Sierra Foothills

Sierra Foothills

Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery

clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon

The founders, Mario and Linda Clough, were enjoying a glass of wine on the hilltop of their beautiful property when Mario shared his dream of owning a vineyard and winery. This dream quickly evolved into a shared passion, leading to the founding of Lucchesi Vineyards and Winery. With the support of friends, family, and their five children, the vines were planted in 2000. Since then, this stunning, view-filled vineyard in Grass Valley has remained family-owned and operated.

The Land
The 20-acre vineyard and winery is nestled in the Sierra Foothills, offering breathtaking views of Nevada County and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The southwestern exposure of the land maximizes sunlight, allowing the grapes to ripen perfectly, resulting in concentrated flavor, color, and texture. The finest grapes in the Sierra Foothills grow here, serving as the foundation for their artisanally crafted wines. The Cloughs’ love for the land is reflected in every bottle, and they hope visitors can taste this passion while enjoying wine tastings at their beautiful Grass Valley winery.

The Wines
Lucchesi Vineyards specializes in traditionally crafted wines produced in small lots to capture their varietal character and regional qualities. The winery currently grows 16 different varietals, including Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Pinot Grigio, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot, along with three Portuguese Port varietals: Tinto Cão, Tinta Negra Molé, and Touriga Nacional. They invite everyone to come for wine tasting at the vineyard, which is open daily from 12 PM to 5 PM.

Photo courtesy of photographer Randy Caparoso

Sierra Vista Winery

clusters of grapes

Sierra Vista: An El Dorado Original Since 1974

In 2024, Sierra Vista Wines proudly celebrates 50 years as one of the first and original wineries in the Sierra Foothills. This medium-sized boutique winery and vineyard is nestled in the picturesque landscape of El Dorado County, CA. Sierra Vista Winery seamlessly integrates the artistry of winemaking with the natural beauty of its 50-year-old legacy vineyard.

Each vintage begins with meticulous vineyard management, where skilled viticulturists tend to the vines, ensuring optimal grape ripening and quality. Harvesting is executed with precision, as grapes are hand-selected at their peak of maturity to capture the essence of the terroir.

Upon harvest, the grapes are immediately processed by a team of experienced and passionate winemakers and barrel hands. The winemaking process—encompassing crushing, fermenting, aging, and blending—focuses on preserving the unique characteristics of each varietal.

Sierra Vista Winery embraces sustainable and eco-friendly practices throughout its operations, reflecting a commitment to environmental stewardship. The winery features a welcoming tasting room where guests can savor a diverse range of wines grown, produced, and bottled on-site.

Knowledgeable Tasting Room staff members provide insights into the winemaking journey and guide visitors through curated tastings, creating memorable and educational experiences.

In addition, Sierra Vista actively hosts on-site wine events, live music, and food pairings, showcasing its exceptional products and engaging with the broader wine community. With a steadfast commitment to excellence, sustainability, and a passion for the art of winemaking, Sierra Vista aims to stand as a beacon of quality in fine wines.

photo courtesy photographer Randy Caparoso

Toogood Estate Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

About Toogood Estate Winery

In December 2019, Toogood Estate Winery was purchased by the Ron and Darin Mittelstaedt family from El Dorado Hills. Their sons, Bradley and Timothy, along with Tim’s fiancé Kayla, are involved in the daily operations, each contributing their unique skill sets to the winery. The family is supported by a dedicated staff that has previously provided excellent wine knowledge and expertise. Their daughter, Haley, plans to join the team after completing her studies in Texas. Ron and Darin can be found on-site most weekends, assisting with various operations.

With years of experience in diverse business sectors, Ron and Darin are excited to help Toogood Estate Wines grow and flourish. Plans for new developments are underway, building on the foundation established by Paul Toogood, who started the winery in 2001.

The talented and beloved winemaker, Marco Cappelli, will remain with the winery, continuing to craft the wines that many have come to cherish. The family looks forward to being an active part of the Fairplay wine community.

Toogood Estate Winery was established on a picturesque 40-acre parcel of rolling foothills purchased in May 2001. This quarter-mile square property features microclimates ideal for the carefully selected grape varieties. Excavation for the wine cave began on September 11, 2001, and was completed nine months later, resulting in 5,000 square feet of underground winery production and aging space, all maintained in a delicately controlled atmosphere.

