Introduction

Murphys in the Sierra Foothills is one of the California wine towns. Imagine something like 20 tasting rooms on the old Gold Rush main street. The little town is quaint, relaxed, and historical in all directions. What a place to explore! A few other wineries are scattered about the area and not one of these are to be missed.

Traveler services are in Murphys and Angels Camp. There are a range of restaurants and cafes in Murphys including some excellent fine dining. Hotel rooms are limited so if they are full in Murphys head down the hill to Angels Camp where there are a few options. Sonora or Jamestown to the south are also options.

- Jim Preston

Must See Calaveras Wineries - an introduction to the region.

• Twisted Oak hilltop location
  • Landscape - humor, view. Haven't seen the rubber chicken national forest yet? It's just part of the twisted humor theme. Not to be missed.
• Ironstone
  • Architecture and interior - beautiful ski-lodge style tasting room with a huge fireplace, large gift shop, good deli, and cafe tables.
  • Landscaping - very extensive landscaping. Probably the best winery landscaping in California. Two creeks, gardens, forest, a large pond, and mining relics.
  • Picnic sites - stunning picnic grounds and granite top picnic tables! Purchase food at the deli, wine, and have the picnic of your life. No outside food allowed but the deli has more than enough variety.
  • Historical museum - HUGE gold nugget on display. Bigger than a human torso. Very big. Get it? Must see.
• Zucca Mountain
  • Interior ambiance - cozy, intimate, and quaint basement tasting rooms. Watch your head!
• Hatcher
  • Ambiance - cozy basement tasting room.

Off-The-Beaten-Track Calaveras Wineries

• Stevenot ranch location - "the ranch" tasting room
  • Setting - beautiful and remote setting in the mountains.
  • Architecture and interior - weathered exterior, renovated interior farmhouse tasting room with fireplace and view bar. Worth the mountain drive!
• Brice Station
  • Architecture and interior - an old cold war bomb shelter. Rather interesting actually.
  • Setting - far from the crowds in a pine forest. Huge blacksmith and pottery shops onsite.
• Laraine
  • Interior ambiance - renovated old farmhouse, very nice.
  • Setting - out in the hills and away from all the "action".
• Irish
  • Ambiance - tasting inside the family owned and operated working winery.
  • Setting - just of the highway but bypassed by the crowds.

Romantic Calaveras Wineries

A special ambiance for long quiet conversations and enjoying love. Usually we have a secluded outdoor scene in mind.

• Ironstone - a large pond, wooded creek, and great landscaping make this a top pick.
• Broll Mountain - a little Zen garden with water features.
• Indian Rock - wonderful pond.
• Stevenot ranch location - romantic old ranch setting in the mountains with renovated farmhouse tasting room.
• Twisted Oak in-town location - renovated older home for a tasting room with a huge yard and picnic tables.

Notes

Your tastes change frequently. Do wine ratings, gold medals, etc. really matter?

We have hundreds of winery interview videos in winery profiles. We shoot these at winery events because that is the cheapest way to gather content. It would be nice to go to each tasting room but this gets very expensive quickly. See our Compare Winery Features search engine for which wineries have videos in your target region.

We are adding our Discover California Wine Regions videos to the Recommended Wineries by Region pages.

California Wine Travel Planner