All content & photos: Copyright© 2008,
Jan Hight. All rights reserved.
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The Varied
Wineries of Calaveras County,
California Calaveras County, in California's Gold Rush Country, has long been the home of enterprising individuals. In the days of the Mother Lode, it was a thriving refuge to those intrepid gold miners and the frontier entrepreneurs who followed them. The tiny foothills town of Murphys has seen many of these resourceful types pass through, including the Murphys brothers themselves who made a fortune in gold and left their store and their name for the fledgling village, Black Bart, Bret Harte, and Mark Twain (who's legendary jumping frogs are still celebrated all over the county). Today this historic and busy little community is populated by the present-day successors to that adventurous spirit, personified by the owners of the area's delightful and diverse wineries. All are within a short drive of Murphys, and some may be reached by a pleasant stroll through town. The personality of each is as different as their various vintages, but they all share a love of what they do and pride in their wine...which could be called the "liquid gold" that has replaced the ore of the 1800s. John and I have spent many relaxing and congenial week-ends in Murphys (please take a look at the "Jan's Journeys" visit to the Dunbar House -- a charming B&B built in 1880), and we've enjoyed exploring the wineries, sampling their products, and meeting the people who happily welcome visitors to their domains. So we'd like to share our journeys to the varied wineries of Calaveras County!
Chatom Vineyards
Stevenot Winery
Kautz Ironstone Vineyards
Milliaire Winery
Black Sheep Vintners The newest winery in the collection is Malvadino
Vineyards. Now, be sure to ask for
In June 1997 the Calaveras Wine Association presented its first "Passport Weekend" as a fund raiser for their scholarship program. From 11am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday of this very enjoyable weekend, each of the wineries provided special tastings (including barrel tastings), hors d'oeuvres, entertainment, prize drawings and other activities for passport holders. On Saturday evening Kautz hosted an optional Vintners Dinner, prepared by their excellent chef, with the appropriate wine paired with each delicious course. Representatives of each of the six wineries were present to discuss their vineyard and the wine being served, as well as answer questions. The weekend was a true success, raised money for a good cause, and we certainly hope it will become an annual event! You may visit the Calaveras Wine Association's website at http://www.calaveraswines.org/. Calaveras County refers to itself as "The Other Wine Country". However, if you want to visit personalized, family-owned wineries that believe in offering quality wines and special attention to their guests...this is the Wine Country you'll want to tour!
Copyright © 1995 -
2008: Jan Hight
Published -- November 4, 1995 |
Chatom Vineyards is located on Highway 4 between Angels
Camp and Murphys. Owner Gay Callan named both her winery and her first child after her
uncle who owned the land, which she purchased after his death. She had previously been in
the investing field, among others, but she has thrown herself into the winery
whole-heartedly; she was out driving the loader for harvest during our last visit. The
vines were planted in 1981, with the first bottling in 1985, and the attractive building
which houses the tasting room was built in 1990. 
It's open for tasting
11:00am-4:30pm daily; and every time we've stopped by, Diane has been on duty pouring and
sharing her knowledge of wine in a truly professional and amicable manner. The wines
include Fume, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot, and special
feature wines planted each year (such as Sangiovese). In addition to the wonderful wines,
they sell gourmet items packaged under the winery's name....the Chardonnay mustard with
jalapeno and the garlic mayonnaise with Sauvignon Blanc are not to be missed! There's a
picnic area onsite; and they have, at times, offered box lunches which were deliciously
and artfully prepared.
Stevenot Winery is reached by taking Sheep Ranch Road
off of Main Street in Murphys for a short, winding drive. It has a secluded location,
surrounded by trees, which make its grape-arbor shaded picnic area a true pleasure. The
tasting room is in the Alaska House, a sod-roofed creation built in 1906. The farmer who
owned the land at the time patterned this structure after houses built in Alaska, with
which his young son was intrigued. Word has it that besides storing his farm implements in
the Alaska House, the farmer also used it to ensconce his brandy. Apparently his wife
didn't approve of his tippling, so he retreated to the Alaska House....even then it was a
tasting room! The winery was established in 1964, making it an old-timer. 
