Amador County Wineries

See a map of the Amador County wineries for locations and tasting room hours.

California’s wine industry took flight during the Gold Rush of the 1850’s, amid the
rugged western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. As fortune seekers
flocked to the Sierras to prospect for gold, small wineries arose to help slake their
thirst. Within a few decades, there were over 100 wineries in the area known as
the Mother Lode. Some of the vineyards planted during that era survive to this day.

The decline of gold mining at the end of the 19th-century, followed by the advent
of Prohibition in 1920, devastated this frontier wine community. Then in the 1960’s
a new generation of pioneers began migrating to Amador County, this time drawn
by the region’s rolling, sun-drenched hillsides, warm daytime temperatures, and
volcanic, decomposed granite soils – ideal conditions for producing top-quality
wine grapes. When their robustly flavored wines began attracting the attention of
wine lovers throughout California and the U.S., the historic Sierra Foothills wine
region was reborn.

Today, Amador County is home to nearly 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. Traditionally,
Amador’s signature grape variety has been Zinfandel with over 2,000 acres planted,
but more recently vintners have been producing superb examples of Italian and
southern French varietals, especially Barbera.

Experience wine country the way it used to be; quaint, family-owned and nestled
along scenic backroads in some of California’s most picturesque rural settings,
where chatting with the winemaker isn’t all that uncommon and unpretentious
hospitality is the norm. Where gold once reigned, a new treasure is produced:
the superb wines which have earned Amador County international acclaim.

For more information on Amador Vintner's Association member wineries,
go to www.amadorwine.com