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

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.

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

• Things to do in Sutter Creek
• Amador Wine Trail
• Shenandoah School Road Wine Trail
• Visit the Amador Flower Farm

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.

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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

Wineries near Fiddletown

• Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail
• Shenandoah School Wine Trail
• Fair Play Wine Trail