El Dorado Passport Weekend

On to Granite Springs Winery , one of the original wineries of the region with more awards than we can count.  There was quite the party going on when we arrived with another wonderful food selection.  Although they had a great Zin, I am particularly fond of their desert wines made with two Muscat grapes and another from Petite Sirah.  They are positively luscious and this year was no disappointment.  Of course these were paired with a wonderful cheesecake, definitely worth the stop. 

The next two wineries we visited were close to one another on Fair Play Road, Single Leaf Vineyards and Fitzpatrick Winery .  Single Leaf, probably more than any other El Dorado Winery, has made a name for itself with its great Zinfandels.  Today was no disappointment and the place was hopping selling futures of their latest vintage.  They also allowed customers to bottle their own magnum, which was pretty fun. Fitzpatrick, the oldest of the Fair Play Wineries, is located in a great log mountain lodge with views of the Sierras and foothills that will take your breath away.  Fitzpatrick is also one of a growing number of wineries that use Organic Farming Practices.  Although the crowds at both wineries were fairly large they did an excellent job of  keeping people moving and food and wine flowing. 

Perry Creek Vineyards , another of the stalwarts of the region, was our next stop.   When we got to the winery the parking lot was almost full, but Perry Creek is a large winery with more than enough room to accommodate large crowds.  This is the home of ZinMan and the winemaker, Nancy Steele was on hand signing bottles of this popular table wine.  We got there late in the day and it was obvious they had been much busier earlier.  We had pretty much had enough food, but there is always room for chocolate and a port style wine. 

Last on our itinerary was Sierra Oaks Estate , a fairly new winery to the region and one we had never been to before.  The winery had set up some tents in the parking lot to accommodate the crowds effectively complete with clowns and a great party atmosphere.  The star of the show was the winery’s double gold winning Cabernet Sauvignon and their Zinfandel/Barbera blend; a fitting end to a great day.

Day two started at David Girard Vineyardsin the Coloma area of the county, another winery specializing in Rhone Varietals.  It was drizzling just slightly that morning, but cleared quickly.  That didn’t prevent us from having a great time in the area set aside just for this event and we went on to taste some great wines.  The highlight was an opportunity to do a barrel tasting of their new Mourvedre with winemaker Mari Wells and vineyard manager Ron Mansfield.  They were very gracious hosts and allowed us to get some great in-site into the grapes and wines of the estate.

Next was a winery we had been intending to visit for a long time; Venezio Vineyards & Winery .  Located just north of Coloma this winery is at the far north end of the region.  The winery is operated out of a beautiful farm house style building and offered yet another opportunity to drink wine poured by the winemaker himself.  The Italian style food was beautifully paired to the wines and the crowds were not significant which gave us a chance to enjoy the wonderful hospitality.  Evidently before we were there and later that day the crowds were much larger, however we timed it perfectly. Continued ...