Let’s face it – Napa and Sonoma are SO last centuries. Get away from the crowded and commercialized valley vineyards and up into the foothills where both the wines and winemakers are friendly and accessible.

 

Amador county wine tasting from simple to sublime. Today, Amador County is home to over 40 wineries including tasting rooms located on downtown Main Streets. Their dedication is in producing premium-quality wines that offer distinctive regional character and outstanding value.

 

Amador is old vine country; nearly 600 acres of the county’s vines are at least 60 years old, while several vineyards date to the 19th century. Nestled in the heart of Gold Country, this region is known for its rich history and rich reds. For a taste of Amador County wine country, all one needs to do is take a jaunt along Steiner or Shenandoah roads in Plymouth. As two of the main wine-tasting arteries, the avenues are a nod to both the past and the ever-evolving present.

On one side of Shenandoah, for example, sits Nine Gables Vineyard, a small, family-owned winery in a simple cottage surrounded by gnarled 105-year-old Mission vines. There’s no tasting fee.

Just a half-mile north is Andis Wines, a bold, shiny steel and wood showpiece spanning 17,000 square feet and commanding a hilltop. It’s owned by a real estate and investment management team and asks a $5 fee. That’s a big part of exploring this expansive area around every bend is a different surprise.

Limo Service Sacramento wine tours operate  Lincoln Town Cars, Corporate Suburbans, Stretch Limousines, Custom Vans, Mini Buses, Full Size Motor Coaches, specialty vehicles.

 

Our 8 hours Amador County  Wine tours typically start at 9:30 am pick up Sacramento or surrounding cities El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Rocklin, Roseville, Granite, Fair Oaks, Rancho Cordova or Elk Grove and returning by 4.30 pm may include an optional gourmet picnic lunch.  You’ll tour 3 to 4 premium wineries and taste several wine varietals in some of Amador’s most unique tasting rooms.  You may also have the opportunity to take a fun and educational tour through a state-of-the-art winemaking facility (subject to availability).

 

Planning a wine tour to Amador isn’t as daunting as it might at first seem – IF you follow these three easy steps to planning the Best First Timers Trip to Amador wine regions.

 

 

Everyone wants to come to Amador in Summer, but Summer brings crowds that will remind you of Christmas at Costco.  Unless you like standing in lines, fighting for a spot at the tasting bar, and sky-high hotel rates, avoid Summer.

 

The best time to visit  Amador county wineries is Fall, meaning Sept to October.  This is “crush” time when they harvest the grapes.  You want to see a winery in action, you come in Fall. November is also nice because the weather is still good but the crowds and rates have dropped.  The second best time is Spring when the mustard plants are all in bloom.  This is a “gotta see it believe it”, but everywhere you look you’ll see brilliant bright mustard plants with eye-popping color!  It’s like you stepped into an HD Plasma TV and someone turned the colors on full blast!  There will be no grapes on the vines, but you hardly notice.

 

Taste Restaurant and Wine Bar Amador County’s best dining experience is on Main Street, Plymouth, the gateway to the Amador Wine Country. Dinner is served Thursday – Tuesday. Opening at 5pm on the weekdays and 4:30pm on the weekends. Lunch is served Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 11:30 to 2pm. Reservations are recommended for dining room seating.

 

Amador County wine tour from Sacramento by Limo Service Sacramento is your opportunity to taste the award-winning wines with utmost comfort. During the wine tour, you will visit the best wineries that make world-class wines. Some of the renowned wineries in the Amador are listed below.

Reserve limo online or Call 916 221 0462 today and get ready to have an unforgettable Amador Country experience Today!

 

 

Rombauer Vineyards, Plymouth (12225 Steiner Road, Plymouth; (209) 245-6979) . 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
The entrance feels a bit commercial, but the separate tasting room center is spectacular, a modern sophisticated space with lots of wood and polished edges, massive sliding barn doors, and a tasting bar that appears to float under pendant lighting.

Owned by an Argentine oil mogul, it’s a no-expense-spared kind of place, encompassing a gift shop, upscale deli and several patios set with trellises, resort furniture, and crystal chip fire pits. On weekends, a mini restaurant pops up, offering bites like pulled pork sliders ($12), charcuterie ($15), a smoked turkey, cranberry and brie sandwich ($10), and dark chocolate sea salt caramels ($5). Five flights of five wines are offered for $5 each, including Tempranillo, Viognier, ice wine, Port and seven Zinfandels.

