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There’s a fun time to be had in the old town this weekend! Toss your heels and spurs in the direction of Sutter Creek Wine Tasting, where you can lay your hat and sip a spell at Amador County’s updated and fun-filled version of Dodge City and the Long Branch Saloon. While I’m not certain if Marshall Matt Dillon was ever offered tastings of fine wines, at Sutter Creek Wine Tasting the grape is so plentiful, you can practically bathe in it! However, for the prim and proper purpose of this story, please swirl, then sip.
Stepping across the quaint little porch reminiscent of a bygone era, I’m heartily greeted by Mary Jo Pingree; head wine Madam, and the modern-day Miss Kitty at the charming tasting parlor. “We like to have fun in here!” says Mary Jo. |
Once you’ve bellied up to this tasting bar, I’ll bet pinots to petticoats your old ideas about wine tasting will go up in gun smoke!“We don’t do the pretentious wine tasting thing,” she says. Want to try reds first, then whites? No problem! Ever wonder what a rich Port tastes like next to a mellow Viognier? Here’s your chance! The tasting room is an original blend of three local wineries: Gold Hill, Le Mulet Rouge, and Crystal Basin Cellars. From sophisticated whites to ravishing reds, over thirty luscious wines are offered for tasting, and rumor has it that Sutter Creek Wine Tasting carries the largest selection of sweet white wines this side of the Rio Grande. Visitors, who aren’t wine fans when they walk in, will usually find something they like by the time they leave. “We have a wide variety to fit your palate, even if you don’t think you have a palate!” Mary Jo says. The wine Madam and her Pouring Wenches, Travis Brown and ALishia Richards eagerly welcome wine “virgins” to come forward, so newcomers can be educated on the virtues of Vino. There are no “stupid questions” here, so toss the shyness and ask away. A little knowledge and a lot of humor can go a long way here! Libations aren’t the only tasty offerings on the sampling menu. There is a rib-tickling assortment of gourmet mustards, olives, olive oils, and vinegars, all available for tasting. From Merlot Chocolate Mustard to Fig Lemon Vinegar, your taste buds will cross over into new flavor trails! |
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Visitors are encouraged to sip and browse through the two adjoining rooms displaying unique gift ware, each filled with wine accessories, books, distinctive jewelry, and one-of-a-kind gift items, all reasonably priced. Wall art lines every available space, as well as practical wine gadgets and gizmos. Mary Jo likes to keep the gift selection fresh and changing, so there’s always something new and different each time you visit. Additionally, the attentive staff will be happy to whip up a custom-made gift basket for you while you wait. Visitors are encouraged to sip and browse through the two adjoining rooms displaying unique gift ware, each filled with wine accessories, books, distinctive jewelry, and one-of-a-kind gift items, all reasonably priced. Wall art lines every available space, as well as practical wine gadgets and gizmos. Mary Jo likes to keep the gift selection fresh and changing, so there’s always something new and different each time you visit. Additionally, the attentive staff will be happy to whip up a custom-made gift basket for you while you wait. Most weekends will find the tasting parlor filled with sippers standing shoulder to shoulder, laughing and joking with the staff. Visitors can be found sitting on the porch, waving at passersby to join in the fun. Take advantage! |
The lively pourers take genuine pleasure in getting acquainted with customers, and will happily toss in a dash of their own two bits and bawdy humor. While the conversations might run anywhere from corsets to Carignane, you’re welcome to try and match wits with the wine wenches. The tasting room will be happy to make dinner reservations for you at one of Sutter Creek’s many excellent dining establishments. “We have a program with many local restaurants called Get Out The Cork Free Take a bottle of our wine to dinner with you, and they’ll uncork your bottle for free,” offers Mary Jo. So, pick up a bottle or two of the good stuff and head off to a wonderful meal; many restaurants are within walking distance from the tasting room. Sutter Creek Wine Tasting offers wine lovers the opportunity to enjoy private tastings after hours at the tasting room. You provide the snacks and the wine-buying friends, and the tasting room will cheerfully take care of the rest, at no charge. This is a popular event, so book early. Spend the day shopping and dining in delightful downtown Sutter Creek, then mosey on over to the tasting room for a fun-filled evening with friends and delicious wines. What could be better? |
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Each of the three award winning wineries offers their unique and outstanding wine making style, and you will have a grand time acquainting yourself with each and every selection.
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Throw in a side of Duck Droppings, and there will definitely be a hot time in the old town tonight! Wine wanderers, slap on those saddles, hitch up your wagons, and head for the Amador hills! Those wily wine wenches up yonder at Sutter Creek Wine Tasting are busy rustling up some tasty Vino vittles, and this wine sipping town is definitely big enough for the both of us. Like stepping into the Old West, your wine tasting adventure is just beginning.
Sutter Creek Wine Tasting
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