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Daffodil Hill in Wine Country

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Daffodil Hill near Sutter Creek

Daffodil Hill near Sutter Creek

Daffodil Hill in Wine Country – Volcano, California

Daffodil Hill is not open to the public this year

Amador County is a hot tourist destination for wine country travelers. There are many small boutique wineries to visit in the spectacular foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. But there is another attraction besides wineries worth seeing, Daffodil Hill in the very tiny town of Volcano. Timing is everything for Daffodil Hill! We always set aside the month of March to travel to the area. Sometimes, we are lucky and can see Daffodil Hill in full bloom. It all depends on the weather for bloom time.

There is said to be a possible 400,000 daffodil blooms. Daffodil Hill is a working ranch and is only open to visitors during the bloom season. The usual hours are 10am to 5pm daily. Check the Sutter Creek Association Website for complete details. We lodge and dine in Sutter Creek. We think it is the best town in Gold Country. From Sutter Creek, we have easy access to the wineries in Amador County and those of Fair Play in El Dorado County.  

Daffodil Hill is a beautiful 13-mile drive from Sutter Creek. Once you are up at Daffodil Hill, there is plenty of free parking, and access to the Hill is free. Bring your camera along, and a tripod if you have one. It is a photographer’s delight. There is also a picnic area, so, if the day is nice, pack a lunch, sit among the Daffodils and enjoy Life.

As of February 2021, many wineries in Amador County and El Dorado County are open for outdoor tastings. Check our Wine Routes for this area. If you see a winery that interests you, call and find out if the winery is open for outdoor tastings. Above all, stay safe and wear that mask!

Wine Routes in Amador and El Dorado

sutter creek restaurants
The Gold Country town of Sutter Creek

A Visit to Sobon

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Sobon winery
The Sobon Estate Family Winery – Tasting room on the left

Visit Sobon Wine Family Estate

On a recent trip to the Sierra Foothills, we visited several fun family-owned wineries. One of our favorites in this underrated wine region is the Sobon Wine Family Estate. The winery is small, the vineyards are farmed sustainably, and the wines are excellent.

Sobon Wine Family Estate is in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Amador County. Plymouth is the nearest town. From Plymouth to Sobon, visitors will pass through some of the most lovely vineyard lands anywhere in California. The rolling hills of vines, grasslands, and oak trees are breathtaking. What a peaceful area! There are many good wineries to visit on this trail, but we suggest you do not miss Sobon.

Have you been to a Napa Valley winery recently? If so, you probably coughed up $35 or more to taste five wines in a luxurious setting. You also had to listen to a well-crafted description of each wine. You will not get any of this at Sobon. The tasting is complimentary and the spiel is down-to-earth. Many of the wines are under $20. The very best is the Reserva line, under $30 a bottle. Sobon is what the Napa Valley was like before the corporations hit the scene. It is much more enjoyable to be at Sobon.

The wines we like at Sobon

The Zinfandel wines are terrific deals. They are restrained and reflect the climate and soils of the Sierra Foothills and Amador County. Try the Rocky Top Zinfandel or the Fiddletown Zinfandel. These are moderate Zins, with the typical plum flavors and subtle jammy characteristics. Also, in the red wine department, the Barbera, Tempranillo, and Petit Sirah are all delicious wines. You cannot beat the value here.

In the whites, we love the Rousanne and the Viognier, two Rhone white wines with style. Sobon crafts many varieties of wine and there is something for every taste.

Sobon – getting there and other activities

sobon estate winery
Beautiful Sobon Vineyards

The best place to stay for lodging and other interesting activities is the town of Sutter Creek. There are several B&B’s in town, but the Hanford House is tops in our book. The Hanford House breakfast at their Element Restaurant is the best in the Sierra Foothills.

Element Restaurant in the Hanford House B&B
The Element Restaurant in the Hanford House B&B

Sutter Creek also has a good number of wine tasting rooms. One can spend the day wine tasting in town. Top choices are Yorba, Bella Grace, and Baiochhi.

