|
Fair Play Wine Trail
| Top Wineries
Latcham Vineyards |
Our home base in the Sierra Foothills is the town of Sutter Creek. From
Sutter Creek take Highway 49 towards Plymouth. Once in Plymouth, take
a right turn off Highway 49 onto Shenandoah Road. Travel about ten miles
on Shenandoah Road which becomes Mt. Aukum Road. Mt. Aukum Road veers
to the left. To the right is Omo Ranch Road. Take Mt. Aukum Road and
turn right onto Tower Road and drive up the hill to the first winery,
Mount Aukum Winery. |
Winery Descriptions, Driving Directions, Tasting Room
Hours
Mount Aukum Winery
Mount Aukum
Winery recently opened this new facility featuring one of
the most amazing views you will ever find in the wine country.
Three cousins own the winery, one handling the winemaking, and
the other two the business end of the winery. At the present time
they buy their grapes from vineyards in the Fair Play area and
other locations in California. They also have five estate vineyards
at this high altitude location, which will bear full fruit in a
few years. Our tastings reveal that these young wine owners are
off to a very good start. The Syrahs and Zinfandels are beautifully
balanced. Take a few moments to walk around and enjoy the view.
On a clear day it is possible to see sights that are 100 miles
away.
Tasting room is open Wed. thru Sunday 11 to 5 pm.
(530) 620-1675;
e-mail: brandie@mountaukum.com
Latcham Vineyards
From Mount Aulkum Winery head back up Mt. Aukum
Rd. Turn left onto Omo Ranch Road. The Latcham entrance
will be on the left. Drive up the hill to the blue barn tasting
room.At Latcham you will find a very friendly atmosphere and several
wines to taste. The owners here also own the nearby Granite Springs
Winery. Latcham makes some very good wines including their Zinfandel
varieties and the Barbera. If you are a port lover then you will
want to try the Latcham Port. If you are lucky on your visit, you
might find some homemade delicious Latcham brownies to sip with
your taste of Port.
Tasting room open daily 11 to 5 pm
(530) 620-6642, e-mail: latcham@directcon.net, Latcham
Vineyards
Fitzpatrick
Winery
Continue on Omo Ranch Road and turn left onto Fairplay
Road. Go through the very tiny town of Fair Play and continue on
Fairplay Road. Look for the entrance to the winery. You will find
a stunning vista from the tasting room deck and picnic area. This
is a great place to lunch. The winery also offers a very nice lunch
on the weekends. Enjoy the Plougmanís special on the deck
with a glass of wine. The winery also offers a Bed and Breakfast
with rooms overlooking the vineyards. The winery began producing
wines in 1980 and is the oldest of the Fair Play wineries. All
the grapes are organically grown and affordable wines are produced.
The Fitzpatrick deck is a great spot for a picnic lunch on a beautiful
day.
Tasting
room open Friday through Monday, 11 to 5 pm
(530) 620-3248, e-mail: fitzwine@footnet.com, Fitzpatrick
Winery
Cedarville Vineyard
Just a short distance from Fitzpatrick is Cedarville
Vineyard. Cedarville shares the same entrance road as Single Leaf
Vineyard. You will need to call ahead to this winery. Cedarville
is only open by appointment. Don’t pass up the chance to
visit this winery. Cedarville makes some of the best wines in the
Sierra Foothills. The husband-wife team of Jonathan Lachs and Susan
Marks are the owners and winemakers. They have put their heart
and soul into this winery and it's reflected in their great wines. They
are very gracious and will give you a brief spiel about the winery
and how they make their wines. The Grenache is a rare treat and
sells out almost the moment it is released. All the wines, except
for the Petite Syrah are estate grown. You will surely want
to bring home some wines from this winery.
Tasting Room is open by appointment only.
(530) 620-9463, e-mail: info@cedarvillevineyard.com,
Cedarville Vineyard
Windwalker
Vineyard & Winery
After leaving Cedarville continue on Fairplay Road and turn
right onto Perry Creek Road. In a short distance you will come
to Windwaker Vineyard & Winery. The Windwalker tasting room is
another beautiful spot in the Fair Play region. The tasting room
is cozy and friendly. It is a family affair here, with the owners
Page and Arnie Gilpin working the tasting room, while their son,
Rich does the winemaking. Wine production is small, 6000 cases, and
the wines are sold mainly at the winery or through the wine club.
The tasting room includes a nice gift shop and a very neat porch
for enjoying lunch. Make sure you try the Barbera. The Sangiovese
is also very nice.
Tasting room
open Wednesday-Sunday 11-5
(530) 620-4054, e-mail- agilpin@innercite.com, Windwalker
Vineyard
Oakstone
Winery
From Windwalker
continue on Perry Creek Road for a short distance and turn left onto Slug
Gulch Rd. Travel up the hill about another three quarters of a mile and the winery
will be to the right. The Oakstone Winery is a relatively new winery offering
several varieties of wine. The winery is owned and operated by Jim Smith. Jim
produces some very good wines including a Viognier; an award-winning Meritage
Wine; and a fine Chardonnay. The Meritage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc, Merlot, and sometimes Malbec and Petit Verdot. The Chardonnay is not made
from local vineyards but made from grapes grown in the Carneros region of the
Napa Valley. It is an excellent value. If you are looking for a good everyday
red table wine, try the Slug Gultch Gold ($8.00). The wines are
available only at the tasting room or by mail order.
Tasting room open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 to 5pm
(530) 620-5303, e-mail: oakstone@innercite.com, Oakstone
Winery
|
