There is no weather to match the seasonal highs and not-too-low lows of the summers and winters. We are less than 2 hours to Tahoe (an amazing place to vacation to or visit) and less than 2 hours to the ocean. We can live in this gorgeous place and get to pretty much any vacation spot in just a short road trip. What could be better?
There is also an abundance of activities for those who love the outdoors! White water rafting on the American River, biking on the numerous trails and mountain biking for those more adventurous, tons of hiking trails, kayaking on the rivers or lakes, camping, either in our own backyard of one of the nearby SRAs or just a short trip to Tahoe!, and skiing and snowboarding just a road trip away.
The other thing I love about living here is we can enjoy all these activities plus there is an abundance of farmers and delicious fresh foods and drinks to try!
One of my favorite weekend activities that I don't get to do very often is wine tasting at our local wineries! There are so many to choose from.
Apple Hill, which is located in Camino in El Dorado County, has quite a few wineries to try out. I personally have tried Boeger, which I highly recommend, Lava Cap, and another favorite, Illuminare - which has a delicious blend wine called "Seeing Red" that I can't recommend enough!
Click here for more information on the Wineries at Apple Hill
Another favorite spot of mine to go wine tasting is off Shenandoah Road, in Amador County. I have many wineries I like to visit when I go there. For instance, Helwig is an all time favorite. They have so many delicious wines! Their Marsanne is probably my favorite. I also love Karmere. The thing that I really love about them is that they separate their tastings into whites and reds and you can do one or the other or both. For white wine lovers like me, this works out perfectly, especially since they have a great selection of sparkling wines as well, including their delicious peach sparkling wine! Karmere also has a beautiful garden out back where we love to have a picnic if we can! Cooper Vineyards is also another fantastic spot.
We are going back to Shenandoah Road in a few weeks and I am looking forward to trying some new places! I think we are going to try Amador Cellars, which I have heard great things about, as well as Wilderotter - they have an excellent selection of both red and white wines to choose from!, and BellaGrace Vineyards as well. I can't wait!
For more information on Amador County Wineries, click here!
If you have never been to the foothills area, I suggest a visit very soon! Choose to partake in one of the various activities above and you will not be disappointed! Here are some more suggestions for local wineries. The list is extensive! I have lived here for a long time and have not tried even nearly close to them all. I hope to someday, so I can write a proper review, but in the meantime, feel free to try them out and let me know what how they are! I would love some suggestions of where to go next.
Happy Tasting!
