29 Best Sights in Sacramento and the Gold Country, California

The elite Napa Valley consultant Philippe Melka oversees the wine making at Andis, whose contemporary, glass-and-metal production and hospitality buildings provide an appropriately refined setting to enjoy wines that raise the Sierra Foothills bar. The estate Barbera ranks among the region's most elegant, as do several single-vineyard Zinfandels. On-site winemaker Mark Fowler also crafts Sauvignon Blanc and Arinto whites (the latter grape is Portuguese) and Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and several red blends.

Taking a cue from European shops selling everyday wines by the tap, Marco Cappelli, a respected winemaker and consultant, opened this downtown Placerville winery and tasting room in 2023. Although his wines are inexpensive, Cappelli knows where the best Northern California grapes grow. A Clarksburg Chenin Blanc and a Fair Play Barbera ranked among his early coups, all the more so given their price: less than $15 a bottle.

Two brothers opened this winery named for the ranch their iconoclastic great aunt—described as a cross between Annie Oakley and Zsa Zsa Gabor—purchased in 1936. The siblings added another parcel, where tastings are held in or outside a stylish terrazzo-floored, glass-walled structure with views of the lake that fronts the property. Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Tempranillo are among the strong suits; the Greco white (from a grape either Greek or southern Italian) is among the intriguing lighter wines.

Apple growers since 1964, the Delfino family occupies one of El Dorado County's most idyllic sites. Joan Delfino's apple pies and fun farm events gained the clan early notice. In the 2010s, her grandchildren started a winery named for her husband, local agricultural icon Edio Delfino. They pour their superb whites and reds in a gleaming-silver contemporary space whose patio perches over apple trees surrounded by grapevines ringed by a forest. Wine tasting takes place year-round; bakery visits, apple events, and indie concerts occur seasonally.

The founders of this woodsy hilltop winery 7 miles south of Apple Hill tasted Châteauneuf-du-Pape on their honeymoon, sparking a lifetime passion for Rhône wines made in classic French style. Mourvèdre is a specialty, by itself and in blends with Grenache, Syrah, or both. Carignane, Counoise, and other Rhône reds are also made, along with whites that include the Roussanne-dominant Patriarche Blanc blend. Taste these estate wines in a space with views extending 75 miles on a clear day.

Nineteenth-century miners knew that gold was nearby if they found the type of volcanic rocks visible everywhere on this winery's property. The rocky soils and vineyard elevations as high as 2,800 feet play pivotal roles in creating Lava Cap's fruit-forward yet elegant wines. Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah star among the reds, Chardonnay and Viognier among the whites. After a tasting you can picnic on the patio and enjoy Sierra foothills vistas.

Single-vineyard Sierra Foothills Zinfandels are the passion of Newsome Harlow's owner-winemaker Scott Klann. The ebullient Klann also makes Petite Sirah, Syrah, Carignane, and the Meritage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals; whites include a Sauvignon Blanc on several local restaurants' wine lists. The in-town tasting room benefits from its upbeat staff, playful atmosphere, and indoor and outdoor tasting spaces.

Its many microclimates inspired owner-winemaker Tom Sinton to purchase a 67-acre hillside property he transformed into a showcase for wines from mostly Rhône and Italian varietals. With a nature trail, a 300-foot-long rose arbor, an events amphitheater, a lakeside pavilion, and an upper patio with views of trees near and far, the wines could have taken a back seat, but Sinton crafts them with such grace and precision that they more than match the setting and hospitality.

This winery achieves success with two separate labels. Terre Rouge, which focuses on Rhône-style wines, makes some of California's most highly praised Syrahs. The Easton label specializes in high-scoring Zinfandels from old and new vines and does well with Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. You can picnic on the lawn here.

Zinfandel fans won't want to miss Turley, which makes a dozen and a half single-vineyard wines (collectors love them) from old-vine grapes grown all over California. Some wines, including a few from Amador County, are available only in the tasting room. All visits are by appointment.

The downtown tasting room of owner-winemaker Nathan Vader's boutique winery occupies a restored 1891 structure made of volcanic rock. Top Sierra Foothills vineyards supply grapes for his primarily reds lineup, led by best sellers Barbera and the Primitivo-based Phoenix blend. Merlot, Grenache, and the Venus red blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Franc, rank among the other stars, served inside or on the shaded rear patio.

Owners Suzy and Jim Gullett draw raves for their Sangioveses, which range from light and fruity to rich and heavy. They also produce Rosato di Sangiovese (aka rosé), old-vine Zinfandel, and a few other varietals. Most tastings take place in the red barn where the couple began operations in the 1980s or on a nearby patio.

Larry and Linda Long made wine out of their home in Truckee for 15 years before opening their down-home Amador County winery. Their son Michael is head winemaker, daughter Ashley his assistant. Estate-grown Zinfandel is the biggest seller, but this small operation also does well with Syrah, Barbera, Tempranillo, the Portuguese varietal Touriga (one of the Port grapes), and a Rhône-style GSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre) blend.

Petite Sirah, under that name and its original French one, Durif, is the flagship grape of this operation whose parent company's nursery has supplied a who's-who of Napa and Sonoma wineries with disease-free rootstock since 1969. Tempranillo and Barbera are two other successful reds, with Albariño and Verdejo the best whites. The redbrick downtown tasting room is open daily. You can visit the nearby estate and its affiliated brewery four days a week.