From Sutter Creek to Sobon is a 25-minute drive. Along the route, we also like Borjon, Vino Noceto, Andis, and Domaine De La Terra Rouge.

Additional Information

Brown’s English Toffee – Fiddletown, CA

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Fiddletown is one of the hidden spots you will discover when visiting the Sierra Foothills wine country. Fiddletown is in Amador County. This report is a guest Blog Post by Marilyn McDanel of Brown’s English Toffee and Celtic Candies.

  • Scottist Tablet
  • Loshin Du
  • Chocolate Orange Fudge
  • Peanut Brittle
  • English Toffee

In Fiddletown, Brown’s English Toffee and Celtic Candies

Founded in 1985 as a cottage industry business by Tom and Helen Brown in Oakhurst, California under the name of Brown’s Cottage Toffee, making only milk and dark chocolate toffee.  Brown’s was sold twice thereafter with the third owner relocating it to Fair Oaks near Sacramento, renaming it Brown’s English Toffee and making it more of a hobby/cottage business.  In 2012 the fourth owners, Carl and Marilyn McDanel relocated to in current home in the small historic hamlet of Fiddletown located in the Shenandoah Valley wine region of the Sierra Foothills in Amador County.  Taking the only commercial building in Fiddletown they opened the kitchen and adding to the name, now making it Brown’s English Toffee and Celtic Candies.  People soon began knocking on the door wanting to purchase the toffee and other confections.  In early 2013 the store officially opened.  One can stop by watch the candies being made while browsing the shop.  Along with our confections we also offer T-shirts, local artisan works and crafts.



It is our dream to eventually make candy that represents the seven Celtic Nations (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man, Brittany, Cornwall and Galatia).  We are presently making candy that represents six of those seven Celtic Nations.

Today we offer toffee with almonds, toffee without almonds, and sugar free toffee.  The toffees are coated in milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate along with no coating at all.  

Our Celtic candies will one day represent all seven Celtic Nations. Presently our recipes are from Brittany, France with the sweet salty taste of salted caramels, the Isle of Man with the oldest recipe of Honey Fudge, the recipe dating back some 600 years. Ireland and its Coffee Fudge (some have said its like eating their Irish Coffee), Scotland coming in with the most popular confection of Tablet in three flavors; Traditional, Single Malt and Vanilla. The single malt is made with a 10-year-old single malt whisky. Wales with its famous Loshin Du or black toffee or to those Harry Potter fans Treacle (pronounced tree kuhl). Last, but not the end, is Cornwall with the decadent creamy goodness of Chocolate Orange Fudge. To complete our Celtic candy line, we are currently researching candies of Galatia and Asturias.  These two nations have become such a part of Spain it is difficult to determine specifically what their confection is.  

Our specialty confections range from ice cream topping/Baking Mix, to peanut brittle and peppermint bark (in season), Sweetie Hearts with the “three basic food groups” – white chocolate blended with peanut butter and a dark chocolate base. 

In the making of all our candies and confections we use only the highest quality ingredients; Grade AA Butter, Blue Diamond almonds, pure cane sugar and the best chocolate money can buy.  All our confections are gluten and soy free with the exception of the sugar free toffee which does have soy.

Some of our confections are international but our candies are made locally here in Fiddletown with love.

We are a veteran family owned and operated business. Our address is 14385 Fiddletown Road, Fiddletown, CA 95629

In Fiddletown, Toffee store
In Fiddletown, Brown’s English Toffee

Wineries near Fiddletown

Toffee and Wine Country in Amador's Shenandoah Valley
Toffee and Wine Country in Amador’s Shenandoah Valley

Getaway to the Sierra Foothills Wine Country

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Looking out on the Shenandoah Valley from the Andis Winery

Looking out on the Shenandoah Valley from Andis Winery

Sierra Foothills Wine Country

Do you travel to the California wine country? Most likely you have been to Napa Valley and Sonoma.  A getaway to the Sierra Foothills Wine Country is a vastly different experience.  It is much more fun and rewarding. Don’t get me wrong; I love the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley wine country. Things have changed there recently, mostly in the cost and some snobbery. Not so in the Sierra Foothills. It is what the Napa Valley was like 25 years ago. We spent three days this last adventure in Amador and El Dorado Counties. We can’t wait to get back.

