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El Dorado Wine Country

While best known for Zinfandel, El Dorado wineries excel at producing several other grapes as well. These include Chenin Blanc, Petite Syrah, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting rooms continue to open, and El Dorado Wineries are becoming a more convenient destination for wine tours.

During growing season, the climate of El Dorado Wine Country is generally sunny with warm days and cool nights. Many varietals need a lot of sunlight to ripen, but also require cool evenings to retain acidity. Grapes like Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Barbera all need enough heat for flavor development, but also need acidity for structure and balance. El Dorado Wineries search to find this balance.

Like most wine growing regions in the Sierra Foothills, the terrain of El Dorado Wine Country is composed of very unfertile soil that is suited for high quality grape growing. El Dorado Wineries grow their vines in decomposed granite soil on elevated mountain slopes. Local wines are quite robust and have strong personalities. Flavor concentration is rarely an issue here, but balance can be.

The history of wine production in El Dorado Wine Country dates to the mid 19th century. In 1848, gold was discovered near one of John Sutter’s sawmills. This caused an enormous influx of young single men to arrive in the region. After a long day searching for gold, they wanted something to drink. A number of El Dorado Wineries were established to cater to this market.

> Popular El Dorado Wineries

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