The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau just released the revised Sacramento Regional Wine Tasting Guide & Map. 
Upon my return from my two week vacation in Southern California, I decided to end it with a trip to some surrounding Sacramento Wineries. I wanted to show a friend some different areas to taste wine so we took the new Sacramento Wine Tasting Guide & Map and decided to check out Amador County! It was a beautiful Sunday for wine tasting. We followed the directions on the map to get to Amador County; the directions took us through some beautiful rolling hills and farmland and we drove into the town of Plymouth. The first winery we stopped at was Wilderotter Vineyards,
a small quaint winery. They are known for their Sauvignon Blanc, as they should be; it was delicious, so we purchased a bottle. Next, we went to Bella Piazza 
a beautiful winery, larger than the first. It was their wine club pick up day so they were serving free lunch to their wine club members.
From there we went to Vino Noceto winery and that is where the fun began, not that is was not fun before, but we ran into some friends from Sacramento. That is him in his cowboy hat and gold caddy!! 
Outside of Vino Noceto winery sits a fun statue which doesn't have a lot to do with wine but it is a conversation piece.
It came from Doggy Diner which the owners of the winery purchased for minimal dollars and have been offered several thousands for it, but will not sell it. The wines were great and we enjoyed their 2008 Nutz, a Sangiovese blend under the label Tutti i Giorni, meaning "everyday" in Italian. It too was
exquisite, and was purchased by us! Our next stop was Andis Winery, 
which is right across the street from Vino Noceto. You can't miss this winery as the building is brand new and state-of-the-art. They offer some lovely wines and for all those beer lovers, they have an IPA on tap....and they keg a Petite Sirah so you can buy a pint of beer or a glass of wine and sit outside, as we did with lunch and good conversation. The grounds are lovely and there are vineyards everywhere you turn!
Now we are off to our last stop: Cooper Vineyards,
another small lovely winery. We arrived as they were about to close, but we arrived in time to taste one of the best Barbera's we had all day! The highlight of this last stop was meeting the owner of the vineyards, 
Mr. Dick Cooper, and some of his family members. We ended the day on a high note. But wait, there was one more stop which just happened to appear without even planning for it.
On the way home we put in our home address in the GPS and, low and behold, it took us to Poor Reds. My friend had never been to this well-known establishment
which is known for a drink called the "Gold Cadillac."
All in all a wonderful day...a Sunday, Funday to remember! There are many more wineries in Amador County and it warrants a trip back to check out the others. My recommendation is to plan out an area on the map and enjoy that particular group of wineries, bring a lunch and a designated driver. It is a beautiful country and great for some surrounding Sacramento outdoor activities and enjoying some different wineries in California!
I hope you found this helpful in your wine tasting adventures in the Sacramento area.
I plan to visit Calaveras County for the next blog!!
Until then...cheers!!