Sutter Creek

We made our home base in the old gold mining town of Sutter Creek, lodging at the Hanford House Inn. Owners Athena and Robert Gordon have made the Hanford House Inn into a warm, welcoming spot.  The place is cozy and very comfortable. The restaurant at Hanford House Inn is called Element and is currently serving fantastic breakfast dishes. The plan is to have the restaurant open for dinner later in the year.

French Toast at Element Restaurant

French Toast at Element Restaurant

Down the street, the best choice for dinner is the restaurant at the Hotel Sutter. The food is good with nightly specials, a full bar and wine list that includes local wineries. Two new spots are also preparing for dinner openings, Buffalo Chips and Cavana. Buffalo Chips has some fantastic sandwiches.  A good place for coffee and sandwiches is Sina’s Backroads Cafe.

 

The grilled ham & cheese at Buffalo Chips

The grilled ham & cheese at Buffalo Chips

 

There are a plethora of quality wine tasting rooms in Sutter Creek, including Sera Fina, Bella Grace, Scott Harvey, Baiocchi, and Yorba. If you can only make it to one tasting room, Yorba is it. Vintner Ann Kramer farms her Shake Ridge Vineyards and has winemaker Ken Bernards produce high-quality wines at reasonable prices that rival wines from any California wine region.

Amador County Wine Trails

Sierra Foothills wine country

The Amador wine country is 15 minutes from Sutter Creek. What we enjoy about this wine region is that most of the wineries are small and family-owned. Tasting rooms are quaint and friendly. Wine tasting fees are either free or no more than $10 per person. We have divided up the wineries into two distinct wine routes. Follow one of these trails and discover the spectacular Shenandoah Valley wine country in Amador.

Fair Play Wineries in El Dorado

From Sutter Creek, the small town of Fair Play and the wineries of Fair Play are approximately a 25-mile drive through the beautiful backroads of both Amador and El Dorado Counties. Two wineries not to be missed in Fair Play are Cedarville Vineyard and Skinner Vineyards. Both make fantastic wines. The Cedarville Viognier and Petite Sirah are delicious. The owners Susan Marks and Jonathan Lachs will make you feel very much at home.

Cedarville Vineyards tasting room

Cozy Cedarville tasting room is located in the wine cellars

For complete information on all the regions of the Sierra Foothills – The Wineries of the Sierra Foothills. Here you will find all the information you need to plan a spectacular wine country getaway.

Amador Vintners Who Rock

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These are a few of the Amador Vintners who are making Amador County rock in the world of wine. Some are old timers, progressing with the times, while others are new and energetic, eager to add their skills to the Amador wine scene.

Amador Vintners who rock

Scott Harvey

Scott Harvey – Pioneer of Amador wines

Scott Harvey

Scott Harvey grew up in the Sierra Foothills and began making wine professionally in 1975. Scott started his label, Scott Harvey Wines, in 2004. Scott’s style of winemaking is the result of his European wine training and his work with cutting-edge winemakers in California. His wines are restrained, geared for aging, but ready to enjoy now. Scott Harvey is one of the most influential winemakers in California. Scott Harvey Wines has a tasting room in Sutter Creek and a winery and tasting room on Shenandoah Valley Road, just outside Plymouth, CA. Please see Scott Harvey Wines.

