{"id":11919,"date":"2017-02-21T18:21:05","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T18:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/?p=11919"},"modified":"2019-01-20T17:54:41","modified_gmt":"2019-01-20T17:54:41","slug":"getaway-to-the-sierra-foothills-wine-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/getaway-to-the-sierra-foothills-wine-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Getaway to the Sierra Foothills Wine Country"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Looking
Looking out on the Shenandoah Valley from Andis Winery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sierra Foothills Wine Country<\/h2>\n

Do you travel to the California wine country? Most likely you have been to Napa Valley and Sonoma. \u00a0A getaway to the Sierra Foothills Wine Country<\/strong> is a vastly different experience. \u00a0It 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.<\/p>\n

Sutter Creek<\/h3>\n

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<\/a> into a warm, welcoming spot. \u00a0The 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.<\/p>\n

\"French
French Toast at Element Restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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. \u00a0A good place for coffee and sandwiches is Sina’s Backroads Cafe.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"The
The grilled ham & cheese at Buffalo Chips<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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There are a plethora of quality wine tasting rooms in Sutter Creek, including Sera Fina, Bella Grace, Scott Harvey,\u00a0Baiocchi, and Yorba. If you can only make it to one tasting room, Yorba<\/a> is it. Vintner Ann Kramer farms her Shake Ridge Vineyards and has winemaker Ken Bernards produce high-quality wines at reasonable\u00a0prices that rival wines from any California wine region.<\/p>\n

Amador County Wine Trails<\/h3>\n

\"Sierra<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n