The Wine Appellations of El Dorado County

It's a warm evening and out on the deck that’s shaded by an old oak tree, a couple sit down to enjoy a well earned glass of wine.

He likes a woody red; she, a fruity white. Life is good tonight and the sun slowly sinks behind the old oak.

You want an evening like that, don’t you? The couple are enjoying “Wines with Altitude.” There are two appellations in El Dorado County. One includes growers on the north side of the County while the other, the Fair Play appellation, is located in South County. Its being able to make the distinction of having the grapes grown in these two particular appellations that sets El Dorado County wines apart.

Developing an appellation begins with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, where a description of the history of the region, geography, geology, elevation and soil types are submitted. It’s well known among wine consumers that the more confined the area, the more you will know about the grapes and the better you’ll be able to predict the quality of the wine that comes from them. For many years, wineries in places like New York and other Eastern States imported California grapes to mellow out their own local wines, which were often overly tart. They would then label the wines “American.”

California wines may be labeled with the “California” state label, blended with grapes from different regions of the state. Enjoying a wine from the El Dorado County appellation and the Fair Play Appellation means that you’re consuming a wine that’s been made with grapes that are grown with superior nutrients, in soil that has excellent drainage and created to have special taste characteristics.