Ann Kraemer

Ann Kraemer in her vineyard at Shake Ridge Ranch

Anne Kraemer

Anne Kraemer’s Shake Ridge Vineyards near Sutter Creek is one of the most prestigious vineyards in Amador County. Her grapes are highly praised and sought after. She sells her grapes to many boutique wineries, including several in the Napa Valley. She keeps small lots of varietals to produce her wine label, Yorba Wines. Anne has a Yorba Wines tasting room in Sutter Creek. The wines are beautiful wines. One interesting wine, and the only white at Yorba, is Greco di Oro. The grape is Greco di Tufo from the Campania region of Italy. Outstanding! Read more on Shake Ridge Ranch.

cooper vineyard amador

Dick Cooper – Cooper Vineyards

Dick Cooper

The man of the Barbera grape. Dick Cooper began his grape-growing career in 1980, planting five acres of Barbera. Today, Cooper Vineyards has more than 85 acres of grape varieties, and just about half of those are Barbera. Like Anne Kraemer, Dick Cooper sells his prized

barbera-buckgrapes to many vintners in Amador and keeps the finest for his Cooper Vineyards label. Dick Cooper can spin a tale, but one we most like is about the Barbera Buck. He has a one-dollar bill framed with a signed agreement on it between him and a grower for Dolcetto and Barbera cuttings. The Cooper Vineyard wine list includes both Italian and new American wines. Cooper Vineyards has a beautiful winery and tasting room in Shenandoah Valley at 21365 Shenandoah School Road.

bella-grace

Michael Havill pouring her delicious Grenache Blanc

Michael Havill

Michael Havill is one of the new winemakers in Amador and one of the few women winemakers. Michael and her husband purchased 50 acres of land in the Shenandoah Valley in the early 2000’s. In 2006 they founded the Bella Grace winery. The winery has quickly gained recognition for white wines and outstanding Zinfandel wine. There are two places to taste Bella Grace wines. The winery, caves and tasting opportunities are on 22715 Upton Road in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Bella Grace also has a quaint tasting room in nearby Sutter Creek.

paul-scotto

Paul Scotto with his Syrah and Viognier

Paul Scotto

Paul Scotto is an upcoming winemaker in both Amador County and Lodi wine country. He is a fifth-generation winemaker of the famous Scotto Family who has been farming grapes for a hundred or more years in Lodi. It has been Paul’s dream to own a winery, producing wines linking traditional and modern methods to make delicious and food-friendly wines. His label is Sera Fina Cellars. Paul makes most of his wine at the Lodi family location but does have a tasting room in Plymouth. The wines are well made and reflect the place of Amador County.

andis-winemaker

Mark McKenna explains how he uses the concrete egg

Mark McKenna

Mark McKenna reflects a new breed of take-charge winemakers. He is the head winemaker at Andis Wines. Mark’s wines reflect a modern approach to winemaking using state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and techniques. His Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon wines are very crisp, refreshing and tropical. Our favorite reds are the Cabernet Franc and the Zinfandel from the 1869 Original Grandpere Vineyard. If you like Zinfandel, this is the one to try.  Please see Andis Wines.

Additional Amador County Information

1869 Old Vine Zinfandel Vineyard in Amador Wine Country

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1869 Grandpere vineyard

Andis and their 1869 Old Vine Zinfandel

1869 Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards – Oldest Zin

Original Grandpere

Vino Noceto calls its Zinfandel OGP

When in Amador, visit wineries making wine from the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in the U.S.

The 1869 Old Vine Zinfandel vineyard is located in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County. It is the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in California. It is also known as the Original Grandpere Vineyard. Only four wineries are able to purchase and make wine from this historic vineyard. These wineries are Andis Wines, Scott Harvey Wines, and Vino Noceto in the Amador County. The fourth winery, located in nearby Lodi, is Macchia Wines. The historic 1869 Grandpere is located on Steiner Road behind the Renwood Winery. You can view it from a distance, but it is off-limits to the public.

Vineyard 1869 Scott Harvey

Scott Harvey has renamed the Original Grandpere Vineyard as Vineyard 1869

Scott Harvey and his wife Terri purchased the vineyard in 1982 and Scott named it the Grandpere Vineyard. Later Scott and his wife divorced, and Terri is now the owner of this historic vineyard. It’s a little complicated but at some point, Renwood winery cloned some of the Grandpere vines and replanted another vineyard nearby with the cuttings. Renwood trademarked the name Grandpere, apparently unbeknownst to Terri Harvey. A huge court battle ensued with Renwood the winner. Terri is allowed to call this vineyard the Original Grandpere Vineyard.  Scott Harvey has tagged it Vineyard 1869. Needless to say, Renwood winery is not able to obtain any of the original old vine Zinfandel. Renwood winery later ran into financial difficulties and sold the winery in 2011 to an Argentine wine group. The current owners have revitalized the winery, but of course cannot make a single Zinfandel wine from the original vineyard.

