Sierra Foothills Estate

We planted 31 acres of grapes on our hillside vineyards east of Placerville, choosing  only varieties which grow in southern Europe near the Mediterranean Sea.  These Rhône, Italian and Spanish varieties are traditionally grown on rocky hillsides in warm Mediterranean climates.  There they produce delicate, floral white wines, and savory, robust red wines. We call these varieties our “Mountain Mediterraneans.”

We have planted seventeen different varieties in twenty-four blocks of roughly 1.5 acres each. That small block size allows us to place each variety in its preferred microclimate, while allowing an entire block to ripen evenly, so that we can harvest each variety at optimum maturity.

Our red varieties from the Rhone are: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, Tannat, Cinsault.  From Italy we planted Aglianico and Barbera.  From Spain Tempranillo.  And from California (originally from France) Petite Sirah.  

Our white varieties from the Rhone are Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.  From Italy we planted Fiano, Vermentino, Muscat Blanc and Muscat of Alexandria.