The
tasting room staff is always helpful and friendly as they pour samples of Sauvignon Blanc,
Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet, and a very hearty
late harvest Zin. They also have a limited selection of their newly released 1992
Nebbiolo. The latter is an Italian varietal that is fairly uncommon, which reflects the
growing trend toward this type of wine. In the Spring they'll be adding another such
varietal, Sangiovese. The tasting room is open 10:00am-5:00pm daily, and be sure to share
a bit of your picnic lunch with Sonny, the affable and gentle resident dog who is always
willing to join in the fun!
Kautz Ironstone Vineyards is a short drive outside of
Murphys, off of Main Street on Six Mile Road. Open daily 11:00am-5:00pm, the striking new
building (construction began in 1989) and spacious grounds are worth a visit, and a tour,
by themselves. Featured are 10,000 square feet of ironstone aging caverns (complete with
waterfalls), topped by a 7-story facility which includes an impressive 2-story stone
fireplace, an exhibition kitchen, a music room containing an historic pipe organ, a full
deli, sunny decks, and a large tasting room with several staffers eager to assist. 
Among
the wines are Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Port.
Two other interesting selections are the Apple wine and "Obsession" Symphony;
Symphony is a hybrid of Muscat and Grenache developed at the University of
California-Davis in 1940. The winery has hosted many weddings, conventions, reunions, and
local charity events (they have a "cow pie bingo" field....for the uninitiated,
players select squares where the cow will hopefully deposit the "pie"!). Plans
are underway for a 3-story amphitheater with lawn seating for 1,000, a rose garden, and a
herb garden for their kitchen. The Kautz family has taken great care in nurturing the
winery since they began 20 years ago, and they have many more dreams for its future.
Milliaire Winery, owned by Steve and Liz Millier, is on
Main Street in Murphys. Now in its 12th year, the tasting room occupies a building that
was originally a 1940s "Flying A" filling station. Flying A was probably gobbled
up by some large conglomerate, never to be heard of again, but service of an entirely
different kind is still offered in what they like to call the "roadside
chateau". Since their building is unpretentious, they creatively pour all of their
efforts into their wines. 
Even so, the tasting room has its own brand of
charm, enhanced by the presence of Liz Millier to guide guests through the selections.
They produce a limited offering of quality wines including Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon
Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet, Orange Muscat, a table red
(with the whimsical name "Simply Red"), a light Jeunesse Zinfandel, and a Late
Harvest Sweet Zin and Zin Port for after-dinner pleasure. The tasting room is open
11:00am-5:00pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday...and a visit gives the phrase "Fill
'er up" an entirely new meaning!
At the other end of Main Street is Black Sheep Vintners.
The tasting room is in a uniquely quaint, tin-roofed building (once a hay barn), which
also is home to their large and winsome sheep collection (they enjoy sheep jokes including
dubious puns such as John's comment that their shipping policy should be titled
"We'll Sheep to Ewe"!). Owned by David and Janis Olson, the winery was
established in 1986. 
Jan can usually be found behind the counter graciously pouring
Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet and True Frogs Lily Pad White. The name of this last
wine incorporates the aforementioned celebrity of Mr. Twain's frogs. The wine itself is
different each year...the current version is French Colombard, and the label is a playful
delight. The tasting room is open noon-5:00pm Saturday and Sunday, so "join the
flock", as they like to say (there's another of those sheep puns)!
directions before heading out to this one...it's outside of
Murphys on Sheep Ranch Road. In fact, just when you decide you've driven too far and must
have missed a jog in the road, there it is! Once you're there, you'll find a small,
Italian-style winery, and you're sure to enjoy their Zin and Mission wines.
While it's definitely a
good idea to visit the individual wineries in person to absorb the distinct ambience of
each, another fun way to taste the various wines is to attend Gold Rush Day in Murphys.
Held in early October since 1994, this is quickly becoming a most popular event. In
addition to a street fair with numerous craft booths and food vendors, there's a silent
auction, live entertainment, a grape stomp involving several hilarious
heats leading up to the wild finals, and a tasting area stocked by the local vintners.
This is a wonderful introduction to the wines of Calaveras County if it's your first
visit, and a pleasurable reunion if you're on a return trip. 
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