When in Amador wine country, visit the wineries that make the Original Grandpere Zinfandel

Scott Harvey

Scott Harvey has two tasting rooms in Amador. In the gold country town of Sutter Creek, the Scott Harvey Tasting Room is open daily from 11am to 5 pm.  Scott also has a winery and tasting room on Shenandoah Road in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. This tasting room is open Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 5 pm. Scott is one of the original winemakers in this wine region and is well respected in the wine community. All of his wines are made in an old-world style and are food-friendly wines. The red wines will age wonderfully and as he states, “will develop bottle bouquet over time.” Please see Scott Harvey Wines for complete tasting information.

Vino Noceto

This is a wonderful family-owned winery. It is a small, very friendly winery and is lots of fun to visit. The winery was founded in 1987 by Suzy and Jim Gullet. The Vino Noceto winery specializes in Sangiovese wines, but does indeed produce a wonderful Zinfandel from the Original Grandpere Vineyard. They call it the OGP Zinfandel. It sells for $29 at the winery. Vino Noceto is open daily from 11am to 4 pm and is located on Shenandoah Road.  Please see the Vino Noceto Website for more details.

Andis Wines

Andis 1869 Vineyard Zin

The modern and industrial-style Andis Wines

Andis is one of the more recently-established wineries in the Shenandoah Valley. Its winery and tasting room are modern and spacious and a huge contrast to the more laid-back style of the older and established wineries in Amador. The winery produces a wide range of wines, from a tasty Sauvignon Blanc to the deep and complex Original Grandpere Zinfandel pictured at the top of the article. The Andis winery is open daily from 11am to 4:30 pm. Please see the Andis Wines Website for more details.

More information on visiting Amador Wine Country

Amador Four Fires Festival

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A couple of weeks ago we visited Amador County and posted an article about our favorite Sierra Foothill town, Sutter Creek.  The article peaked the interest of many of the locals in Amador and I received many responses. This one on the  Amador Four Fires Festival I thought would be interesting to the  readers of the Wine Country Getaways Blog. This article was prepared by Craig Palmer, Nancy Johnson, Deirdre Mueller, and Elaine Offenbach.

Amador Four Fires

Amador Four Fires Festival

Amador Four Fires Festival, a new concept wine and food event designed to ignite your senses, is coming to Amador County Fairgrounds on May 2, 2015. More than a wine tasting, Amador Four Fires Festival is a veritable rural County Fair teeming with all things wine and food beckoning around every corner of its ten-acre Amador County Fairgrounds site. First and foremost, guests will experience the four celebrated wine regions that inspire the art of Amador’s winemakers and growers: Syrah, Mouvedres and Grenache from France’s Rhone Valley. Italian Barbera, Sangiovese, Super Tuscans, Tempranillo and Garnacha from the Iberian Peninsula, and from California’s legendary heritage, true old vine Zinfandels. Over 150 wines from more than forty different wineries, vetted by a distinguished panel of noted judges and sommeliers, will be poured.

The food will be anything but ordinary, inspired by the fiery traditions of cooking on an open flame from each of these wine regions and prepared with high drama and culinary expertise by Amador’s finest star chefs. The Chefs include: Mark Berkner from Taste Restaurant, Beth Sogaard from Beth Sogaard Catering and Amador Vintage Market, Darius Somary, and showman Richard Lee from Wood, Fire and Smoke will prepare amazing culinary delights. Think of Chef Beth preparing huge pans of simmering paella, Chefs Mark and Darius turning succulent birds on spits or grilling lambs on swords, and Richard’s outsized open pits spitting flames over whole pigs for good old-fashioned California barbecue. These chefs are going for real drama and adventurous flavor. Festival guests will delight in a one-of-a-kind experience designed to ignite all the senses. Be sure to bring your appetite.

