.3800, Fax: 209.245.3332; email: sales@villatoscano.com, seb site: www.villatoscano.com Open daily 10-5. OS, SV+OV |
Amador County is not itself an American Viticultural Area but it does contain and share regions as described below. The elevation is 2,00-3,000 feet but Amador has relatively warm summer days and the typical foothill cool evenings which prolongs the growing season. The soils are loam and/or sandy loam. The California Shenandoah Valley (settled by former Virginians) and The Fiddletown Appellation are part of Amador County. The wines produced in the Fiddletown AVA have less alcohol and more refined fruit character. Fiddletown AVA's elevation is between 1,500-2,500 feet. Many of Amador's wineries farm organically. Amador shares the California Shenandoah Valley AVA with El Dorado County and the Amador wineries that fall within that jurisdiction have the letters: "CA SV" at the end of their addresses. Because of the overlap, you will find many of these vineyards and wineries listed in the AVAs described above. Several wineries in Amador County offer Chardonnay though mostly the grapes are out sourced from cooler climate areas. Click on the Zinfandel logo above to see the full list of regional wineries.
Amador County Wineries Amador Cellars 11093 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6150; email: website: www.amadorcellars.com. Open 12-5. ES Deaver Vineyards 12455 Steiner Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.4099; email: deaver@deavervineyard.com, website: www.deavervineyard.com. Open daily 11-5. Stonehouse Vineyards & Winery 10861 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6888; email: winery@stonehousewines.com; website: www.stonehousewines.com. Open Friday-Sunday 10-5. Story Winery 10525 Bell Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6208, 800.713.6390, Fax: 209.245.6619; email: storyzin@cdepot.net; website: www.zin.com. Open Monday-Friday 12-4; Saturday-Sunday 11-5. Sutter Ridge 14110 Ridge Road, Sutter Creek CA 95685; Phone: 209.267.1316, Fax: 209.267.9108; email: info@sutterridgewine.com; website: www.sutterridgewine.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-4. Villa Toscano 10600 Shenandoah Road (P.O. Box 1029), Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.3800, Fax: 209.245.3332; email: sales@villatoscano.com, seb site: www.villatoscano.com Open daily 10-5. OS
Calaveras County, home Mark Twain's jumping frog. Calaveras County is the southern most region of the Sierra Foothills and the vineyards lie at an elevation of 1,500 to 2,400 feet. The county has the distinction too of being at the northern edge of Yosemite National Park. French and Italians settled here during the gold rush so that Rhone and Italian varietals predominate in the region.
Calaveras Chardonnay has aromas accented by rose blossoms and lemon drops. The wine has classic Chardonnay apple and pear flavors with hints of tropical fruit.
Calaveras County Brice Station 3353 East Highway 4, Murphys CA 95247; Phone. 209.728.9893, Fax: 209.728.8805; email: wine@bricestation.com; website: www.bricestation.com. Open Fri-Sun, some Mon, 12-6 and by appointment. Chatom Vineyards 1969 Highway 4, Douglas Flat, CA 95229; Phone: 209.736.6500; Fax: 209.736.6507; email: info@chatomvineyards.com; website: www.ChatomVineyards.com. Open daily 11-5. French Hill Winery 8032 South Main Street, Mokelumne Hill CA 95245; Phone: 209.286.1800; Fax: 209.286.1434; email: Rod@FrenchHill.com; website: www.FrenchHill.com. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11-5. OS Indian Rock Winery 1154 Pennsylvania Gulch Road, Murphys CA 95247; Phone & Fax: 209.728.8514; email: dave@IndianRockVineyards.com; website: www.IndianRockVineyards.com. Open Fri-Sun 12-5 ES Irish Vineyards 2849 Highway 4, Vallecito CA 95251; Phone: 209.736.1299; Fax: 209.736.1558: email: Irish@goldrush.com; website: www.IrishVineyard.com. Open Sat-Sun 11-5, Mon, Tues, Fri 1-5 Ironstone Vineyards 1894 Six Mile Road, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.728.1251; Fax: 209.728.1275; email: info@IronstoneVineyards.com; website: www.IronstoneVineyards.com. Open daily 10-5, tours daily 11:30, 1:30 & 3:30. OS Laraine Wines/Gerber Vineyards 3675 Six Mile Road, Vallecito CA 95251; Phone: 209.736.4766, 866.571.0966; Fax: 209.736.6730; email: GerberVineyards@aol.com; website: ww.GerberVineyards.com. Open Fri-Sun & holidays 11-5 otherwise by appointment ES Lavender Ridge Vineyard 431 Main Street #B, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.728.2441; email: info@LavenderRidgeVineyard.com; website: www.LavenderRidgeVineyard.com. Open Fri-Sun 11-5. ES Milliaire Winery 276 Main Street, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.728.1658; Fax: 209.728.1658; email: wines@MilliaireWinery.com; website: ww.MilliaireWinery.com. Open daily 11-5 Stevenot Winery 2690 San Domingo Road, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.728.0638; Fax: 209.728.0635; email: info@StevenotWinery.com; website: www.StevenotWinery.com. Open daily 11-5.
Downtown Main Street Tasting Room: Phone: 209.728.0148. Open Wed-Mon 11-6.
Zucca Mountain Vineyards Vineyard: 7830 Airola Road (PO Box 438) Vallecito CA 95251; Phone: 209.736l.2949; Fax: 209.736.1295
Tasting Room: 425 E Main Street, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.736.2949; Fax: 209.736.1295; email: info@ZuccaWines.com; website: www.ZuccaWines.com. Open Daily 12-5.
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| Click the Sierra Foothills link to see a summary of our trip. |
| The Sierra Foothills |
| Explore Chardonnay in The Sierra Foothills AVA. Click on the links below to learn more about Chardonnay in those AVAs. |
