How El Dorado County's Wine Industry Died Again and Again

Drive the tree–canopied and twisting roads of El Dorado County’s foothills and it is easy to see the importance of the wine industry here.

Whether anchored on steep hillsides or on flatlands, vineyards from Mount Aukum and Fair Play to Pleasant Valley, Camino and beyond are plentiful. Oenophiles, and others, appreciate the varied varietals of locally fermented grape elixirs of over 70 wineries.

With the county’s historic relevance to the Gold Rush and early California statehood many assume some modern–day wineries have been in existence since the mid–19th century. The truth is none existed prior to the 1970s when disco ruled the airwaves.

Wine–making here has often been a roller coaster ride controlled mainly by Mother Nature, economic factors and government.

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Fair Play Wineries

Zinman courtesy of http://www.perrycreek.com/

Finding Fair Play wineries, on the southern edge of El Dorado County, is reminiscent of what adventurous miners of old experienced in locating traces of gold. 

Roads are often narrow and curve menacingly in places.  They twist and rise then plunge under tree canopied hills and dales, over boulder strewn creeks or alongside acres of vineyards.  

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Sip in Sacramento's Spring Season

Photo courtesy of El Dorado Winery Association

Ah spring!


Some herald its arrival with the spotting of a red breasted robin or the crack of a baseball bat hitting a ball

In the Sacramento area a home run is delivered through a variety of springtime wine tasting events.

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Stuffed Up Wine Tasting

As Dickens once wrote it was the best of times and the worst of them too.


A crisp day resplendent with bright autumnal colors drew me up to Nevada City where the acclaimed winery of the same name and its winemaker, Mark Foster awaited. Friends, strangers and even a former boss of Foster had all hailed his alchemistic skills in transforming grape juice into potions capable of making Bacchus weep with joy.

However, the gods had deemed I be blessed with a head cold. The type of ailment that made everything I ate taste like boiled cardboard and every beverage be as bland as the water it was boiled in.

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Vino in Vallecito

The search for golden riches brought miners to Calaveras County back in the mid nineteenth century. Some meander around still hoping to strike it big by finding the malleable mineral. Oenophiles know the on-going wealth is now discovered at area wineries.

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Placer County Winery Trail

Madrona Vineyards (El Dorado Co) Vine Times Article Jun/July

Deep Within the Rubber Chicken Forest Lies Twisted Oak Winery

What has Sherwood Forest produced other than some guy with a hoodie named Robin and his green tight laden band of Merry Men?

Calaveras County's famed Rubber Chicken Forest is renowned for its zig zag roads, an ancient thriving oak tree and the production of a portion of the region's tastiest wine offerings from big flavored Tempranillo and Syrah as well as the Petite Sirah.

It is often said the journey is better than the destination. Both are winners here.The trip to Twisted Oak Winery, off Highway 4, in Vallecito is one of increasing elevations and amusement, in the form of outrageous signs and other visual aids, along the way. Just don't laugh too loud though...pay attention to the road as there are significant holes here.

Snicker with caution at signs proclaiming to watch for rubber chickens, slow down for rubber chickens and observe speed limits or else fall under the law of Ruben the foulest of the fowl this side of the Sierras.

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The Zin Man comes to Perry Creek

Deep down in the twisting roads and hidden dales of Fair Play a legend exists.

The legend of the Zin Man.

Often seen on moonlit nights darting between the lush vineyards of Perry Creek Winery holding aloft a wine glass while dancing under a star filled night his mysterious image has been captured to grace the labels of the winery's abundant product line.

Zin Man's playground is the 42 acres of estate vineyards where butterflies flitter, bees buzz and General Manager Stefan Tscheppe considers this nirvana.

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