In addition, Amador Four Fires offers a cornucopia of tantalizing activities for all the senses, an event- filled program full of fun and entertainment for all. Tastings explore everything from local olive oils, handcrafted candies, honeys, cheeses, cider and craft beer to great wines. The exploration continues with multiple cooking demonstrations, including a cowboy campfire, a sensory station, and seminars covering topics from food and wine pairings, winemaking, tasting tips and “101” min-courses. Rounding out the day are exclusive wine sales, a County Store, and live music at two venues.

Four fires in Amador

Ticket Information

Tickets include wine, food, all activities, a commemorative glass and free parking. $75 in advance, $85 at the door, $50 Designated Driver. For a complete list of seminars, activities, vendor list visit amadorfourfires.com.

Additional Amador County Information

Is Sutter Creek the best wine country town in the Sierra Foothills?

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Sutter Creek best wine town Sutter Creek Theater and other boutiques on Main Street

Is Sutter Creek the best wine town in the Sierra Foothills?

Here are some reasons why we think it is.

Close to wineries

Sutter Creek is 20 minutes away from the Shenandoah Valley in the Plymouth area. There are over 40 wineries in this area of Amador County.  The wineries are mostly small and family owned. Most of the wineries are open from Thursday to Sunday, but several others are open daily. This wine country features some lovely side country roads lined with oak trees, grasslands and vineyards. For more wine adventures, travelers can head into the Fair Play wine region of El Dorado County. There are 19 wineries there, and many feature Rhone-style wines. Our favorite wineries are listed in our Sierra Foothills Wine Routes.

Excellent B&B’s

Sutter Creek offers many choices in B&B accommodations. Leading the way is the newly-remodeled Hanford House Inn. Owners Robert and Athena Gordon are wonderful hosts. Other B&B’s include the Eureka Street Inn and the Grey Gables Inn.  The Hotel Sutter has also recently been remodeled and has a lively bar and restaurant.

Tasting Room Row

In this small town, there are nine tasting rooms. They have their own Website, Sutter Creek Wine on Main, with complete visiting details. We like Yorba, Scott Harvey and Baiocchi. We really have not had much chance to visit the others, but I would guess they are also good. On Thursday, Yorba stays open until 7 pm. Beginning at 5 pm,  catered food from Lucy’s Spice Box is featured along with the great Yorba wines.

A historic gold mining town

Sutter Creek is where the gold discoveries began in California. There are lots of historic treasures, and visitors can take a tour of some of the old mining caves. If you are a California history buff, you will find plenty to do in the Sutter Creek area. The Sutter Creek Association has a complete list of the tours and historic gold mining sites.

Boutique shops

Even though the town is all of three blocks long, you can spend a lazy afternoon visiting many boutique shops loaded with knick-knacks, antiques, artworks and other goodies. Sandwich in a couple of wine tasting visits while browsing the cool shops.

Gourmet Dining

The Hotel Sutter and Susan’s Place are the top dining spots for now. But soon, the Element Restaurant at the Hanford House Inn will be serving gourmet dinners. Hanford House presently serves a fantastic breakfast.  I am sure that we can expect some delicious dinner meals by mid Spring. Additionally, there are the Sutter Creek Cheese Shoppe, Sutter Creek Provisions and Cavana’s Deli for gourmet items not found at the local markets.

The town of Volcano and Daffodil Hill

Volcano is an even smaller town 13 miles from Sutter Creek. Up in Volcano is the St. George Hotel. It is a historic place with an old saloon and restaurant. It is a fun spot. There is also the Union Inn and Pub. From late March to mid-April (depending on the weather), Daffodil Hill is a huge attraction. See our article on our visit there in late Feb.

Amador Flower Farm

While wine tasting in the Shenandoah Valley, mix in a trip to the finest garden nursery in Amador County. It’s the Amador Flower Farm on Shenandoah School Road.  They have a wide variety of flowers, plants, and trees available.  They also have a good selection of garden-related merchandise for sale.

