Placer Valley

California's 1849 Gold Rush brought more than precious metal-seeking miners; entrepreneurs supplied the miners with the goods they valued back east and in the old country. By 1895 almost 100 wineries were operating in the Mother Lode area, more than Napa and Sonoma combined. Prohibition brought this thriving wine industry to a halt in 1920, and most vineyard land was converted to pear, apple and citrus trees.

Today, there is a juicy renaissance going on in the hills of Placer County - vineyards and wineries are returning to the foothill slopes. The granite soil and Mediterranean-like climate are ideal for the cultivation of wine grapes, and the new, small wineries are producing a wide range of offerings that blend New World wine-making techniques with Old World vines.