Weekend of Wine

BUMGARNER WINERY

With vineyards all around, the Sacramento region is a great place to taste.

WEEKEND OF WINE

BY BRANDON DARNELL

California is famous for its wines, and the Sacramento region is no exception. You’ve heard of Napa, Sonoma, and maybe even Monterey wines, but it’s likely you’ve also, at some point, tried some of the awardwinning Sacramento-area wineries. On a weekend in Sacramento, you can enjoy a couple of di erent wine regions, exploring the Sierra Nevada foothills or the Sacramento River Delta regions, or even just the city itself.

SACRAMENTO

You don’t have to leave Sacramento’s central city to try wines from several wineries. A local favorite is Revolution Winery and Kitchen, which has long had a tasting room in Midtown Sacramento. More recently, Bailarín Cellars opened on K Street in Downtown Sacramento just a few blocks from the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and Golden 1 Center. Earlier this year, Lucid Winery opened a tasting room on R Street, one of the trendiest nightlife places in the city. Enjoying the Old Sacramento Waterfront and looking for a break? en you should de nitely visit Underground Tasting Room, conveniently located across the street from the California State Railroad Museum. 58 Degrees and Holding Co. is a fun wine bar in Midtown’s e Handle district, which is a central hub of Sacramento nightlife. In addition to wineries and dedicated tasting rooms in Sacramento, many of the area’s restaurants carry a wide selection of fantastic wines, and often have tasting events or other activities for oenophiles. Allora, Mulvaney’s B&L, e Firehouse and Ella Dining Room and Bar are just a few of the local favorites. But if you’re looking to go beyond what’s walking distance to your hotel, Sacramento has multiple wine regions that make a great day trip, or a weekend getaway.

is charming town along the Sacramento River Delta is just a 15-minute drive from Downtown Sacramento, but it’s worlds away in feel, you’ll discover, as you head down country roads through vineyards and trace the river’s path atop the area’s maze of levees. In Clarksburg, Bogle Vineyards is a top attraction, with award-winning wines and an idyllic setting between the river and acres of vineyard. Another Clarksburg favorite is Old Sugar Mill, which houses 15 wineries in one spot for plenty of tasting options. While Bogle and Old Sugar Mill are the two bestknown wine spots in the area, you can’t go wrong visiting one of the many others, including Heringer Estates and Silt Wine Company. For more wineries, the Clarksburg Wine Growers & Vintners Association (cwgva.wildapricot.org) has the complete list, and a trip to the region is a quick getaway from the city without having to spend too much time in he car.

AMADOR

e Amador wine region, east of Sacramento, features more than 40 wineries in the region around Plymouth, Sutter Creek, Amador City and Fiddletown. About 45 minutes outside of Sacramento, the rolling hills are a perfect daytime getaway. You’ll pass through pastoral lands in the Gold Country and nd yourself at wineries including Andis Wines, Rombauer Vineyards, Borjón Winery, Vino Noceto and many more. Amador Vintners Association has a full list (amadorwine.com). Exploring the region, you’ll come across small towns like Sutter Creek that embody the charm of the Gold Rush era and make great stops for shopping, antiquing and, of course, lunch. You’ll also nd tasting rooms and wine shops, allowing you a broader sampling of the region’s wines than you can get from a day spent visiting the wineries themselves. Other attractions like Black Chasm Cavern—where you can descend into the earth to see unique cave rock formations and maybe catch a glimpse of an exceptionally rare breed of spider—are also worth the visit. And if you have someone with you who’s more into beer than wine, Amador Brewing Company is an easy stop with plenty of quality brews. But what Amador is probably best known for is its wine, and while you’re in the region, enjoy the old-vine Zinfandels and Barberas that they do so well there.

VIÑA CASTELLANO WINERY

EL DORADO

Less than an hour from Downtown Sacramento is the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where, in 1848, gold was discovered, kicking o the California Gold Rush. Today, visiting the park is still a top attraction, but the mountains around and beyond, ranging from 1,200 to 3,500 feet in elevation, are the ideal terrain for more than 50 grape varietals that the local winemakers transform into delicious and complex wines. After the Gold Rush, El Dorado became a leading winemaking region, but that ebbed in the early 20th century, and it wasn’t until the 1960s that it came back to the area, but since then, it has seen the good times return.

Boeger Winery opened in 1973 in the Apple Hill area around the town of Camino, and is hugely popular yearround. A short distance away, Bumgarner sits in a rustic barn pouring not just wines, but also ciders. Edio Vineyards, on one of the original Apple Hill properties, has a new tasting room facility that is anything but outdated. David Girard Vineyards is another one with a view, as it sits atop a mountain and provides stunning vistas over vineyards spread across rugged hills. Like all Sacramento wine regions, there are too many wineries to list here, but if you’re headed up the mountain, be sure to check the El Dorado Wines website (eldoradowines.org) for a full listing. e Lodi wine region, about 50 minutes south of Sacramento, has been known for its Zinfandels, but it produces much more. It encompasses seven AVAs, and it has the largest collection of old-growth vineyards in North America, according to the Lodi Wine Commission. Bokisch Vineyards evokes a Spanish cultural feel in the Clements Hills, and the outdoor seating with views over the vineyard is popular year-round. e Dancing Fox Winery and Brewery is in a building dating to the 1880s in downtown Lodi and features sustainable wines as well as English-style ales. Michael David Winery draws on more than 150 years of family farming and provides far more than just wine, with an on-site cafe and bakery. For a list of all Lodi wineries, visit the Lodi Winegrape Commission website (lodiwine.com).

PLACER

Placer County, like most of the area in and around Sacramento, was a heavy draw during the California Gold Rush, and today, more than 20 wineries populate the area spanning just east of Sacramento to the Sierra Nevada foothills. Wise Villa Winery & Bistro just outside Lincoln features not just wines, but as the name implies, a full-service Tuscan-style bistro, and was named “Golden State Winery of the Year” in 2015. Viña Castellano Winery in Auburn is notable for its stone cave tasting room, and while you’re in the area, you can enjoy a visit to historic Auburn, which has a host of spots for lunch, co ee bars, breweries and shops. If you’re looking to sample more than just wine, Cristaldi Vineyards creates organic, small-batch wines, but also produces extra-virgin olive oils, embracing the Old World traditions for both. For more information, visit Placer Wine Trail (placerwine.com).

TOURS

When you spend the weekend in Sacramento and want to explore wine country, ensure you do so responsibly, with either a designated driver or by working with a local tour group like Wine Flights in Sacramento or Sacramento Wine Tours. For a full listing of all the wineries in the Sacramento region, including those as far away as Stockton, see the Visit Sacramento website at visitsacramento.com/restaurants-anddrinks/wineries.

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