For most young wine enthusiasts, the prospect of a Saturday spent trying new wineries is a covetable agenda. Valentine’s Day 2015 in Calaveras Wine Country was no exception, the day ripe with uncorked potential. Located just 2 hours east of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Calaveras county wine region is marked by its rolling green foothills, stunning vistas, and rocky terrain. Perfect for a retro and laid back weekend away, it also offers an intriguing assortment for wine lovers as thirty-eight grape varietals thrive in twelve microclimates across a 3,000-foot change in elevation.

The area is most well known for housing Hovey Winery, La Folia Wines, and Hatcher Winery, a few of the 22 wineries in the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance. The focal point for tasting the unique flavors of the region is downtown Murphys. Tasting rooms bump elbows with taprooms, boutiques, and restaurants in an easy to access historic main street setting.

This weekend the Caleveras Winegrape Alliance was throwing it’s 19th annual Presidents’ Wine Weekend event. For $20, participants received a commemorative wine glass and were able to sample a ‘limited-tasting’ flight at participating wineries both Saturday and Sunday. Several wineries offered complementary food tastings, and Chatom Vineyards capitalized on the weekend’s theme displaying life-size cardboard presidents waiting to be used in a selfie session.

Downtown Murphys’ Main Street was bustling with enthusiastic participants, and the event served as the perfect platform for experiencing an authentic taste of the area. Murphys makes for a fun weekend away, combining the historic feel of the wild west with an array of hipster wino’s and friendly locals. Mark your calendars for next year’s event, and head up early to sneak in a hike at local Natural Bridges ( http://www.gocalaveras.com/natutral-bridges-hike/ ) or a picnic in Big Trees Park.

The region’s most noteworthy varietals are Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, and Syrah prompting some of our #SipSavorServe recommendations are below:

• Sip: Chatom Vineyards 2013 Semillion (Rich tones of toasted almond and honey on the mid-palate. Finishes with notes of vanilla and stone fruit.)- Sip while relaxing poolside or patio party with friends.
• Savor: Hatcher Winery 2009 Petite Sirah (Nothing “petite” about this, boasts flavors of dark chocolate, dark fruit, and round tannins.) – Savor while catching up on your newest Netflix obsession.
• Serve: Hatcher Winery 2010 Barbera (Raspberry and allspice open up to a big jammy mid palate, finishing with oak and tannin.)- Serve with a savory sausage pizza and enjoy.

See link below to plan your trip to enjoy Calaveras Wine Country:

http://calaveraswines.org/area-information/

Cheers!

Skylar Schock

Chief Marketing Officer

CMKWine