History of Amador County
Winemaking in the Sierra foothills dates back to the early 1850’s during which time many European immigrants traveled west in search of “California Gold”. People settled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and soon found that the land-not gold-would be their means to survive. Both table and wine grapes were planted throughout the hillsides and quickly Amador County became the home to more wineries than any other region in California.
Somewhere during this time it is known that Zinfandel vines were introduced to Amador County. Originally planted for table grapes, Zinfandel was recognized by home winemakers to be an excellent variety for red table wine, was a favorite over the popular, and widely planted Mission grape. Known for its ability to grow abundantly as a head-pruned vine (no wire or trellis required) and for its unusually bold and spicy characteristics, Zinfandel became the most widely planted varietal grown in the region.
While phylloxera and Prohibition doomed many of the early-planted vineyards throughout California, most of Amador remained untouched-remoteness proved its saving grace. Isolation, elevation, and dry farming prevented the spread of phylloxera while the inaccessible roads made it difficult to enforce Prohibition in Amador. This combination has allowed Amador to have some of California’s oldest surviving vineyards, as well as being home to the oldest known growing Zinfandel vineyards in the world.
