The Wineries of Calaveras County

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.

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.

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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.

Chatom Vineyards
1969 Highway 4
209/736-6500

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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!

Stevenot Winery
2690 San Domingo Rd.
209/728-3436

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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.

Kautz Ironstone Vineyards
Six Mile Rd.
209/728-1251

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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!

Milliaire Winery
276 Main St.
209/728-1658

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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)!

Black Sheep Vintners
Main St. and Murphys Grade Rd.
209/728-2157

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The newest winery in the collection is Malvadino Vineyards. Now, be sure to ask for 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.

Malvadino Vineyards
Sheep Ranch and Mountain Ranch Road
209/754-1002

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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.

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.

Provided By: Jan's Journeys

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