In 1849 people came by the thousands to mine for gold in the Sierra Foothills of Califonia. Today the gold may be gone but people still “rush” to Gold Country by the thousands for a different treasure, wine! In the town of Murphys, you can visit over two dozen wineries by foot. Stumble down Main Street and you will see tasting room after tasting room all representing wineries from the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance. If you are a bit more adventurous you can book a wine tour with Courtwood Wine Tasting Tours and have Chris Parker lead you on a wine tasting adventure through Calaveras County. Leave your car and your worries at the hotel you’re going Calaveras County wine tasting tour!
Today’s tour with Chris involves three different wineries. Twisted Oak Winery, Chatom Winery and Ayrael Vieux. Each is unique and offers a different experience, not to mention great wines. The first stop on our Calaveras County wine tasting tour is Twisted Oak Winery located at 4280 Red Hill Road, Vallecito.
Not only is the winery and tasting room at the vineyard this is also the location for their Summer Concert Series which looks to be a lot of fun. Inside we go for a full flight of tastings. The varietals grown on the property include Rhone and Iberian grapes so be adventurous and try some wine you may not have had before like a 2013 Carignane. This was my personal favourite.
As part of the tour, I was taken into the Wine Cave where all the barrels are stored. OMG, it’s amazing to be surrounded by all that wine. Now if only I had a big glass to fill up.
We are off to our next stop which is Chatom Winery at 1969 CA-4 Murphys. The winery has recently undergone an ownership switch so the current batch of wines we are tasting are from the previous winemaker. The current winemaker has a spectacular reputation so I expect the wines will get even better when you visit in a few years.
We had our tasting inside the winery however if I was to have stayed longer I may have purchased a glass or two and hung out under the impressive pergola and enjoyed the wine.
The tasting included a few whites and a few reds, all delicious. My favourite was the 2013 Sangiovese and the Syrah. What will you prefer? Only a tasting will tell.
Our third and final stop of the Calaveras County wine tasting tour takes us to the smallest winery I’ve ever visited Ayrael Vieux at 690 Monge Ranch Rd, Douglas Flat.
I loved this winery and the couple that run it. Chances that I would have visited it on my own are slim as you need to schedule your tasting in advance to make sure they are there. The vineyard is just 1.5 acres in size and completely managed by the husband and wife owners. This means they do the weeding, the watering… you name it they do it.
Inside their tasting room, Bob pours me a few glasses of wine to taste. I loved them all but LOVED the Rose. So much so that I bought a bottle to take with me to friends for dinner one night.
If you want to visit a true boutique winery then you have to come by Ayrael Vieux. Production is under 1000 cases of wine a year so if you like it you should buy it ASAP. Visit them between 12 to 5pm Friday, Saturday and Sundays or call ahead to make an appointment. Or, visit them as part of your Calaveras County wine tour with Courtwood Wine Tasting Tour.
Whether you take a tour or explore the tasting rooms of Murphys on foot I think you will discover that California has more wine regions to offer than just Napa and Sonoma. A visit to Calaveras County is not just easy it’s a little slower paced than the busier counties along the coast.
Happy wine tasting!