From Ray Mullins, SHARE AADI/LE and Programming Languages (AADI/Lang) Project Manager

As Marty mentioned in the Message from SHARE, Sacramento is a great spot for vacationing before or after the conference. The city is also conveniently located near many “wine countries,” and makes the perfect jumping-off point for day trips for oenophiles. All well-known varieties are grown in the surrounding area, and one can find sparkling wines and port, in addition to the traditional red, white, and rosé we know and love.

Napa and Sonoma Areas
Although the area was affected by wildfires in October, the majority of vineyards and wineries are welcoming visitors. There are too many wineries in the area to single out any one, but I recommend smaller ones, as I find those experiences are friendlier and generally less crowded.

Lake County
Located north of Napa County, Lake County hosts several excellent wineries, about two hours west of Sacramento. Most of the wineries are located to the southwest of Clear Lake, but my favorite is Brassfield Estate Winery, located on the northeastern side of the lake. The majority of their wines are grown on the estate and their Eruption red blend is an excellent choice.

Sierra Foothills American Viticultural Area (AVA)
Closer to Sacramento, this spot is about an hour away. Most wineries here are located in Amador and El Dorado Counties to the east, but Placer and Nevada Counties to the northeast are also worth visiting. In fact, there is a small winery 15 minutes away from my house in suburban Roseville!

El Dorado County boasts two centers of vine activity: the Camino/Apple Hill area, east of Placerville, and south of there, the Somerset/Fair Play area. Lava Cap in Apple Hill is a favorite. In Fair Play, I enjoy Gwinllan Estate, Sentivo and Toogood Winery. Gwinllan and Toogood have a cave built into the hill with tastings, and Toogood and Sentivo have exterior rooms. The view from Gwinllan is exceptional when the weather is good. Toogood is also known for its variety of ports and port-style wines.

Shenandoah Valley AVA
You can’t go wrong with the wineries in Amador County, in the Shenandoah Valley AVA. Personal favorites include Iron Hub, Cooper Vineyards, Jeff Runquist, Scott Harvey, Bella Grace, Bray Vineyards and C.G. di Arie. Jeff Runquist’s wines have won many gold and double-gold medals, and Cooper is the home of Dick Cooper, who discovered that many grape varieties other than Zinfandel, especially Barbera, thrive in the area.

Sutter Creek
Located south of the Fair Play area, this Gold Rush town boasts many tasting rooms, including one for Bella Grace. My favorite is a small winery, Feist. While there, take some time to wander Main St., as well as Amador City (just north on Old Hwy. 49). Many of the buildings in these towns date from the latter third of the 19^th century. Sutter Creek is also known for the Knight Foundry, once the largest water-powered ironworks in the U.S. It has been purchased by the city as a historical attraction and is being restored.

Clarksburg, Delta Region
If you only have a little time, I recommend visiting Clarksburg, in the Delta region. It’s 20 minutes south of downtown Sacramento and you are in the agricultural heart of the Central Valley. Nearby wineries to visit include Bogle, a long-time producer of wine, and Old Sugar Mill, where there are 15 tasting rooms.

California is rightly known for the wines from Napa and Sonoma, but the areas around Sacramento produce wines, in my opinion, that are of equal quality to more famous ones from the west. Take a break, stay over the weekend, and give our local products a try. Sacramento is America’s Farm-To-Fork Capital^®, and that includes wines.

Note: Winery days and hours of operation vary. All are open weekends, many on Friday, most on Thursday, some are open all week.

Looking for other attractions, like restaurants, breweries, and historic sites in Sacramento? Check out this post I wrote for mindSHARE, featuring my Sacramento “musts.”