• Wine Regions
    • Napa Valley Wine Country Guide
    • Healdsburg – Russian River Wine Country
    • Sonoma Valley Wine Country Planning Guide
    • Mendocino Wine Country
    • Carneros
    • Paso Robles Wine Country
    • Santa Barbara Wine Country
    • Livermore Valley wineries
    • Lodi Wineries
    • Sierra Foothills Wineries
    • Monterey Wineries
    • Santa Cruz Wineries
    • Lake County Wine Country
    • Yolo County Wine Country
  • Tasting Room Guide
    • Tasting Room Etiquette
    • Napa Valley on a Budget 2022
    • How to Taste Wine
    • Bocce Wineries
    • Organic Wineries
    • The Wine Country Picnic
    • Vineyard Year
    • Best wine country backroads
    • Winery Wine Clubs
    • Buying Wine at a Winery
    • Wine Varietals
    • Wine Appellations
    • Solar Wineries in California
    • How many bottles of wine in a barrel?
    • Hiking in Wine Country
  • Wine Guide
    • Pairing Food & Wine
      • Which wines for dinner?
    • Which Wine Glass
    • Decanting wine
    • Which Corkscrew works best
    • Corkage Fees
    • Corked Wine
      • Preserving Wine – what to do with the unfinished bottle of wine
    • Hosting a Wine Tasting Party – How to pull it off
      • Hosting a Serious Wine Tasting Party
      • How to Host a Fun and Casual Wine Tasting Party
      • Wine Scoring Sheets | Wine Tasting Forms | Wine Scorecards
      • Checklist for Successful Wine Tasting
    • Wine Gifts for Wine Geeks
      • Best Wine Books
      • Top Ten Wine Cookbooks
      • Best wine fiction books
    • Best Wine Bargains
    • Wine Collection Tips
  • Wine Country Insider
    • Wine Trails off the Beaten Path
    • Quick Getaways
    • Hiking in Wine Country
    • When to Visit Wine Country
    • Which wine region to visit and why
    • Redwoods and Vineyards
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
You are here: Home / Archives for Andis winery

Wine Spectator on Amador Valley – what they missed

October 18, 2014 by Joe Becerra

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

Filed Under: Amador County Tagged With: Andis winery, Cooper Vineyards, Deaver Vineyards, Vino Noceto, Wine Spectator Amador

Concrete egg for fermenting and aging wine

July 2, 2014 by Joe Becerra

concrete fermenting egg

This is a 500 gallon concrete egg used at the Andis Winery in Amador County

About the concrete  egg for fermenting and aging wine

Concrete tanks in rectangular cubes for fermenting and aging wine have been in wide use in the old-world wine countries for ages. It is only in recent times that an oval-shaped concrete tank has come onto the winemaking scene. The oval shape means no dead corners with more even skin exposure. The concrete egg in the photo belongs to the Andis Winery. The Andis Winery started in 2010 and is located on the Shenandoah Road Wine Trail near the town of Plymouth. The Andis Winery is a stunning winery with a very modern style of architecture.  It is quite a different look from the wineries in this Sierra Foothills wine region. This concrete egg can be used for fermenting or storing wine. When we visited the Andis Winery a year ago,  the concrete egg was being used to age Cabernet Franc. According to the winemaker at Andis, the concrete-aging Cabernet Franc is more lively and bright flavored than Cabernet Franc aged in oak barrels. This egg holds 500 gallons and was made to specifications for the Andis Winery. Expect to see more of these concrete eggs in various gallon sizes. Is it a fad or will it take hold and replace stainless steel and oak for fermenting and aging?

More on the Shenandoah Valley and wineries in the Sierra Foothills

  • Sierra Foothills Wine Trail
  • A look at the Andis Winery

Filed Under: Wine Photo of the Day Tagged With: Andis winery, concrete fermenting tank, Wine Country Photography

Ups and Downs in Amador Wine Country

February 25, 2014 by Joe Becerra

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 the last three years, new wineries have opened that are lavish and quite a contrast to the older set of wineries.

amador wine country

Shenandoah Valley in Amador wine country

We packed a lot of activities into our two days and here are the highs and lows of our Amador wine country getaway.

The Highs in Amador Wine Country

Hanford House Inn
The newly-remodeled inn in Sutter Creek adds much to what has always been a great lodging experience. The owners, Bob and Athena Gordon, do a masterful job of hosting their guests. Please read our previous post on the marvelous Hanford House Inn.

