El Dorado County Wineries: The Secret is Getting Out
- Staff Writer
- May 21, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2024
For wine lovers who live between El Dorado Hills and South Lake Tahoe and who like to buy locally, El Dorado County is fortunately home to many excellent wines and great tasting experiences.
Many area residents are now realizing just how good the wines are in this region.
The El Dorado County AVAs
The El Dorado American Viticultural Area (AVA) was established in 1983 and is contained within the Sierra Foothills AVA.
The Fair Play AVA, established in 2001, is a sub-region of the El Dorado AVA.
The Wines of The County
El Dorado County wine country is unique because it is made up mainly of mountain vineyards hundreds to thousands of feet above the surrounding Sacramento Valley — in the Sierra foothills.
There are over 70 different wineries in El Dorado wine country. Each one offers visitors something unique and worth making a trip for.
The region grows some of the most sought-after grapes in the world from countries like France (Bordeau & Rhône), Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Germany.
Combined with the area’s unique climate and geography, these varieties mean a wide range of unique flavors, ideal for wine tasting.
Wineries to Visit
Here is a partial list of El Dorado County wineries. We included a link to each winery's visitor information page and also provided the tasting room address.
Some tasting rooms are only available by reservation. Other wineries encourage visitors to drop in.
Boeger Winery
Boeger Winery is a family-owned winery in Placerville, California. They produce various wines, including Zinfandels, Cabernet Sauvignons, and Chardonnays. They also have a Tempranillo.
Founded in 1972, Boeger Winery was the first post-Prohibition winery in the El Dorado AVA.
The winery is known for its relaxed atmosphere and commitment to sustainable winemaking.
Tasting Room Address
Bumgarner Winery
Bumgarner Winery is a family-owned and operated winery in the El Dorado AVA of California. The winery was founded in the early 2000s by Gary and Judy Bumgarner, passionate about winemaking and creating high-quality wines.
Bumgarner Winery has two tasting rooms, one in Camino and one in Fair Play. The tasting rooms offer a variety of wines to taste, including Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
The winery also offers events throughout the year, such as winemaker dinners, barrel tastings, and live music.
Camino Tasting Room Address
3550 Carson Rd., Bldg. B, Camino, CA 95709
Fair Play Tasting Room Address
7380 Vineyard View Dr, Fair Play, CA 95684
Busby Cellars
Busby Cellars is one of the Fair Play wineries. Busby is unique among most wineries because it has an on-site lodging rental.
A Level 7 Local Guide on Google said Busby has excellent service and superb wines at a reasonable price point.
Tasting Room Address
6375 Grizzly Flat Rd, Somerset, CA, 95684
Chateau Davell
Chateau Davell is a small, family-owned winery in Camino founded by Eric and Davell Hays in 2007.
The winery specializes in handcrafted wines made in small lots, using sustainable vineyard management methods and old-world winemaking techniques.
Chateau Davell is a popular event venue, hosting weddings, corporate events, and other gatherings. From May through October, live music starts at 5:00 PM on Fridays.
Tasting Room Address
3020 Vista Tierra Dr, Camino, California 95709
Crystal Basin Cellars
Tasting Room Address
3550 Carson Road Camino, CA 95709
David Girard Vineyards
David Girard Vineyards is located two miles from Coloma, in the South Fork American River Valley. It was founded in 1998 by David Girard.
The winery specializes in Rhone-inspired wines, made from grapes such as Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Viognier, and Roussanne.
David Girard Vineyards is committed to sustainable farming practices and has been following organic farming practices since 2014. The winery is also known for its beautiful estate and warm hospitality.
Tasting Room Address
741 Cold Springs Rd, Placerville, CA 95667
E16 Winery
E16 Winery is a family-owned and operated winery in El Dorado County, California. The winery was founded by Robert Jones, inspired by his grandfather's passion for winemaking.
E16 is committed to sustainable farming practices, and the grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with the lightest possible touch. The wines are expressive of the terroir and are made to be enjoyed with food.
Tasting Room Address
8085 Perry Creek Road Somerset CA 95684
Element 79 Vineyards
Element 79 is located on a seventy-acre property 2,400 feet above sea level. Thirty-two acres are planted with grapes. Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah are the top three varietals.
A "Tour to the Top," a hike from the lower to the upper vineyard, can be reserved ahead of time. The winery hosts private events for up to thirty people.
In this video, co-owner Les Heinsen provides an excellent overview of the El Dorado County wine region.
Tasting Room Address
Fenton Herriott Vineyards
Fenton Herriott is a family-owned Apple Hill grower. The winery is located on the old Pony Express route.
Wines include Zinfandel, Barbera, Sangiovese, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Gewurztraminer.
Tasting Room Address
120 Jacquier Ct, Placerville, CA 95667
Gold Hill Vineyard & Brewery
Gold Hill is known for its beautiful vineyard views. It is located a mile from the historic gold mining town of Coloma.
Tasting Room Address
5660 Vineyard Lane, Placerville, CA 95667
Hart 2 Hart Vineyards
Tasting Room Address
5821 CA HWY 49, Pilot Hill, California 95664
Holly's Hill Vineyards
Holly & Tom Hill, their daughter Carrie, and son-in-law Josh focus exclusively on varieties from France's Rhone Valley.
