So, if your "Foothills Favorites" have so far consisted of the fine wineries of Amador and El Dorado counties, I'd like to invite you to expand your horizons to the south: Calaveras County. As I converse with visitors to our Solomon Wines tasting room in Clarksburg, I find a majority of visitors are familiar with Calaveras thru the county fair and their Jumping Frog Jubilee. (Which all came about as a result of Mark Twain's first book: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. (Which was actually written while he was still Samuel Clemens, but more about that later)). Many have been to Calaveras and Angels Camp - some have even tasted wines there. But for most that was an experience that occurred many years ago, back when Calaveras wines were but a nascent industry.
Well, it's time to come back!
The Calaveras wine regioin now consists of 21 wineries (and growing!). Over the weekend of June 20 - 22, the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance wlll be holding its 12th annual Passport Weekend. In addition to the regular Passport winery tour on Saturday and Sunday (with each winery offering barrel/special tastings, food, and entertainment for Passport holders), a new event this year is a Friday Picnic in the Park (Murphys Community Park - right in the heart of Murphys) with the theme "Taste the World of Calaveras Wines." This event will showcase the diversity of the Calaveras growing region, as the park will be divided into five different "world growing regions" (Spain, Italy, California, Rhone, and Rest of France), with wines and foods at each region selected to be endemic to those regions. Taste Sangiovese and Vermentiono in Italy; taste Tempranillo and Albarino in Spain, etc.
The cost is $60 for all three days, $40 for either Saturday or Sunday only Passports (includes Friday picnic), or $30 for Friday only. To buy in advance, please visit www.CalaverasWines.org.