There are three small Murphys / Calaveras County, CA wineries that are close together, rather bundled for a day trip, and are full of warm personality and taste variety.  The three are on Highway 4 between Angels Camp and Murphys so it would be hard to get lost.  Try all three for a day trip and then head into Murphys for dinner, or another tasting room + dinner.

1)  Twisted Oak is on a hill to your right as you approach Vallecitos.  You can’t miss the big sign on the barn.  Make a quick right on that side road and another right up a loooong driveway to the top.  You’ll pass through the “Rubber Chicken National Forest” and other such odd attractions in the forest.  This is the most unusual approach to a winery in California.  The view from the top is incredible.  The wines are interesting blends that are a wonderful taste adventure.  (I’ve previously blogged about them.)  We love Twisted Oak wines with Italian food!  Unfortunately there isn’t a window behind the tasting bar so you could both taste and enjoy the view.

2)  Irish Vineyards is just up the highway on the right past a side road and bridge.  Irish produces a large selection of tasty blends and varietals.  I would tell you a bit more about the wines but we drank them months ago.  Loved ‘em but can’t remember the details.  You taste in the working winery with winery stuff in all directions.  The family is entertaining and informative.  Owners often pour.  There is also a winery dog.

3) Chatom Vineyards is further up Highway 4 toward Murphys.  This is a woman owned winery with a good selection of varietals.  Their wines are refined, soft, and with medium body.  These are gentle sipping wines.  We particularly enjoyed their 04 Cab and Zin.  The tasting room is warm and cozy in the winter and the staff is always friendly.   The surrounding area is well landscaped and there are picnic tables under a trellis.

While there are many wonderful winery tasting rooms in the Murphys area these and Ironstone we rarely pass up.  See their Wine Questers portfolios for more information and photos.

Next summer we’ll start production of a video on California wine towns.  Murphys will be featured.

- jim

I just returned from a three day video shoot of three Sierra Foothills regions; El Dorado, Amador, and Murphys / Calaveras.  I travel and visit hundreds of tasting rooms a year and only buy wines that I find unusually interesting to taste.  As always I’m not going to tell you what you will taste in whatever context you drink wine but if you are looking for a taste adventure try these outstanding wines.

Tanner – Murphys / Calaveras region.  The Tanners have been growers for decades but are recent to winemaking.  They opened a tasting room in Murphys last summer.  I’m very impressed with all their wines but these stand out:

• Vermentino – A rare white grape and VERY dry.  Almost no flavor but interesting taste anyway.  Nice surprise of a wine.
• 2006 Syrah
• 2006 Petit Verdot

Twisted Oak – Murphys / Calaveras region.  This hilltop winery has great views and is very friendly.  The long driveway is, well, entertaining, and will be featured in our upcoming video on the region.

• 2005 Murgatroyd
• 2006 The Spaniard
• 2005 Tanner Vineyard Syrah
• 2006 Pig Stai Calaveras County port

Amador Cellars – Amador region.  This little winery in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley just east of Highway 49 is home to an interesting range of wines.  The winemaker experimented with some older style techniques and the result are the following three robust wines.  Amador makes softer wines that are popular now but for those of us who want plenty of flavor and nose then try these!

• 2004 Syrah
• 2004 Zinfandel
• 2006 Zinfandel
• 2005 Rapscallion – Zin – Syrah blend with oak and taste adventure in a cute little 1 liter jug!

Chatom Vineyards – Murphys / Calaveras region.  Chatom is woman owned and operated with an intimate tasting room and events in their barrel room.  Nice landscaping, very friendly staff, owner pours, and arbor covered picnic area make Chatom one of our favorite destinations.

• 2006 Chardonnay
• 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2004 Zinfandel

Stevenot – Murphys / Calaveras region.  I tasted a few wines at the ranch, their remote and wonderfully romantic tasting room.  This tasting room is in an old house in a deep valley with the winery’s old barns nearby.  They have a picnic area under a grape arbor. $72 for a case of their Red Rover stainless steel aged Chardonnay so I bought a case.  Their other wines are good but I can’t buy everything.  We are always running out of Chard so I stocked up.

Ironstone – Murphys / Calaveras region.  Besides a stunningly beautiful site with great landscaping and one of our Gold Star Picnic Areas, Ironstone has some fine wines at very reasonable prices.  Their Cabs tend to be rather tasteless for me but Merlot, Syrah, and Cab Franc are wonderful.  They had an incredible case sale on Saturday of their export brands so I picked up a couple of cases of Chard for $30 a case.  (We’ve paid as low as $18 a case for decent wine at times.) This Chard is oaky and buttery which goes well with some of our evening appetizer dinners.  Ironstone often has great deals at events.  I would have bought far more if we had any space left at home for storage.

- jim