The Hill family's Rhone varieties include Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Viognier.
Tasting Room Address
3680 Leisure Lane, Placerville, CA 95667
Kehret Vineyards
Bill and Bonnie Kehret purchased the old Mt. Aukum winery property in 2018 and reopened a renovated tasting room at Kehret Vineyards in 2019.
In 2020, the Kehrets hired winemaker and viticulturist Steve Leveque. Steve had been a vintner at Robert Mondavi for a decade.
Kehret Vineyards' wines are limited-production, handcrafted wines that showcase the unique terroir of their mountain-top vineyards and Steve's attention to vineyard expression and balance.
Tasting Room Address
6781 Tower Rd, Somerset, CA 95684
Lewis Grace Winery
Lewis Grace is a family operation led by retired plastic surgeon Steve Grace. Bea Grace runs operations. Sons Tyler and Trevor are the winemakers.
The Graces are descendants of Lewis Grace, a patriot who served in the 4th Virginia Regiment during the Revolutionary War.
The winery has produced over 25 award-winning wines, ranging from Roses to Petit Syrahs to Mourvedres.
Tasting Room Address
2701 Carson Road, Placerville, CA 95667
Madroña Vineyards
Madroña is made up of three family-owned vineyards — one in Apple Hill and two in Pleasant Valley. Between the three vineyards are over 26 varietals.
Hillside and Signature wines are a product of all three vineyards, but Madroña also offers small lot single Vineyard wines.
A shout out to vintner Paul Bush, who provides excellent tasting videos, including recommended wine pairings. The videos are accessible via a QR Code on the wine-tasting menu.
Tasting Room Address
2560 High Hill Road, Camino, CA 95709
Mediterranean Vineyards
Mediterranean Estate vineyard is an excellent choice for those who enjoy Italian wines.
The previous winery owners planted all Italian varietals across 6.25 acres — Pinot Grigio, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon (an Italian clone), and Corvina.
The only non-Italian varietal is Charbono, originally from the Savoie region of France, which was planted in 2019.
Tasting Room Address
7449 Fairplay Road, Somerset, CA 95684
Miraflores Winery
Miraflores Winery has 42 acres of vineyards and features a large tasting room building that was completed in 2010.
The winery was established in 2003 by Dr. Victor Alvarez, a retired pathologist who grew up in Colombia farming country.
Over the years, Miraflores has produced over 50 wines that have gotten at least 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator.
Among 16 grape varietals are Trilegato, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Canelli.
Tasting Room Address
2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville, CA 95667
Narrow Gate Vineyards
Narrow Gate was founded in 2004 by Frank and Teena Hildebrand. In 2010, the winery received its Demeter Biodynamic Certification.
Tasting Room Address
4282 Pleasant Valley Road, Placerville, CA 95667
Nello Olivo Winery
Nello Olivo, a.k.a. The Grapefather, strives to make "the best Italian wines under the California sun."
The winery grows 11 varieties in its vineyards. Its wine club is affectionately called the Wine Mob.
Camino Tasting Room Address
3544 Carson Rd, Camino, CA 95709
Placerville Tasting Room Address
643 Bee Street Placerville, CA 95667
Saluti Cellars
Saluti provides visitors with a great experience while using a small footprint.
Current wine release single varietals and blends include Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.
Tasting Room Address
7505 Grizzly Flat Rd, Somerset, CA 95684
Skinner Vineyards
Skinner is one of the first U.S. wineries and is now in the hands of its sixth generation.
In this short video, Carey & Mike Skinner discuss the family's winery history and talk about their modern-day approach and wines.
Somerset Tasting Room Address
8054 Fairplay Rd, Somerset, CA 95684
Rescue Tasting Room Address
3790 Green Valley Rd, Rescue, CA 95672
Starfield Vineyards
Starfield is a 31-acre hillside property owned by third-generation wine grower Tom Sinton. The property features over three miles of paved paths and roads.
There are varieties from the Rhone, Spain, and Italy.
Tasting Room Address
2750 Jacquier Rd, Placerville, CA 95667
Via Romano Vineyards
Jon Chewing and Leanne Davis grow Nebbiolo grapes, a fruit originally from the Piemonte region of Northern Italy, in their winery's estate vineyard. They plan to plant several additional rare Italian varietals.
Non-estate wines include those made from Primitivo, Aglianico, and Dolcetto varietals.
Tasting Room Address
2875 Larsen Drive, Camino, CA 95709
Visiting El Dorado Hills Wineries
Like other parts of California, many El Dorado County wineries rely on direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales. So your 'buy local' patronage is appreciated by winery proprietors.
Nancy Light, when she was the spokesperson for Wine Institute, told Emily Hamann of the Sacramento Business Journal, "The vast majority of California’s 3,900 wineries are small, family businesses that depend on tasting room visitors and derive significant revenue from DTC sales."
Baja Limo and Neumann Enterprises are among the companies that provide El Dorado County wine country tours.
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