Andrae’s Bakery

Daily baked bread

Daily baked bread

If you are anywhere in the vicinity of Amador City, make a stop at Andrae’s Bakery. On weekends there will be line out the door. Patrons are there to feed on freshly baked bread, pastries and desserts. There is also a good selection of prepared sandwiches that you can pack to many a nearby winery for a fantastic picnic in the vineyards.

Vino Noceto Winery
Vino Noceto is one of Amador’s signature wineries. Family owned, small, quaint, and focused on estate wines, especially Sangiovese. How often does one find the person working the tasting room to be the owner? It was Jim Gullet pouring wines to customers and loving every minute of it. Jim and his wife Suzy started the winery in 1987. The wines are good and reasonably priced.

Yorba Tasting Room in Sutter Creek
The Yorba label belongs to the renowned vineyard grower Ann Kraemer. Her nearby Shake Ridge Ranch provides grapes for many small but upscale wineries, many of which are in the Napa Valley. When we visited the Yorba tasting room, we asked if Ann Kraemer was there and, before the answer, Ann stepped out of her office to greet us. She is a delight and loves to talk about her vineyards and wines. She is a master vineyard manager and, for her Yorba label, has selected small plots on her ranch for fine tuning the vines that go into the Yorba label. The Yorba Tempranillo is amazing!

Quaint Yorba tasting room on Main St. in Sutter Creek

Quaint Yorba tasting room on Main St. in Sutter Creek

Amador Vintage Market

Picnic delights

Picnic delights

The Amador Vintage Market in Plymouth is another wonderful deli and a hangout for many of the locals in the wine industry. We always call ahead with our order and pick up our lunches on the way to the wineries. The place is usually packed and you could end up spending a good 30 to 45 minutes waiting for your order. It is best to call at least an hour before. You will not be disappointed.

Hotel Sutter Restaurant
New owners took over the old American Alliance Hotel a year ago. They have completely renovated the hotel and restaurant. We enjoyed our dinner there very much. It was Valentine’s Day so the restaurant was very crowded. There are a few kinks to be worked out but, on the whole, our dining experience was quite enjoyable.

The Lows in Amador Wine Country

Turley Cellars
Turley purchased the old Karly winery a year ago and has opened a tasting room on Shenandoah Road. The plan is to focus on high-end Zinfandel from the Karly old vines. The Turley wines are big and bold with prices at the higher end for this area. We love the wines, no doubt, but it is just it little off to see part of Napa Valley invade the Sierra Foothills.

Andis Winery

Andis Winery

Modern and industrial

Since the Andis winery opened some three years ago, we have stopped by just to sample the Sauvignon Blanc and the Semillon. These wines are very delicious. Many folks up here do not like the modern and industrial look to the winery or even the young hip crowds that hang out here.

When we visited, the winemaker was the only one in the Andis tasting room. That should be a good thing, right? He was very unenthusiastic. And we were disappointed that we could not taste the recently-released 2013 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion. He said: “I think they are even better than last year. Sorry but we will not pour those in the tasting room until the wine club shipment goes out.” Huh!

Borjon Winery
Borjon is a Mexican-owned winery that is gaining a rapid reputation for the quality of its wine. For the second year in a row, I have tried to connect with this winery so I could interview the owners or winemaker and do a blog posting. This year I left two email messages and voice mail. We never heard back from Borjon. What is up with that? Perhaps if I were Robert Parker or a writer from the Wine Spectator, I may have had a chance.

Overall the Amador wine country remains a relatively-undiscovered wine region of California. If you have not been to this wine region, plan a trip sometime in 2014. It will offer some really fun experiences for the wine country traveler.

Filed Under: Amador County, Wine Information Tagged With: Amador Vintage Market, Andis winery, Borjon wine, Hanford House Inn, Turley, Yorba Tasting Room

Latest from the Blog

  • Paso Robles Big Three Wineries
  • Where to go in California Wine Country 2023
  • Fun Things to Do in Wine Country in January 2023
  • Washington Reds
  • Wine, Food, and other Delights in Seattle
-->

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

Connect With Us

Want to keep up with Wine Country Getaways? Follow us across our social networks!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Sign up for wine country news from Janelle and Joe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2023 · Wine COuntry Getaways

 

Loading Comments...