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Explore Sauvignon Blanc in the Sierra Foothills |
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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 creating the stressful conditions loved by Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sauvignon Blanc is not widely grown or produced in the Sierra Foothills. It follows Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in terms of total vineyard acreage.
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.
How Great Sauvignon Blanc 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. 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 Sierra Foothills.
The Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and loaded with aromas like lime and grapefruit and flavors of citrus and melon.
Sauvignon Blanc and Food Pairings
Foods that are enhanced by Sauvignon Blanc are: seafood and shellfish, oysters on the half shell, grilled swordfish, lemon seasoned chicken breasts. Some spicy foods.
Create Your Own 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 Zinfandel is grown or visit different varietals. Those links will take you to pages like this that will direct you to information including list all of their sub AVAs that include 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.
Click on the Sierra Foothills sub-AVA links in the navigation bar on the left to go 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.
California American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)
American Viticultural Areas are unique legally designated grape growing areas that are defined by the ATF. These regions are most often defined by their topography, soil types, climate and sometimes historical relevance. Below are the AVAs for The Sierra Foothills.
| North Yuba | El Dorado |
| Fair Play | Fiddletown |
| CA Shenandoah Valley |
***A functioning website is the criteria for winery/vineyard inclusion in the lists below.***
Below are tables showing the sub-AVAs and counties of the Foothills. There is overlap between counties and AVAs especially between El Dorado and Amador Counties which share the California Shenandoah Valley AVA. We have initialed the AVAs that are shared CS SV=California Shenandoah Valley, EDEL=El Dorado, FP=Fairplay; FT=Fiddletown. 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, quite often they have premium offerings with grapes from other sources. These are reflected on their labels. A label with the AVA name, such as "El Dorado" often means that 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 that by OS=Out Sourced. SV=Single Vineyard wines which are often the same thing as Estate Wines which are indicated by ES. RE=Reserve Wine which is a special edition 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.
Bellow are tables with lists of the wineries in each AVA. There is overlap between counties and AVAs. For example, El Dorado County and Amador County share the California Shenandoah Valley AVA. These are important designations on wine labels and are a way of communicating the basic characteristics of the wine. 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 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 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 that 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 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 |
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***A functioning website is the criteria for winery/vineyard inclusion in the lists below.***
If you go, North Yuba 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. Microclimates provide enough acres that produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and many more varietals.
| 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 |
The El Dorado AVA is a year round wine tasting destination. 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 composed 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.
| 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. 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 |
| Granite Springs Winery | 5050 Granite Springs Winery Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.6395, Fax: 530.620.4884, 800.638.6041; email: granitespr@directcon.net, website: www.latcham.com. Open daily 11-5. ED |
| 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. |
| Charles B Mitchell Vineyards | 8221 Stoney Creek Rd, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.3467, 800.704.WINE (9463) ; email: info@charlesbmitchell.com, website: www.charlesbmitchell.com. Open daily 11-5. FP, OS |
| 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. |
| 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 |
In the Fair Play AVA there are 19 wineries that are all family owned, and they are 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. 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. Visit the wineries' websites for more information including events, maps and for their lists of the other varietals they grow. While Here we will focus on the wineries that produce Sauvignon Blanc. Visit the wineries' websites for more information including events, maps and for their lists of the other varietals they grow.
| 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. OS |
| 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, OS+OV |
| dk cellars | 7380 Vineyard View Dr, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.1132; email: wines@dkcellars.com, website: ww.dkcellars.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-5. 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, OS |
| Granite Springs Winery | 5050 Granite Springs Winery Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.6395, 800.638.6041, Fax: 530.620.4884, 800.638.6041; email: granitespr@directcon.net, website: www.latcham.com. Open daily 11-5. |
| Latcham Vineyards | 2860 Omo Ranch Road (P.O. Box 80), Mt. Aukum CA 95656; Phone:530.620.664,2 800.750.5591, Fax: 530.620.5578, 800.750.5591; email: latcham@directcon.net; website: www.latcham.com. Open daily 11-5. |
| Toogood Estate Wine Caves | 7280 Fair Play Road, Fair Play CA 95684; Phone: 530.620.1910; email: info@toogoodwinery.com, website: www.toogoodwinery.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-5:30 or by appointment. ES, SV, SV+RE |
| 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. Zinfandel is the primary grape grown in the appellation. The wineries listed below with the ** beside their names, are not technically within the Fiddletown AVA but these wineries use 85% of the grapes from the region allowing them to legally use the Fiddletown AVA on their label.
