TASTE News Service, January 9, 2019 — This weekend, Andis Wines, Scott Harvey Wines and Vino Noceto will celebrate the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in America.

By Dan Clarke

After a while, most wine events begin to seem much the same.

2015 Barbera

Montevina

Amador County

Alcohol: 13.5%

Suggested Retail: $12

By Dan Clarke

When I first started visiting the Shenandoah Valley of California, there were wineries, but not nearly so many.

By Darrell Corti

This 2015 Amador County Zinfandel is a commemorative wine.

It commemorates the 1965 Amador County Zinfandel made as a home wine that, in 1968, convinced Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home Winery in Napa Valley to begin buying Amador County grapes. A lot has happened in the last fifty years.

Tasters have room to stroll at Terra d'Oro

TASTE News Service, June 15, 2016 — With an enhanced venue at Terra d’Oro Winery/Montevina Vineyards and a new format providing wine tastings by region at this year’s event, the sixth annual Barbera Festival on Saturday, June 11, continued to delight the palates of festival goers.

At Saturday’s event, Barberas were presented by nearly 80 wineries from all over California.

Terra d'Oro winemaker Chris Leamy (left) and Darrell Corti discuss Barbera at retrospective tasting

TASTE News Service, June 1, 2016 – Barbera fans have an opportunity on June 11 to congregate and enjoy many tastes of this classic food-friendly wine. At the Barbera Festival, held at Terra d'Oro/Montevina Vineyard in Plymouth, Amador County, more than 80 wineries will pour glass after glass of a wine that boasts a compelling story in the history of California wines.

"The story begins at Montevina in 1974," said Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers, a Sacramento-based wine merchant. Corti is internationally known as a wine and food expert. "Both in 1943 and 1960, viticulturists from U.C. Davis had recommended barbera as a compatible grape for California. In the Sierra Foothills, Cary Gott, owner of Montevina in Amador County, planted Barbera in 1972."

Chris suggests Portabella burgersTASTE News Service, May 17, 2016 - Blessed with a generous acid structure and smooth tannins, Barbera is known for its ability to pair with a wide variety of cooking styles, from pizza to haute cuisine.

Taking up the challenge of such versatility, three wineries participating in the upcoming sixth annual Barbera Festival have shared favorite recipes. Each dish represents one of three dining experiences: formal, last-minute gathering, and the backyard gathering.

These wineries, among the 80 from all over California that will gather June 11 to pour their interpretation of this Italian varietal, appreciate this food-friendly variety’s signature characteristics: a dark pigment with lots of berry flavor that can range from bright with tart cherry, raspberry and spice flavors to riper, deeper wines with black cherry, blueberry, blackberry and vanilla flavors. It is exactly these traits that make it such a food-loving wine.

It wasn't raining all the timeBy Jen Sleppy

May 12, 2016 - Saturday’s Amador Four Fires was well organized. The only glitch was the rain, but as I've seen happen at other festivals, the rain became a positive . . . it created camaraderie and quick friendships as people crammed in together under the tents.

Wildflowers at Volcano

TASTE News Service, April 26, 2016 — The small towns of the Sierra Nevada foothills are inviting all year round, but springtime reveals a bounty of natural and culinary spectacles to Amador County. This low-key county tends to stay out of the limelight, but lately it has been catching the eye of discerning travelers for its spectacular spring colors and an array of fine wines and foods. Below are just five of the many reasons to visit Amador County now.