Amador/El Dorado Counties?
[Last updated 10/06] These two counties are located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and are best known as “gold country” during the California Gold Rush. Increasingly, they are producing some very good wine, especially Zinfandel, Rhone and Italian varieties. Despite their increased elevation, these regions have rather hot and dry growing conditions, so they tend to produce fairly big wines. Because of its distance from the big cities of California (but closest to Sacramento) this region is still fairly relaxed and friendly to tourists, with most wineries still not charging tasting fees. You can drive from San Francisco to Plymouth in Amador County in 2 hours, so it’s a difficult day trip unless you like driving mountain roads in the dark after wine tasting. Amador County is the better known of the two, with wine production centered in its Shenandoah Valley located near Plymouth. El Dorado County’s wine production is located in its Southern region near Placerville. Winer