| **Domaine de la Terre Rouge & Easton Vineyards | Dickson Road, off Shenandoah Rd; Plymouth CA; P.O. Box 41, Fiddletown CA 95629; Phone; 209.245.3117; Fax: 209.245.5415; email: info@terrerougewines.com; website: www.terrerougewines.com. Open Friday-Monday 11-4. SV+OV, OS |
| Le Mulet Rouge | 16915 Red Mule Road, Fiddletown CA 95639; Phone: 209.245.3037, fax: 209.245.3038; email: imr@muletrouge.com, website: www.muletrouge.com. Tasting at Sutter Creek Wine Tasting, 85 Main Street, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. Open daily 11-6. |
| */**Thomas Fogarty Winery | 3270 Alpine Road, Portola Valley CA 94028; Phone: 650.851.6777, Fax: 650.851.5840; email: info@fogartywinery.com, website: www.fogartywinery.com. Open Thursday-Sunday 11-5 (tasting fee) |
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 by settlers from the east after the Virginia Shenandoah River Valley from which they came. Shenandoah 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.
| Amador Foothill Winery | 12500 Steiner Road, Plymouth CA; Phone: 209.245.6307, 800.778.WINE, Fax: 209.245.3580; email: winenerd@amadorfoothill.com; web site: www.amadorfoothill.com. Open Friday-Sunday 12-5. SV, SV+OV |
| Domaine de la Terre Rouge & Easton Vineyards | Dickson Road, off Shenandoah Road; Plymouth CA; P.O. Box 41, Fiddletown CA 95629; Phone; 209.245.3117; Fax: 209.245.5415; email: info@terrerougewines.com; website: www.terrerougewines.com. Open Friday-Monday 11-4. SV+OV+OS, OS, ES |
| Karly Wines | 11076 Bell Road (P.O. Box 729), Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.3922 Fax: 209.245.4874; email: karly@karlywines.com, website: www.karlywines.com. Open daily 12-4 except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day. Large groups by appointment only. |
| Montevina | 20680 Shenandoah School Road (P.O. Box 100), Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6942 Fax: 209.245.6617; website: www.montevina.com. Open daily 11-4:30. SV+LR |
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. A * marks the wineries below that are part of the Fiddletown AVA. 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.
| Amador Foothill Winery | 12500 Steiner Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6307, Fax: 209.245.3580; email: info@amadorfoothill.com; website: www.amadorfoothill.com. Open Friday-Sunday 12-5. |
| Avio Vineyards and Winery | 14520 Ridge Road, Sutter Creek CA 95685; Phone: 209.267.1515; email: stefano@aviowine.com, website: www.aviowine.com. Open Thursday-Sunday 11-5 and by appointment. |
| **Domaine de la Terre Rouge & Easton Vineyards | Dickson Road, off Shenandoah Rd; Plymouth CA; P.O. Box 41, Fiddletown CA 95629-0041; Phone; 209.245.3117; Fax: 209.245.5415; email: info@terrerougewines.com; website: www.terrerougewines.com. Open Friday-Monday 11-4. OS, SV, ES |
| Karly | 11076 Bell Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.3922, Fax: 209.245.4874; email: karly@karlywines.com; website: www.karlywines.com. Open daily 12-4 except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day. CA S, FT |
| Kelson Creek Winery | 11919 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.4700, Fax: 209.245.4707; email: sales@kelsoncreekwinery, website: www.kelsoncreekwinery.com. Open Friday-Sunday 11-4:30, and holiday Mondays. |
| Montevina | 20680 Shenandoah School Road (P.O. Box 100), Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6942 Fax: 209.245.6617; website: www.montevina.com. Open daily 11-4:30. |
| Nua Dair | 13825 Willow Creek Road, Ione CA 95649; Phone: 209.245.5567; email: info@nuadair.com; website: www.nuadair.com. Open Saturday-Sunday 10:30-5:30 and weekdays by appointment. |
| Serenidad Winery | 21339 Dickson Day, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.5304; Fax: 209.245.5038; email: info@seranidadwinery.com; website: www.serenidadwinery.com. Open Saturday-Sunday 11-5. ES |
| Wilderotter Vineyard | 19890 Shenandoah School Rd, Plymouth CA 95669; Phone: 209.245.6016, Fax: 209.245.6018; email: jay@wilderottervineyard.com; website: www.wilderottervineyard.com. Open Friday-Sunday 10:30-5. |
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 Sauvignon Blanc tends to be smooth with stone fruit and floral aromas and the flavors are herbal with citrus and melon.
| Black Sheep Winery | Located west end Murphys Main St., P.O. Box 1851, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.728.2157; email: info@blacksheepwinery.com; website: www.blacksheepwinery.com. Open Fri - Sun 12-5 and by appointment. OS |
| 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. |
| Hatcher Winery | 419 Main Street, Murphys CA 95247; Phone: 209.605.7111; Fac: 209.736.0085; email: info@HatcherWinery.com; website: www.HatcherWinery.com. Open Fri-Sun 11-5. ES |
| 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 |
| 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. |
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Click the Foothills link below to see a summary of our trip.
| The Sierra Foothills |
Explore Sauvignon Blanc in The Sierra Foothills AVA. Click on the links below to learn more about Sauvignon Blanc in those sub-AVAs.