The winery's first crush was the 2002 vintage, with the initial bottling occurring in January 2003. Since then, sales and acceptance of the wines have been remarkable.

Currently, the vineyards boast 12 acres planted with a variety of grapes, including Zinfandel, Primitivo, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah. Visitors are always welcome to come by and say hello.

Photo courstesy of photographer Randy Caparoso

Cedarville Vineyard

people sharing wine

In 1995, Jonathan Lachs & Susan Marks found the perfectly situated 20 acre property at 2,500 ft. elevation, located 1/2 mile up a dirt road from Fair Play Road, which would become Cedarville Vineyard. With Cedarville Vineryard 15 acres of vineyard coming into maturity, in 2000 Jonathan & Susan built the winery here on the estate. The panoramic views from the top of our vineyard spread from Mount St. Helena to the west to Pyramid Peak in the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada to the east. Jonathan and Susan chose the name, Cedarville, in honor of a nearby ghost town (founded in 1852) that boomed for ten years during the Gold Rush. Now, 150 years later, little remains of the original town, but the winemakers feel connected to the spirit of the pioneers of this historic area.

Oakstone Winery

grape cluster

How many tasting rooms do you know of where the owner / vintner is there pouring? It's an added bonus that lets you know he's not only interested in his passion, but interested in your enjoyment of his wines as well. Winemaker John Smith is not only very happy to pour for you, but is just as willing to tell his wine's story to a seasoned oenophile or neophyte alike.

Cantiga Wine Works

pouring glass of wine by Pixabay

Cantiga Wineworks is a small family winery nestled in California's Sierra Foothills. They craft wines using classical methods that are rarely seen today, reviving the art of winemaking designed for long-term cellaring. Their focus is on producing food-friendly wines, reclaiming wine's traditional role at the dinner table. Cantiga’s wines are made through gentle, minimal intervention techniques, and are fermented without malolactic fermentation to preserve the natural varietal character, acidity, and balance. They also use minimal sulfites and avoid unnecessary processing.

Winemaker Rich Rorden has been involved in winemaking for as long as he can remember, learning much of his technique from his father, Bud. In making wine for Cantiga Wineworks, Rich seeks to preserve the family’s winemaking methods while adapting them to meet the unique challenges of commercial production. Before founding Cantiga, Rich worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he spent over a decade at TRW in Manhattan Beach, designing satellites for both commercial and government projects. Rich now applies the same meticulous attention to detail to his winemaking craft.

 

 

Di Vittorio Winery

harvesting wine grapes

A boutique winery that is located in the Sierra Foothills that uses tradititonal proceww that the diVittorio family has used since their immigrated to America in 1904. A small on-site still is used to produce the distillate that is the brandy composing the port wines and soon to come California Calvados. The wines and brandy are aged in oak barrels in the stable environment of a cave for at least 2 years before bottling.

Fleur De Lys Winery

wine while camping in tent

Fleur De Lys Winery is a winery located in Somerset, California. The winery is owned by Robert and Mireille Lajoie. The wine at Fleur De Lys Winery is produced by Robert Lajoie. De Lys Winery produces the following wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Syrah, Port, Roussanne, Syrah/Shiraz, Viognier and Zinfandel. Fleur De Lys Winery has the following amenities you can enjoy: Barrel Room, Family Environment, Pet Friendly Grounds, Private Events, Private Tastings, Retail Sales, Scenic Views, Wine & Food Pairing.

Clarskburg Wine Company

wine corks and glass - pixabay

Neighboring the city of Sacramento, and nestled along the Sacramento River, the Clarksburg appellation provides a premier location for growing high quality grapes. Delta breezes provide a microclimate that brings out the true potential of the grapes. Clarksburg Wine Company is committed to producing world-class wines from these signature grapes and willing to place their wines shoulder to shoulder with wines from California’s other great wine growing regions.

Bertagna Son Kissed Vineyard

glass of wine

Farming is embedded in the Bertagna family and dates back four generations. Located in Chico, California the Bertagnas specialize in making premium traditional and non-traditional Italian Wines.

 

In 2001, Berton and Carol started their vineyard in their front yard with their two young sons. They began making wine for family and friends who encouraged them to make it available to our community. In 2007 they opened their first winery. They continue to grow their winemaking business and have recently opened a new tasting room. Visit Almendra Winery & Distillery where you can enjoy our wine with family and friends.

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