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Foothill Wine & Wineries
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Amador County Wineries
With more than 30 wineries, Amador and its famous Shenandoah Valley produces more wine than the other foothill counties. The larger corporate wineries include Terra d'Oro and Renwood. However, most of Amador's wineries are family operations, where visitors often -- even usually -- get to meet and discuss the wines with the owner or winemaker. They are often the same person, although wine consultants (free-lance winermakers) are hired by some operations.
Amador's wine history started with Mission grapes -- brought to this country by Spanish priests -- and then the original roots for Zinfandel were brought from somewhere in Europe, probably Croatia. This happened during the Gold Rush period, when Europeans flocked to Amador and nearby counties to search for gold, and some stayed to settle the foothills. Wine was a product of the area for many years -- surviving the years of prohibition when Zinfandel grapes were shipped to home winemakers in San Francisco, the only type of winery allowed during prohibition.
From the 1980s Amador vintners expanded their offerings with other varieties including Italian (Barbera, Sangiovese) and French -- mainly Rhone -- varieties. Vintnters now produce a wide range of distinctive wines that thrive in the higher elevations, the hot summers, and the granitic soil.
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