Amador Vintners: World-class wines in the Sierra Foothills

WHETHER YOU VISIT OVER a weekend on your own or participate in one of its signature events, you are sure to enjoy a getaway to Amador Wine Country.

Located in the historic foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains (just 45 minutes east of Sacramento), the beauty of the fertile foothills provides the perfect setting to enjoy a weekend of wine tasting.

Nestled along scenic back roads in some of California’s most picturesque rural settings you’ll discover a range of wineries from small, family wineries or state-of-the-art facilities where you’ll enjoy approachable wines including legendary old-vine zinfandels and exciting barberas.

World-class wine from more than 40 local producers, charming inns and B&Bs, acclaimed restaurants and distinguished history abound in Amador County.

Amador County once was identified almost exclusively with zinfandel. During the past 20 years, Amador vintners have begun producing a diverse array of varieties, especially those of Italian and southern French origin.

While zinfandel, with over 2,000 acres, remains Amador’s signature variety, the region’s wineries also vinify superb examples of barbera, sangiovese, sauvignon blanc, syrah; and limited bottlings of pinot grigio, verdelho, viognier, roussanne, marsanne, grenache, mourvedre, petite sirah, aglianico and tempranillo.

The wines also include lovely rosés made from a wide variety of grapes; exceptional dessert wines made from muscat grapes; and port-style wines made from zinfandel and traditional Portuguese varieties.

Mark your calendar for Amador Wine Country’s signature events. Member wineries host the annual Barbera Festival on September 14 at the historic Terra d’Oro Winery.

The festival is bringing barbera to the spotlight to showcase the varietal that is becoming increasingly popular in California. It boasts some of the state’s oldest plantings of barbera.

Each year, Amador Vintners celebrates the grape harvest by inviting wine enthusiasts to visit member wineries during this exciting time of year. Visitors join over 40 wineries for the Big Crush Harvest Wine Festival on October 5-6.

Big Crush is a perfect time to see the harvest in action. Your ticket includes scenes teeming with vineyards, trudging tractors, and bustling crush pads accompanied by Amador wine region hospitality. For tickets or more information, visit AmadorWine.com.

(Photo: Andis Wines)