 

Driven Cellars, Plymouth (12595 Steiner Road, Plymouth;) 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Old trucks, tractors, vintage cars and quite a bit of rusted metal-whatever frame the gravel parking lot, while the tasting room is constructed with scrap from a salvaged 1950s California State Fair building. Yes, those are real goats wandering the crush pad, usually following their “dad,” the ZZ Top-bearded winemaker-owner Rudy Chinco, who’s usually wearing a baseball cap. But Chinco, 86, loves wine, vintage cars, and animals, so it all makes sense. And he loves Amador, so his wines reflect the region, showcasing Barbera, Tempranillo, Zinfandel and Petit Syrah for a $5 tasting fee. If you want to see more, just ask, and a staffer — plus perhaps a goat or two — will take you on a vineyard tour.

 

Vino Noceto, Plymouth (11011 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth)  11 am – 4 pm Monday-Friday; 11 am -5 pm Saturday-Sunday. You know you’re at the right place when you see the giant Doggie Diner head next to the vineyard. Owners Jim and Suzy Gullett purchased the 7-foot tall, rotating fiberglass head of a wide-eyed, grinning dachshund trimmed in a bow tie and chef’s hat at an auction after the iconic Bay Area hot dog and hamburger chain closed in 1986.

The funky, country mood flows into the bare-bones but comfy red barn. The ultra-friendly, relaxed $5 tastings cover five wines chosen from a list of nine, including a Rosato di Sangiovese, Barbera, Zinfandel, and Port. Or, you can amp up with the $10 estate tasting, bringing three of the regular menu wines plus three limited production Sangiovese bottlings.

For a fancier experience, the farm-to-glass tour ($20, Friday-Sunday) takes you into the vineyard for a walking tour while you sip and nibble small bites from chef Beth Sogaard of Amador Vintage Market along the way. Some of the six pairings include Pinot Grigio with goat feta and apricot paste, Sangiovese with paprika pork tenderloin, Zinfandel OGP with balsamic grilled flank steak, and Frivolo Moscato with walnut almond praline crème.

 

Borjón Winery, Plymouth (11270 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth) 11 am – 5 pm Thursday-Monday.

Stroll past the industrial warehouse winery at the entrance to the hacienda in the back of the property decked in a red tile roof and surrounded by gardens, stone pathways, wine barrels and metal bistro tables. That’s the location of the tasting room, with tile floors, arched door rooms, tasting bars perched on wine barrels, Latin American art and a collection of elaborate, Salvador Dali-esque decorated saddles glittering with silver. Owners Iscander “Isy” and Eliana Borjón looked to Isy’s family for inspiration, honoring a long heritage that began in France before Isy’s great-great-grandfather migrated to Mexico in the mid-1860s during the Franco-Mexican War.

Isy’s parents came to the Shenandoah Valley from Guanajuato, Mexico, more than 30 years ago, and built a successful vineyard management and labor contracting company. In 2005, Isy took over and began making his own wine. Today, he offers tastings for $10 or $15, choosing signatures like Primitivo Reposado, Petite Sirah Selección, and Barbera Complejo, some so-named in tribute to the on-site Tequila display.

 

Cooper Vineyards, Plymouth (21365 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth)  11 am-4:45 pm Thursday-Monday.

Continue on Shenandoah Road a short distance and turn left on Steiner Road. Look for Renwood Winery at about three-quarters of a mile on the left on Steiner. This winery oozes Zinfandel. It produces six varieties of Zinfandel plus a dessert Zinfandel made from grape juice squeezed from frozen grapes. Although Renwood is well recognized for the quality of its Zinfandels, it also produces other interesting wines. The winery has a very enticing outdoor area. You must buy from their deli, so no outside food or drinks.

