Sierra Foothills
Sierra Foothills AVA
The Sierra Foothills AVA is the overarching AVA for this region, consisting of Amador County, Calaveras County, El Dorado County, Nevada County, Placer County, and Yuba County.
This is one of the largest AVAs in the country, covering 2.6 million acres of land. It runs 160 miles along the Sierra Nevada mountains east of the Inland Valley region.
Wine grapes came to the region with the Gold Rush. Many vineyards from that time were simply abandoned during the Depression and prohibition.
That was lucky. Those vineyards still exist, and many old vine Zinfandels have been found. A vineyard in the California Shenandoah Valley is said to be 140 years old.
In addition, new vineyards have popped up as land here is cheaper than in other well-known wine regions.
Amador County
Located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the soils are sandy loam and decomposed granite.
The main grapes are Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Primitivo, and it is known for its Heritage Zinfandel.
This is the area of the California Gold Rush. Where there are people, there ought to be wine, so vines were planted to slake the thirst of those who flocked to the area.
There are over 40 wineries in the area, where the low humidity and sunshine help to ripen the grapes.
There are vineyards here that harbor old vines. The county boasts over 600 acres of vines at least 65 years old.
Within Amador County, two Appellations sit in the north-central part of the county.
For more information, https://amadorwine.com/
California Shenandoah Valley AVA
The California Shenandoah Valley AVA includes parts of Amador and El Dorado County. Subregion of Sierra Foothills AVA. Elevations from 1,200 to 2,000 feet with sand clay loam and decomposed granite soils. With the same grapes as Amador County AVA.
Fiddletown AVA
Established in 1983, this sub-region of the Sierra Foothills AVA is in the eastern part of Amador County, with vineyards planted between 1,500 and 2,500 feet in elevation. Same soils, same varieties. In Amador County
Calaveras County
A strange name that rolls easily off the tongue thanks to Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). We’ve all probably read “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”
This is an area within the Sierra Foothills AVA. The area is hot and dry during the summers, with cool breezes from the Sierra Nevadas at night. Italian and Spanish red varieties do well here, as do Rhône varieties.
While there is no AVA in the county, there are over 51 vineyards.
El Dorado County
Located in the heart of the Sierra Foothills, this is the site of the discovery in 1848 that sparked the California Gold Rush! In Coloma on January 24th, 1848, a carpenter from New Jersey by the name of James Wilson Marshall was working to build a water-powered sawmill for James Sutter when he found bits of gold in the American River. (Sutter’s Mill).
As I mentioned before, with the gold rush came the need for libations for all the people who came, so vineyards. The county is part of the larger Sierra Foothills AVA and contains 2 other AVAs as well as a couple notable regions.
I reached out to El Dorado County Wines and they kindly put me in touch with several of the wineries in the region, who shared with me some photos of their wineries, events and vineyards.
You’ll find photos included from Lava Cap Winery, Crystal Basin Cellars, Mellowood Vineyard, Mirador Winery, & Shadow Ranch Vineyard.
El Dorado County AVA
The El Dorado County AVA includes the Fair Play sub-AVA and two other regions that are not AVAs: Pleasant Valley and Apple Hill.
This AVA was established in 1983, and the wineries here are at high elevations. Due to the elevation, nights are cooler, giving a diurnal shift that allows the grapes to retain their acidity and freshness as they ripen and create thicker skins, which means more intense flavor in the wines.
The AVA is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandels.
Pleasant Valley
Meadows, horse ranches, pine forests, oak trees, and vineyards. You will find a couple of the region’s family-owned wineries here. (Don’t confuse this with the Pleasant Valley Wine Trail, which is in Paso Robles)
Apple Hill/Camino
Apple Hill is an area along Highway 50 where, as the name indicates, you will find lots of apples. There are 16 apple ranches, bakeries, vegetable and fruit farms, flower gardens, Christmas Tree farms, and wineries. You’ll find just under a dozen wineries here.
Find more information on this region: https://applehill.com/grower-cat/wineries/
Fair Play AVA
This AVA is a sub-appellation wholly contained in the El Dorado County AVA. The region holds 2 dozen wineries/vineyards.
There are rolling hills that sit from 2,000-3,000 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest elevation appellations in California.
The soils here are volcanic, and the wines are intense with notes of minerality.
(The vineyards of Mellowood, Shadow Ranch, & Mirador sit in this AVA)
Placer County
Placer County is part of the Sierra Foothills AVA. Within the county, there are 20 wineries from the area of Roseville through North Auburn along I-80 that leads to Lake Tahoe. It is not an AVA on its own, but the wineries of the region, which are part of the Sierra Foothills AVA, have banded together to create the Placer Wine Trail.
Yuba County
This county is where the Sierra Mountains meet the Sacramento Valley at the northern end of the Sierra Foothills AVA.
It is one of the original 27 counties founded in California in 1850.
Vineyards have been cultivated here since the 1840s.
Clarksburg AVA
Yep, it’s here again. Remember, it is part of Yolo, Sacramento, Solano, and Yuba counties.
North Yuba AVA
Established in 1985his AVA is just 30 square miles in size and sits west of the Yuba River.
Soils here are granite-rich.
The climate is continental, with warm days and cool nights, which balances and produces acidity in the wines. The soils add to the wines’ structure.
Mainly, Cabernet Sauvignon is grown here, but bits of the Rhône varieties Grenache, Syrah, and Viognier are planted.
The AVA generally lies between the high Sierra Mountains and the Sacramento Valley at 1,000 to 2,000 feet above sea level.
They sit in a sweet spot that misses winter snow and early frost, as well as fog, humidity, and extreme heat.
Up Next: The Central Coast!
I’m not gonna lie. This is my favorite region in California. We will break down the different areas, including Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
Leave a Reply