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The Sierra Foothills are a combination of quiet country roads, stunning scenery, and award-winning California wineries. The California gold rush brought thousands of people to this area in the 1800s and some of them brought and planted various European grapes such as Zinfandel.
Sierra Mountain Foothills Wines
The first vineyards to be planted in the Sierra Foothills were mission grapes but another grape was imported from somewhere in the Adriatic region, perhaps Croatia or Italy, and this wine grape was called Zinfandel. Zinfandel is the flagship wine of the Sierra Foothills because the soil in this area is ideal for growing the grapes. Sierra Foothills Zinfandels are full bodied and robust and they have been made for two hundred years. Zinfandel production did not even stop during the prohibition years.
Syrah and increasingly Petite Sirah are also produced here. Rhone and Italian varietals and blends are bottled in this region and have achieved European and Asian acclaim. There are more than a hundred wineries in this area and the wineries offer great quality Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Primitivo, Chardonnay and Sangiovese. Most of the vineyards are at a fifteen hundred feet elevation.
Sierra Mountain Foothills Wineries
This winery area in this part of California wine country reaches from north to south, from Nevada County through El Dorado Country to the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County and Calaveras County. Nearly all the wineries here are family run.
There are a few larger wineries, such as Montevina, which is experimenting with new grape varieties. Montevina is currently trying to grow more northern Italian varieties in the Shenandoah Valley. Varietal wines such as Nebbiolo (the grape used in Barolo), Barbera, and Sangiovese (the grape used in Chianti) are leading to new wine making possibilities in the Sierra Foothills.
Chatom Vineyards is situated just went of the town of Murphy's in the beautiful Esmeralda Valley. They have sixty-five acres of vine and their selection includes Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, and Semillon.
Malvadino Vineyards has been running since 1966. They are known for their superior red wines and this winery specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Mission grapes. Their 1998 Chardonnay won the best of show award for white wines in the Calaveras County Fair of 1999, putting them firmly on the map of California wine country.
The Black Sheep Winery produces varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, a very bold Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Milliaire Winery is in the town of Murphy's and they use traditional wine making techniques to produce limited bottlings of wines selected from foothill vineyards, such as Amador's Clockspring Vineyard and the Ghirardelli Vineyard in Calaveras County.
Sierra Mountain Foothills Wine Tasting
It is very different tasting wines in this area of the California wine country map than in some others. This is because many wine tasting operations are small and cozy. Many can only be called "rustic." The winemakers and often the owners pour the tasting samples and this is a refreshingly informal way to experience the wines from this region.
Author: California Wine Guide Staff Writer
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