Sutter Creek Slide Show

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The slide show gives you a quick glance at all the interesting and exciting things you can do in and around Sutter Creek. Sutter Creek is on the rise and it is destined to become one of the more popular wine country towns in California.

Something missing?

Did we miss something? An attraction, restaurant or lodging? Please post in the comment section. Even though Sutter Creek is small, there is always something new each time we visit.

Ann Kraemer, Master Vineyard Manager and Yorba Wines

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Yorba Wine Tasting

Yorba Tasting Room – 51 Hanford Street in Sutter Creek

Ann Kraemer – Shake Ridge Ranch and Yorba Wines

This is an update to an article I wrote five years ago about our tour through what is now regarded as one of the top vineyards in California, Ann Kraemer’s Shake Ridge Vineyards. Fast forward five years, and Ann Kraemer now has a successful tasting room in Sutter Creek. The Yorba wine tasting room is at 51 Hanford Street. We stopped in Thursday while visiting the Amador wine area and found the tasting room alive and well with a throng of folks tasting Yorba wines, along with catered food from Lucy’s Spice Box. Ann Kraemer sells 80% of her Shake Ridge fruit to various winemakers in California. She keeps 20% for the Yorba label. These wines are held from release at least two years or longer than the average release time for most wineries. The idea behind Ann’s late release is to showcase to winemakers the amazing quality and complexity that is possible from the grapes grown at Shake Ridge Ranch. Not only are these wines excellent in quality, the prices are very reasonable. The tasting room is open Thursday 12-7, Friday to Monday 12-5. If you are in the quaint town of Sutter Creek, stop in at the Yorba tasting room.

Originally posted in March of 2010

A few weeks back we had the chance to visit Ann Kraemer at her beautiful hillside vineyards on Shake Ridge Ranch in Amador County. What a pleasure it was to be with one of the most respected vineyard managers in the world of wine. Ann has been at the business of vineyard management for 19 years. Most of that has been working for others, and now that she’s at Shake Ridge she has fulfilled a dream to run her vineyards and reap the rewards of her vast experience.

Ann took us on a wonderful one-hour vineyard walk through the Shake Ridge Vineyards. Ann and her family purchased the ranch in 2001. It took Ann over a year to plan the vineyard. Soil was analyzed from six-foot deep pits dug at various locations. Which grapes would grow best and exactly where on the ranch would favor the growing conditions for a particular grape? For example, Barbera loves heat, so the orientation for those vines is on west-facing slopes. Petite Sirah was planted in the lower spots of the vineyard where the soil is more fertile and cooler. At the same time, Ann wanted to make sure she preserved the beauty of the ranch. As you can see from the photo, the oak trees have been preserved and add a wonderful attractiveness to the hillside vineyards.

ann kraemer shake ridge

Shake Ridge Ranch in the hills above Sutter Creek

There are 34 acres planted on the 185-acre ranch, with Zinfandel and Syrah making up the largest plots and Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Monvedre, Granache and Viognier making up the smaller plots. Thirty percent of the vines are used for Ann’s Yorba label; the rest of the grapes are sold to ten different winemakers. Each winemaker has a specific plot and Ann works closely with each winemaker to make critical vineyard management decisions. In a week or so after our meeting with Ann, she was to meet with each winemaker to discuss pruning strategies. Pruning was scheduled for roughly two weeks after our visit. That is a bit late in the year but Ann points out that the longer she can delay pruning the longer she can delay bud break, giving her an added protection against frost. There is no frost protection that Ann uses, just good old Mother Nature. “Cold air runs downhill like water, so at the low spots we don’t plant vines.”

Ann Kraemer

Ann Kraemer – our walk included wine tasting stations

Before purchasing Shake Ridge she did vineyard management for Cuvaison, Clos Pegase, Swanson, Domain Chandon and others. She has consulted for some of the biggest names, such as Stagecoach and Shafer. She is a master at her craft and you really get a sense of her passion and commitment to grow the best grapes for the soil and the land that she cherishes.

