It's been called "Gold Country" since the mid 1800s
when people from all over the world came to the Sierra
Foothills to seek their fortunes during the great
California Gold Rush, and some planted grape vines they
brought from Europe. Now there are wonderful wines made
by the wineries of the Foothill Region
Along with picks, shovels, and rockers, the people who
came to California for gold also brought grape vines, and
planted vineyards near the gold fields. And so the early
history of the State of California included the making of
wine -- mostly with mission grapes, which came north from
the formerly Spanish missions. But along with the mission
variety, another grape -- quite different -- was imported
from somewhere in the Adriatic region (Italy or maybe
Croatia) -- and the wine made from this grape became
known as Zinfandel.
Zinfandel
quickly became the most prominent wine of Gold Country, and
these vineyards operated non-stop, even during the
prohibition years. Amador
County was the only county in the state to actually
expand its vineyard acreage during prohibition, with the
grapes taken to San Francisco and other cities for home wine
makers. The Shenandoah Valley Museum at Sobon
Estate Winery (above) displays artifacts of that
early era, in an historic winery building.
It's The Soil
Ask
a foothill winemaker what gives foothill wines their unusual
robust taste, and they'll tell you "it's the soil." Most of
the vineyards at the 2000 foot elevation are set in a soil
made of decomposed granite, a product of erosion from the
Sierra Nevada range. This granitic soil is typical of the
Shenandoah Valley in Amador
County, around Murphys in Calaveras
County, and in the Fair Play/Somerset area in El
Dorado County. The view from Oakstone,
near Fair Play (above), is a typical valley scene.
At the higher El Dorado elevations (close to 3,000) the
soil is composed of finely crushed volcanic rock thrown up
by volcanoes in the Lake Tahoe area some ten million years
ago. Lava Cap
Winery, takes its name from the soil in its more
than 130 acres of vineyard. Boeger
Winery is nearby but a little lower in
elevation.
Both types of soil have good drainage, and very few
nutrients, making the vines send their roots deep into the
soil to hunt for food and water. The substantial root
structure provides the grapes with the flavors of the
specific vineyard site. Some of the vineyards are dry farmed
-- with no summer irrigation. These vines bask in the
intense summer sunshine, and produce skins with a deep
blue/black color. Stressed vines produce richer, more deeply
flavored Zinfandels, Cabernets, and Syrahs.
