Amador County is renowned for producing California's finest zinfandels, some of them crafted from 19th-century vines. In recent years, Amador vintners have also begun producing delicious wines from Rhône Valley and Italian varietals, including syrah, viognier, barbera and sangiovese. Along with Amador's prized zinfandels, these bottlings have earned enthusiastic praise from critics and wine lovers worldwide.
Located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in central California, Amador County boasts 2,700 acres of wine grapes - - a high percentage of which are farmed organically - - and 25 wineries. The majority of the wineries are in the northern part of the county in the Shenandoah Valley and Fiddletown appellations.
In these areas, vines are planted almost exclusively on rolling hillsides ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 feet in elevation. The moderately dense soils effectively retain Amador's 36 to 38 inches of annual rainfall, enabling most growers to dry-farm their vineyards, which contributes to low crop yields. These small yields, the vines' sparse canopies (allowing excellent sunlight penetration into the vine), warm climate, and Amador's high solar radiance ensure complete maturation of the fruit. Equally important, temperatures typically drop 30-35 degrees in the evening as breezes cascade down from the Sierras. This rapid cooling helps the grapes retain the acidity essential to balanced wines.
Amador's production of robust, intensely flavored red wines also is attributable to its high percentage of old vines: roughly a quarter of the total vineyard acreage is 60 years or older, including several vineyards dating to the 19th century. These deeply rooted vines, primarily zinfandel, develop tiny crops of small-berried grapes which produce the heady zinfandels for which Amador County is renowned.
Today, where gold once reigned, twenty-five wineries produce a new treasure: the superb wines which have earned Amador County international recognition.
Our first stop will be at Nine Gables Vineyard and Winery. Committed to making wines in small batch fermentations with a hands-on, handcrafted approach. Better flavors come from fermenting the grapes in small batches and hand-punching them many times a day for maximum extraction of flavors, colors and aromas. The wine is then stored for 18 months in Oak barrels. Stainless steel tanks at Nine Gables are used mostly for blending and storing wines.
Our next stop will be at Montevina. Established in 1970, Amador County's first post-prohibition winery is the largest and most modern of the area. Montevina has a new, state-of-the-art production facility in which it produces its big, rough-hewn Zins, stylish Syrahs and the largest Italian portfolio in the US. We'll enjoy lunch at Montevina.
After lunch, we will head to Deavers. A drive over Deaver's 300 acres will take you past 120-year-old Zinfindel vines and eight acres of Mission vines, so called because they were brought from Mexico by the Jesuits and Franciscans. The Deaver mission vines were planted around 1853 by Ken Deaver's great grandfather John A. Davis. His son, Ken's grandfather, planted the Zinfandel four decades later.
For years, the Deaver's "old vine" grapes were sold exclusively to home winemakers. The first vintage of Deaver Vineyards Zinfandel was bottled under the "Lakeshore" label in 1985.
Since then, Deaver Vineyards has become recognized the world over for its velvety Zinfandels. The Tuscan-style climate of Amador county is also perfect for producing classic Sangiovese, Barbera, and rich Ports.
We'll end our day in Amador at Dobra Zemlja (doh-bra zem-ya), which means "good earth" in Croatian. This small winery, set down a long, winding road, produces only the BIGGEST estate Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera and Viognier. We'll taste in the wine cave tasting room, and you won't want to leave the rustic ambiance of this winery for the return to Sacramento.
Optional Wineries: Karmere Winery or Vino Noceto
Benefits of our private wine tours:
You can totally customize your Private Wine Tour:
1) Choose your own tour times
2) Choose your own wineries/itinerary
3) Free Door to Door Service
4) Free Refreshments (bottled-water and complimentary bottle of wine)
5) Bathroom available on private coaches over 40 seats.
6) All inclusive pricing-No hidden fees
Amador Wine Tour
(Based on 6 hour tour)
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Price includes all tasting fees*, taxes, fees
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lunch option: $12.00 per person
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Terms: $100 deposit due at time of booking. Balance due 5 days before tour is conducted.
Additional fees/charges may apply for pickups outside the Sacramento area