In 1972, Greg Boeger revived a gold rush–era farm that once supported fruit and nut orchards, a winery, and a distillery. These days Boeger produces estate wines from 30 varietals grown on two parcels totaling 100 acres, with Sauvignon Blanc and Barbera the best sellers and Zinfandel and Primitivo also worth seeking out. The creek-side picnic area fronting the tasting room hosts bands on Friday evenings in summer (reserve space well ahead).

This winery's owner envisioned his sleek hospitality space as "a country club" for experiencing wines by the glass or flight, with or without the charcuterie and cheese sold on-site (tapas on Friday and weekends). The tasting room and adjoining patio edge the 32-acre estate vineyard, which you can hike. Winemaker Scott Johnson's red blends and Cabernets stand out, as does the unconventional, canned, dry-hopped Viognier sparkler (Johnson also brews beer).

Splashier than many of its neighbors and a draw as much for its restaurant and seasonal live music as its wines, family-operated Helwig occupies a hilltop steel, wood, and glass tasting space with knockout views. The winery specializes in fruit-forward reds, most notably Barbera, Graciano, and Tempranillo; the sparkling rosé of Sangiovese shines among the lighter wines.

The impeccably maintained gardens at 1,150-acre Ironstone—not to mention the mining-history museum and 44-pound specimen of crystalline gold on display—make a visit here enjoyable even if you don't drink wine. Known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, old-vine Zinfandel, and whites including Albariño and Chardonnay, the winery hosts concerts and other events. Its deli has picnic items. The history-oriented estate tour, conducted on Friday and Saturday, takes in the gardens and wine caverns.

Known for elegant, fruit-forward wines with velvety tannins, Jeff Runquist specializes in Barbera, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah but makes several other reds and Muscat Canelli, Verdelho, and Viognier whites. His tasting room ranks among the Shenandoah Valley's jolliest.

A stone building dating from 1859 houses this boutique winery's tasting room, which also sells artisanal cheeses and lavender products. Lavender Ridge's longtime owner-winemaker uses traditional French methods to craft wines from organically farmed Rhône grapes. The lineup includes Viognier, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc whites, a Grenache rosé, and Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre reds, alone and in a blend.

Nearly 2,600 feet up in the Sierra Foothills, this homey winery at the end of a long gravel road is known for Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel. The lineup also includes whites, a rosé, a sparkler, and a Port-style red. After a tasting, you can walk up the hill to see how apt the estate View Forever Vineyard's name is. Bring a picnic if you'd like.

The area's oldest operating winery, established in 1980, pours its wines, many from Sierra Foothills grapes, in a tasting room whose back patio perches over the wine-making facility. Chardonnay is a best seller, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhône and Italian reds among the other specialties.

A former beet-sugar refinery a 15-minute drive south of downtown in Clarksburg now houses the tasting rooms of 14 Northern California wineries. The Clarksburg AVA (American Viticultural Area), which straddles Sacramento, Yolo, and Solano counties, is known for Chenin Blanc and Petite Sirah, though all the wineries also purchase grapes elsewhere. Clarksburg Wine Company, which owns the on-site wine-making facility, is a worthy first stop. Draconis Wines and Three Wine Company also merit investigation, with Bump City, co-owned by the Oakland-based Tower of Power's keyboard player, Roger Smith, another popular stop.

Famous for its Napa Valley Chardonnays, Rombauer farmed foothills Zinfandel for years, so it wasn't a total surprise when the winery acquired an existing facility here. Inside the brightly lit tasting room or at umbrella-shaded tables, you can enjoy a flight that might include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sierra Foothills Zinfandel or sip these wines by the glass or bottle.

Winemaker Scott Harvey describes the Sierra Foothills appellation as similar to Italy's Piemonte region, where Barbera originated, but with one additional benefit: it's sunnier here, which this grape loves. Barbera, Zinfandel (one from vines planted in 1869), and Syrah are his winery's focus, but you'll also find Cabernet Sauvignon and other reds along with Sauvignon Blanc, a rosé of Barbera, and sparkling wine.

You can sip fruity, robust Zinfandels—old vine and new—and learn about wine making and Shenandoah Valley pioneer life at the museum here. This winery was established in 1856 and has been run since 1989 by the owners of nearby Shenandoah Vineyards, which is open daily. To sample the best Zins, pay the modest fee for the reserve tasting.

Chris Walsh, a former sommelier, crafts taut natural wines, among them Pinot Gris, Zinfandel, and Primitivo. Walsh presents them three days a week at a combination tasting room, restaurant, and gallery with seating indoors and out. Some fans drive for miles for the house burger.

Third-generation farmer Chris Turkovich and his wife, Luciana, whose parents in her native Argentina are both involved in the wine business, founded this winery known for bold, balanced reds. Luciana crafts many of the wines from Spanish varietals, though Petite Sirah dominates the robust blend The Boss. Albariño and rosé of Grenache are among the lighter wines. The storefront tasting space's sidewalk seating is good for people-watching. The rear patio is quieter.

Winery CEO Ghee Sanchez-Hagedorn's first vineyard memories involve playing amid the Sonoma County grapevines her migrant-farmer parents tended. After successful Silicon Valley careers, she and her husband began growing Calaveras grapes, later establishing Villa Vallecito. The winery's red stars include the Barbera Reserve, the Payaso Syrah-Grenache blend, and Syrah, with Chardonnay and Viognier the whites. The downtown tasting room's Mexican style honors Sanchez-Hagedorn's heritage.