Amador Home • Amador Wineries • Amador Wineries Video • Printable Map

Amador County Wineries

Amador County Wine Country

by Kathy Howe

Amador County is a pleasing alternative to the crowds and high prices of Napa Valley. Located in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Amador County has much to offer. The rural roads, mountain air, and beautiful scenery make it the perfect setting for a California Wine Tour.

Bella Piazza Winery in Amador County

Most wineries offer complimentary wine tasting. An added bonus: the wines are much cheaper than those you’ll find for sale in Napa. You can sample a variety of great wines and you’ll be able to afford to bring some bottles of wine home to enjoy later.

Amador County has a high percentage of old Zinfandel vines. Some of the Zinfandel vineyards are more than 125 years old. These old Zinfandel vines produce intense flavors, allowing wine makers to make the outstanding Zinfandel for which the area is famous. Amador is recognized for its world class Zinfandel, but you will find many other varietals being produced here as well.

More than 35 wineries have wine tasting rooms in Amador. The majority of Amador wineries are located in the northern part of the county in the Shenandoah Valley near the small town of Plymouth. As you turn onto Shenandoah Road from Plymouth, the first winery you come to is Young’s Vineyard. This winery offers premium red wines in a lovely setting. Every wine we taste here is wonderful. It’s definitely worth a stop.

Spend a Relaxing Day Visiting the Amador Wineries

The wineries of Amador County offer a relaxing day of wine tasting in a rural foothill setting. The wineries are about forty-five minutes southeast of Sacramento located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. There are over 40 wineries in Amador County with most of them in the beautiful and historic Shenandoah Valley in Plymouth, California.

Young's Vineyard in Amador County

The Amador County wineries are a pleasant alternative to the wineries of the Napa Valley. The wines are less expensive and the tasting rooms less crowded. The wineries are family-owned and operated and offer a casual and friendly environment with complimentary wine tasting. The short distance between wineries is also a plus, especially if you want to spend the entire day there and take in as many wineries as possible.

The region is known for its Zinfandel wines but many other varietals are produced as well. Some of the vineyards are more than 125 years old. Vineyards in the area were first planted right after the Gold Rush with many them still in use today.

The first winery you will come to in the Shenandoah Valley, driving on Shenandoah Road coming from Plymouth, will be Young’s Vineyard on the right. The winery has beautiful setting with a large pond and offers relaxing grounds to enjoy a picnic. The staff here is friendly and the wine is very good. They offer several wines including; Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese and Barbera. The owner of Young’s Vineyard is also an artist. She creates the designs on their wine bottle labels.

Favorite Amador Wineries

Choose your favorite winery in Amador County.

Vote Here • See Results

How To Properly Care For And Store Wine To Maintain Taste And Quality

by Gregg Hall

Wine Rack Year after year, wine consumption has become more and more popular all over the world. With more and more money going into wine, the wine and its history will always remain a question.

read more store wine >

A Guide to Cooking with Wine

by Lee Dobbins

Don't just sip it, eat it!

Want to enhance and improve the taste of your favorite dish? Think that adding wine to your recipe will make it more scrumptious and mouth watering? Well then, you're absolutely right!

Wines are widely used in the cooking world because they intensify taste and zest. They are also capable of releasing flavors from food that are not possible by regular means of cooking.