Amador County

Lockeford Meat and Sausage

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On that Saturday it was a different ball game at Lockeford Meat and Sausage. There was a lineup of patrons stretching well outside the front door. When I finally made my way to the counter I asked if this was typical for a Saturday. His response was, “It will be crazy like this all day long.” I think you would be hard pressed to find a sausage company more popular anywhere in California.

Ups and Downs in Amador Wine Country

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We recently spent a couple of days in the Amador wine country. We make this trip once a year, so we have a very good perspective of this lovely wine country area. This wine region is in a transitional period. There are many older wineries that are small, with simple yet inviting tasting rooms. Within … Read more

The new and improved Hanford House Inn

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The colors on the walls are gorgeous and each room blends gracefully into the other. Our second floor room was simply furnished and very comfortable and inviting. Breakfast was outstanding. Not being an Eggs Benedict fan, I was totally surprised with the mellowness of the Meyer Lemon sauce. Delicious.

Dobra Zemlja Winery in Amador County

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If you are lucky enough, you might be able to spot Croatian winemaker Milan Matulich working in his vineyards or in the cellar. Just look for the guy with the flowing white hair and charismatic white mustache.

Vino Noceto Winery

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Vino Noceto Winery – Sangiovese specialist

The Amador wine country has so many fascinating wineries to explore, but one in particular that we like is the Vino Noceto winery on Shenandoah Valley Road. Coming from Plymouth, the winery is just 5 minutes away off to the left. It’s a beautiful setting with rolling vineyards and spectacular oak and olive trees. It’s a cheerful winery where wine country travelers can taste good wines, enjoy a picnic lunch and even play a game of Bocce.

Vino Noceto winery is one of the older wineries in Amador, established in 1987 by Suzy and Jim Gullet. Vino Noceto specializes in the Sangiovese grape, the famous grape of Tuscany. Can you believe Vino Noceto produces eight different Sangiovese wines? These range from the lighter Chianti style to the much bigger super Tuscan style of wines. The Vino Noceto winery also produces other Italian varietals and a Zinfandel wine, but it is the Sangiovese that attracts the wine aficionados.

noceto-marmellataWe started our tasting with a light, crispy and fruity Pinot Grigio. This is the only wine produced from grapes that comes from outside Amador County and the Noceto vineyards. The Pinot Grigio vineyards are located in Clarksburg, CA, where a good variety of white wine grapes grow. After warming up our tasting palates, we moved on to the Sangiovese wines. The Noceto Shenandoah Sangiovese is their flagship wine. You see it in wine shops and fine markets throughout California for about $16. We then tasted the Riserva Sangiovese, the Dos Oakies, and the Marmellata Sangiovese wines. It is really fun when you can taste these wines side-by-side to fully understand the differences in flavors and styles of this Italian grape. We purchased a few of the wines and served them with dinner later in the week. Wine always tastes better with the right food match. By and large we thought the Marmellata was the best of all the wines. But that is our palate and yours might be much different. Get to the Vino Noceto winery and sample the wines to see which your favorite Sangiovese wine is.

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The Emerging Amador Wine Country

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A look at Amador Wine Country

image of Amador wine country
Wineries on Steiner Road in Shenandoah Valley

We have been traveling to Amador wine country in search of wine, food and other delights since 2001. We have always enjoyed this wine region for these reasons: The wines are very good and affordable. The majority of wineries are very small and family owned. The backroads are beautiful, lined with vineyards, oak trees, and grasslands. It is a quiet wine country with few crowds and little traffic. We love the Napa Valley and Sonoma, but sometimes you need something a little more down-to-earth, less chic and swanky.

On our last few visits to this region, we’ve seen signs that the sleepy Amador wine country is beginning to emerge as a popular destination spot. For folks who love this hidden wine country, this may not be a good thing; but we are predicting that within five years, wine tourism will absolutely boom in this area. Here is why we think this will happen.

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Escape Napa Valley and Sonoma

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There are restaurants and lodging in the Anderson Valley, but they are somewhat limited. We recommend the Boonville Hotel or The Madrones. Many travelers like to explore the wineries in the Anderson Valley and then continue on another hour to Highway 1 and the quaint and romantic town of Mendocino.

A Wine Getaway to Gold Country – Sutter Creek

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Looking for something different in wine country travel? Why not try the Gold Country of the Sierra Foothills. We make a trip to this region at least once a year and have discovered some very amazing wineries producing high quality wines equal to anywhere in California. In this trip, we introduce this region by exploring Amador and El Dorado Counties, both with a long history of wines but under the radar of most wine country travelers. Our headquarters for this wine country getaways is the best little town in Gold Country, Sutter Creek.

There are several good B&B’s in Sutter Creek but our favorite is the Hanford House Inn. Four years ago, Robert and Athena Gordon purchased the Inn and brought tender, loving care to this B & B. You are sure to find your stay here, which includes a gourmet breakfast, relaxed and enjoyable. For more lodging choices, see our list of recommended for places to stay in the area.

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Sutter Creek Winery Update

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Each time we visit this area of the Sierra Foothills there are new wine adventures to be discovered. This time we found a couple of new wineries and revisited some of our old favorites. We always make our home base the town of Sutter Creek and stay at the Hanford House Inn. Even though the town lacks a really good gourmet restaurant, there are several places to dine within walking distance that offer good meals. Most of the wineries are about a 15-minute drive away on the beautiful backroads of the Shenandoah Valley. Almost all the wineries in this area are small family-owned wineries, and rarely do any charge a fee for tasting wine. Napa Valley, take note!
sutter-vineyards

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