 

Park on the drive between the ancient Chevy truck and the curious teepee and covered wagon — this is the eclectic plaster and tile home of Pinot Grigio, Carignane, Primitivo Tesoro, Barbera and other wines available for complimentary tasting. If you find a wine you like, snap it up, since the tasting flights change frequently as wines are available; winemaker Michael Roser crafts 17 varietals into a collection of more than 20 labels. You can sample at the polished wood bar and cleanse your palate with bits of cheese and crudités, but the best spot to linger is over a bottle on the patio, overlooking the lawn, flower beds, and vineyards.

 

Cooper Vineyards is an absolute Must Visit when going to Amador County.  We discovered that many wineries use Cooper grapes, especially Barbera in their own wines.  These other wineries (ie – Runquist) aren’t shy about publicizing it either.  That’s because of the reputation Dick Cooper has with growing Barbera in his celebrated vineyards.

 

Cooper has outstanding wines and very nice grounds.  The winery hosts several events as well such as their annual BBQ event in mid-November. Staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable

 

Jeff Runquist Wines, Plymouth (10776 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth) 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. There’s no tasting fee at this elegant redwood tasting room that looks like a cross between “Little House on the Prairie” and a modern model home. Tastings are guided and personal, and you can browse among six wines like “R” Zinfandel. If a bottle is open, you might score a sneak sample of limited production “R” Charbono. Fair warning: Many of the wines here come from grapes sourced from outside the area.

 

Deaver Winery (12455 Steiner Rd Plymouth, CA 95669)

Continue driving along Steiner Road. Deaver Winery will be on the left a short distance from Shenandoah Vineyards. This is a very small family winery with some interesting wines. They produce a dry white Zinfandel and a very good Zinfandel from century-old vineyards. They also make four varieties of port. This is the good spot for lunch. Pick out some lunch snacks at the winery and a chilled bottle of the Deaver Chardonnay or the Sauvignon Blanc. Then pick your spot on the winery’s spacious picnic grounds that edge along a very pretty lake. Lunch here can be very tranquil. Particularly the Orange Muscat which was very tasty and perfect with some sweets and cheese on a hot day. They had the largest selection of ports in the area, eleven.  In fact, I’m not sure I’ve seen a selection that size even in Napa. The staff explained the different varietals used and the resulting flavors.  Three types had already sold out. So we tried half of the remaining ports. I was very surprised at how uniquely different each one was. The staff is always very friendly and relaxed, always willing to take a few minutes to chat about the latest going on in the family and business.Heading to Deaver is like going to visit family…warm, fun and always very revitalizing.The family also runs an inn that is adjacent to the winery. Tasting room open daily 11:00 to 5:00 pm

 

Iron Hub Winery (12500 Steiner Rd Plymouth, CA 95669) Tasting room open noon to 5 pm, Friday thru Sunday

This winery is almost directly across the road from Deaver Winery on Steiner Road. Turn into the entrance road and drive up the hill to the Iron Hub Winery. You will be treated to one of the best views in the valley. The Iron Hub Winery makes three different Zinfandel wines. as well as a Syrah, and Sangiovese. We think all these wines are excellent values. Our favorite wine is a white, the Fume Blanc. It is a luscious and fruity wine, and a bargain at the price of $10. We found the winery staff to be very friendly and cordial. This winery is also a great choice for a picnic lunch. You can grab a bottle of the Fume and sit on the picnic table and take in the view of the valley below.

 

Dobra Zemlja (12505 Steiner Rd Plymouth, CA 95669) Open daily 10am to 5 pm

Haven’t you been to Dobra? You are missing out. This is the very fun winery to visit. It is owned by Milan and Victoria Matulich. Milan is the winemaker and you might see him around the cellars. You cannot miss his long white hair and huge white mustache. Tasting is done in the cave. The wines are all big boys. Big, rich, and dynamic. If you like your reds big and bold, this is the place to be. Motto: No light-weight wines! To get to Dobra Zemlja continue your route on Steiner Road. It will come up quickly on the left side of the road. Watch for the signs. Bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. They do their tasting in a sweet little wine cave which only adds to the experience. Dobra has a nice tasting room nestled in a hillside cave. The people pouring here are an absolute blast! They are friendly and laid back as can be and also provide heavy pours to those that enjoy their wines. They have little offerings to pair with the wine. The wines here are hearty and have strong flavors. There is higher alcohol content versus average wines.