The Sierra Foothills region, also known as “Gold Country” is California’s best kept secret. This northern California region includes the counties of Placer, El Dorado, Amador, and Calaveras and runs along the foothills west of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The cities of Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Auburn, all accessible from Interstate 80, sit at the north of the Sierra Foothills region. Towards the center of the region is the town of Placerville and the Fair Play area (a collection of amazing wineries tucked away in the hills). You can reach them from Highway 50 as you head towards Lake Tahoe from San Francisco. A little further south of this area you will find the cities of Sutter Creek and Jackson, which have a fine collection of wineries as well. Take Highway 88 from Stockton to get there. At the southern end of the Sierra Foothills region, in the county of Calaveras is the town of Murphys off Highway 4. You’re guaranteed a great time in this wine tasting mecca.
These are just a few of the areas the Traveling Wino has visited (there are a lot more we haven’t gone to yet.) Check out the general overview below to learn more about the Sierra Foothills areas we’ve visited.
Placer County
Auburn
Marrying gold rush history with amazing wines, the Auburn area offers 20 different wineries located a short drive from the town center. Most wineries are smaller and family owned. You won’t find any mass produced wines here. Instead, you will experience what the Traveling Wino loves most – approachable, friendly folks who share their love of wine. Most wine tasting comes with amazing views of vineyards and is very affordable. To make a weekend of it, Auburn offers affordable B&Bs and motels as well as historic hotels. The town center has wonderful, charming restaurants, bars and tons of antique shopping.
El Dorado County
Placerville
Another charming historic gold rush town in the Sierra Foothills is Placerville. Over a dozen different wineries call the Placerville area home. Many of these are located on Carson road winding east (just north of Highway 50). Similar to Auburn, the benefit of visiting Placerville is combining a day of wine tasting with other local attractions. There are affordable restaurants, plenty of antique and craft stores, and historic attractions throughout the small town.
Fair Play
An hour drive from Sacramento or Reno (depending on the direction…) and just 30 minutes south of Placerville lies one of the Traveling Wino’s favorite wine tasting areas – Fairplay. This is a wine tasting paradise. Three different roads in the area create a wine tasting “loop” where Winos can enjoy over 20 different boutique wineries within a short distance. The beauty of this area is that most wineries overlook their own vineyards and have amazing views. The other perk is that Fair Play is truly a rural community so folks are warm, welcoming and unpretentious. And of course this region offers some of the most affordable wine tasting in California! What is even better is that it is high quality wine at VERY reasonable prices! Several wineries operate their own B&Bs or visitors can stay in nearby Placerville. Fair Play is truly a wino’s getaway like no other.
Amador County
Jackson, Sutter Creek & Plymouth
For a truly rural experience where you enjoy the journey just as much as the destination, take a drive east on Highway 88 from Stockton and stop in Jackson before heading north on Highway 49 through Sutter Creek and then on to Plymouth. This drive will take you past several family-owned boutique wineries. If opting to stay in Sutter Creek, you will find a half dozen tasting rooms in the town center. Moving north to Plymouth you will wind past several more wineries as you make your way to the town where there are a few little B&Bs to stay. The best part of the journey through the Amador County wine country comes as you head northeast of Plymouth on Shenandoah Rd. There you will find a dozen wineries to visit, each with amazing views of the vines. Most are family owned for a truly down-home experience. Much like the Fair Play area, all of these wineries are small with some of the most affordable wine tasting in California.
Calaveras County
Murphys
The town of Murphys was originally a mining town just like many of the other towns in Gold County. However, this place managed to pack a whole lot of wine tasting into one small stretch of the town center. As if that weren’t great enough, many of the wineries offer tasting rooms both in town and at their vineyards, if you are looking for a more rural experience. For a very small town, Murphys has figured it out. They offer some of the most delightful little shops, restaurants, and historic hotels with over two dozen wine tasting rooms in the area (over half which are in town)! This is a fantastic place for a weekend escape, but be sure to book rooms well in advance during holidays or peak times.