Her Yorba wines are made by Ken Bernards of Ancien fame. From our walking tour we are sure that Ken Bernards loves making wine for Ann. The old adage “wine is made in the vineyards”could not be more true is this case. The wines are absolutely delicious, elegant, and nicely priced for the quality of the wines.

Additional Sutter Creek Information

Wine Spectator on Amador Valley – what they missed

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amador and wine spectator

Head to Deaver Vineyards when in Amador wine country

Wine Spectator on Amador Valley – what they missed

Having traveled to Amador County on many occasions since 2002, I consider myself a decent authority on the wine country of Amador. I have seen Amador grow steadily over these years and evolve from a destination mainly for Gold Country buffs to now a wine country paradise. Upon my recent arrival home from our wine country trip to France, I was happy to see the latest issue of the Wine Spectator in my pile of mail. I was delighted to see that Amador wine country was one of the featured articles in the issue. Amador wine growers and wineries need good press. The Wine Spectator got most things right about Amador in the eating and lodging department, but they missed a lot in where to taste wine.

The Napa Valley Influence

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Napa Valley, but I don’t need to be reminded of it of when I visit Amador. I am looking for something more laid back. Did I see those laid-back wineries mentioned in the Wine Spectator article? Sorry to say just one, Terra Rouge. The idea of visiting the Amador wine country is to find something quiet and reserved with affordable wine that’s good. Among the places the Wine Spectator touted to taste wine were Turley and Andis Winery. Turley bought out the Karly Winery a few years ago, and I was sorry to see this quaint family winery go by the wayside. Turley wine prices are too high for the average wine traveler to Amador. It is just a tasting room and no chance to see the winery or walk the vineyards. Andis came in and built a far-out structure that just does not fit in the Amador countryside. I do enjoy Andis wines; I think their winemaker is tops and I love the Semillon and the Cab Franc. The building just seems out of place, but would fit perfectly in the Napa Valley.

Deserving of a Wine Spectator Mention

Vino Noceto

I love this little winery and it’s the only California winery that I know of that focuses its wine production on Sangiovese. They have five different labels of Sangiovese and they are all delightful. We also love the picnic area and the friendliness of the tasting room staff. The winery started in 1987, making it one of the first wineries in the area.

Vino Noceto winery

Vino Noceto is a Sangiovese specialist in Amador County and not to be missed.

Deaver Vineyards

Deaver owns one of the finest old vine Zinfandel vineyards in the area, planted in 1867. In fact, Terra d’ Oro, mentioned in the WS article, makes a Zinfandel from these very vineyards. Deaver Vineyards sits on a beautiful area with a large pond. It is peaceful and serene, the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic lunch even on a cold or cloudy day.

Wildrotter Vineyards

Jay Wilderotter is a wine grower and until 2003 sold all his grapes to wineries. Thankfully, he decided to produce his own wines and does a fantastic job. The Rhone-style whites, Rousanne and Viognier, are amazing as are the Rhone Reds, Syrah and Mourvedre. This small winery is a “must” stop on Shenandoah School Road.

Cooper Vineyards

Also on this same road as Wildrotter is Cooper Vineyards and, like Wildrotter, the Cooper Family were growers who decided to make their own wines. The focus is Italian wine and they are beautifully-made wines. Love the Barbera. The tasting room has a great view of their vineyards.

Karmére Vineyards & Winery

Same story as Cooper and Wildrotter, vineyard owners turned winemakers. The view here is fantastic. It is a nice, spacious and modern-style tasting room that fits neatly into the rolling terrain of the Shenandoah Valley.

We recommend that you take three days to visit the Amador County wineries. Stay in Sutter Creek at the Hanford House, and embark each day after a gourmet B&B breakfast and head to these two wine routes: Shenandoah Valley Wine Route (two days), and the Shenandoah School Road Wine Route. Check out our full list of restaurants and lodging and other things to do in Amador Wine Country

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY REGIONS:

Carneros • Livermore • Lodi • Mendocino • Monterey • Napa Valley • Paso Robles • Santa Barbara County • Santa Cruz Mts. • Sierra Foothills • Russian River • Sonoma Valley

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