California wine region

El Dorado County Wineries and Tasting Rooms

Hillside vineyards climb from about 1,000 to 3,500 feet, with wineries spread from Apple Hill near Camino south to Fair Play.

55+ places in Cruv · 40+ upcoming events

At a glance

Fair Play
Small, family-owned wineries around Fair Play, Somerset and Mount Aukum, in the south of the county. Fair Play became an AVA in 2001 and lies within the El Dorado AVA.
25+ places in Cruv
Placerville
A Gold Rush town with shops and restaurants along historic Main Street. Many wineries are minutes from downtown and Highway 50, so the town is a handy place to start or end your day.
20+ places in Cruv
Apple Hill and Camino
Wineries around Camino sit among the family farms of the Apple Hill area near Placerville. October weekends draw crowds, so book lodging early.
7 places in Cruv

Also in El Dorado County: Coloma and Garden Valley.

Reservations: Walk-ins are welcome at most tasting rooms. Call ahead with a larger group, and book food pairings where they're offered.
Tasting fees: Fees vary by winery and by experience, and food pairings, where offered, can cost extra on top of the tasting.
Getting there: Placerville, where Highways 50 and 49 meet, is about 55 miles, roughly an hour's drive, from Sacramento's airport.
Best time to visit: Fall brings the grape harvest and apple season at Apple Hill. Days are warm in summer, but nights stay cool, so pack a layer.
Getting around: Wineries spread from Camino and Placerville south to Fair Play, often on winding two-lane roads, so line up a designated driver, a rideshare or a tour.

Each spring, participating wineries hold a ticketed passport weekend, and fall brings harvest events at wineries.

Amador County
Some of Amador's dry-farmed Zinfandel vines date to the 1800s, and Sutter Creek's tasting rooms sit a short walk apart.
55+ places in Cruv · 35+ upcoming events
Placer County
Mostly family-run wineries, most of them pouring Zinfandel, in Gold Country foothills that begin about 30 miles east of Sacramento.
20+ places in Cruv · 30+ upcoming events
Calaveras County
Most of Calaveras County's tasting rooms are in the Gold Rush town of Murphys, pouring Barbera and Tempranillo along with old-vine Zinfandel.
25+ places in Cruv · 20+ upcoming events
Lodi
Old-vine Zinfandel shares Lodi's vineyards with more than 100 other grape varieties, and most tastings need no reservation.
60+ places in Cruv · 85+ upcoming events