Sutter Creek Getaway - Sierra Foothills

Sierra Foothills Getaway, February 2007

The town of Sutter Creek is our home base for this annual trip. This is a great little town with plenty of gold country history and lore.

Our recommendations should you travel to Sutter Creek:

Where to stay: Hanford House Inn, Grey Gables Inn in Sutter Creek

Where to eat: Taste Restaurant in Plymouth, Susan's Place Wine Bar & Eatery in Sutter Creek

Where to deli: Amador Vintage Market

Wine Tasting: Busby, Cedarville, Latcham, Perry Creek, Deaver, Renwood, Cooper. Sierra Foothills Wine Trails

Our Reviews

Busby Cellars Vineyard & Winery - 6375 Grizzly Flat Road, Somerset, CA

Busby Cellars is in the Fair Play Wine Appellation in El Dorado Country. It is about a 40-minute drive from Sutter Creek. A visit to this winery is definitely worth the ride. Nearby are other Fair Play wineries such as Cedarville, Latcham, and Perry Creek.

Busby Cellars opened its doors a couple of years ago and is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Sherrie and Elliot Graham. The winery is in a beautiful area of Fair Play AVA known as Grizzly Flat. Busby Cellars makes very small amounts of varietals from estate grown vineyards. Elliot is the winemaker while Sherrie tends to other wine business and the tasting room. On the winery property is one of the most remarkable barns in the Sierra Foothills. It is certainly a photographer?s delight. As far as their wines, we think there are very good and the prices are reasonable. Our two favorites were the Grenache and the Zinfandel. Soon, they will be producing a Tempranillo, which we cannot wait to try.

To get to Busby head towards Plymouth on Highway 49. In Plymouth, take a right on Shenandoah Road, which eventually becomes Mount Aukum Road. Take a right on Grizzly Flat Road.

Busby is open Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 5:30 pm or by appointment.

The Good: Small family owned winery, good value wines, and beautiful scenery.

The Bad: A little out of the way.

Our overall Rating for Tasting Room Experience (Five Point Rating Scale): 4 points

Caffe Via d'Oro Restaurant - 36 Main Street, Sutter Creek

The Caffe Via d'Oro recently reopened after new owners remodeled and revamped the old restaurant. The restaurant is now very classy looking and inviting. Our group of ten went to the restaurant for dinner. The menu is very traditional and extensive, with offerings of steak, fish, chicken, and pastas. Our dining experience was best described as uneven. Our party was split as far as our entrees were concerned. Some thought they were absolutely wonderful, while the others thought they were mediocre at best. Anyone who ordered the rib eye was disappointed. It was served luke warm and had to be sent back. The service was extremely slow. Maybe it was due to our large party, but we did do a lot of long waiting.

The Good: Nice decor, lots on the menu, excellent wine list.

The Bad: Food was just so-so. Service slow.

Our overall Rating (Five Point Rating Scale): 3 points

Hanford House Bed & Breakfast - 61 Hanford Street in Sutter Creek

We have stayed at the Hanford House for the past five years. The rooms are all nicely decorated and there are some nice amenities. Many of the rooms have a gas fireplace, which is nice in the winter months. In the morning (by 6.a.m) there are coffee and small pastries and the newspaper. Breakfast is always delicious. If you are health conscious there are some alternate choices for breakfast. In the evening appetizers are provided along with wine. Our only recommendation comes in the wine department. Wouldn't it be nice to have a local vintner pour his or her wines or have a few more local wines represented rather than just the one.

The Good: The rooms and the breakfasts.

The Amador Vintage Market is a very good place to stock up for a picnic lunch in the Sierra Foothill wine country. The problem is, since it is the best spot, it is also very crowded and busy. We anticipated this and called ahead, but they were so occupied with customers all we could do was place an order with a voice mail message. That of course never works. We ended up waiting a good half-hour for our lunch.

It was worth the wait and we had a wonderful picnic at Deaver Vineyards. Deaver Vineyards has a beautiful pond and a large grassy area where one can relax in beauty and solitude. Plus, the wines at Deaver are very good. It is one of Amador?s best-kept secrets.

The Good: Great deli lunches and other gourmet items.

The Bad: Very crowded on weekends.

Our overall Rating (Five Point Rating Scale): 4.5