Since I can't be in NY and California, I have sent my crew, Nancy and Barb to
explore further areas in the Gold Country. "It has been almost five years since
I moved to the Sacramento area and I have always heard of many people talking
about taking a trip up to Apple Hill during this time of year. Barb and I
planned to find out for ourselves what the positive talk was all about on
Sunday, October 25th. Our itinerary had us meeting Jody from the El Dorado
tourism bureau at 10 a.m. Rainbow Orchards...one of many Apple Orchards in the
Apple Hill area.
We drove East towards Lake Tahoe on Highway 50. Apple Hill is just East of
Placerville, CA which is on Highway 49, part of Gold Country. There are several
exits you can take depending upon what part of Apple Hill you want to visit
first as the roads mainly intertwine at some point. To make more of a direct
route to our destination we took the Cedar Grove, exit 54. I had picked up an
official guide to Apple Hill and thought that was the best route and it was,
Rainbow Orchards being about 5 minutes from our exit. The guide is also
available online at
AppleHill.com
On our way to the Orchard we got a little taste of the picturesque view of
Apple Hill: the rolling hills of grape vines, apple trees, and rows of pine
trees for the Christmas Season. Wow..it's it almost Christmas?
If I had closed my eyes I would have still known we had arrived at Rainbow
Orchards. The smell of freshly baked goods mixed with the smell of Apple Cider
donuts waft through my nostrils. Our dog Bailey was excited to stretch her legs
while Barb took her to the grassy area. PHOTO OP!
The three of us walked into the barn and again the smell of freshly baked
goods captured both our nose and eyes. A long row of apples, jams, gourds and
pumpkins stood there is all it's fall glory! What a wonderful idea! There's a
table with sliced apples each listing the variety of apples available at the
Orchard. A feeling of the holidays arose in me when I spotted the hanging white
miniature lights from the ceiling. Jody, our tour guide of Apple Hill for the
day, treated us to a taste of warm Apple Cider and Apple Cider Donuts. Will this
keep the doctors away? We met Christa, the owner of Rainbow Orchard and her dog
Sasha greeted our Bailey. Christa explained how apple cider is processes.
I guess that working for a journalist gave us privy to a tour of the kitchen
and today was the final day of their making Peach Cobbler. mmmmm....then we saw
the process of the Apple Cider donuts being made as well as a lady mixing the
topping for the cobblers. I noticed the line starting to stretch out towards the
door with families eager to purchase the goodies of Rainbow Orchards.
Outside of Rainbow Orchards there are artists were selling their arts and
crafts, as well as a quaint wooden stage with hay stacks for sitting...if there
was a performance to be held there.
Nancy and Barb seem to be off to their next destination in El Dorado County.
"Our next destination brought us to Lava Cap Winery on Fruitridge Road number 26
on the Apple Hill Scenic Drive map. I do want to point out that from Rainbow
Orchards #10 to the winery there was another great Fall scent. The smell of wet
autumn leaves! How I miss that from growing up on the East Coast in
Massachusetts.
Upon our arrival to Lava Cap I first noticed the rolling hills and the golden
sun at 11 am. Yay sun! We met one owner from this family owned business, Beth
Jones. She told us the whole story behind the winery. There is certainly a lot
more to learn than just grapes!
The land of Lava Cap is rich in history. The land was bought by Beth's
Father-In-Law David Jones and his wife Jeanne in 1980. He was a well-known
geologist and his two sons started this venture from an old small pear orchard
they purchased. David Jones (vs. Davey Jones)and family wanted to preserve the
fields and maintain the space and beauty by preserving this rural landscape. The
grapes are grown in Volcanic soil along with the sloping terrain. Gold was found
under the Lava Caps making it a famous area for gold miners because of the
deposits (vs. withdrawals. Later, this region was recognized and known for its
pears.
In 1981 the plan to convert the orchard to vineyard was developed by the
family. Beth explained that there is a lot of sun exposure and for the grapes to
obtain more sun they pull off the leaves from the grapevine. Their grapes are
harvested after the Sonoma and Napa Valley grapes. These grapes at Lava Cap are
at a higher elevation than the previous areas mentioned providing cooler
evenings and prolonging the harvesting of the grapes. This allows the grapes to
mature to their best potential.
As for wines, Lava Cap is known mostly for their Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and
Petite Sirah. It was a proven fact when I walked by their display case full of
award winning medals. Lava Cap produces on average 20,000 cases of wine every
season.
I like to budget my money and how can you go wrong with no tasting room fees,
a smaller production area, and supporting a family run business? I have heard
Napa Valley wineries charge tasting fees! For more information to their website
visit lavacap.com.
We arrived at Honey Bear Ranch #24 for lunch. Jody treated me to homemade
chicken strudel and Barb had the pulled pork sandwich. Each plate came with a
side of Waldorf salad...apples, walnuts, celery and mayo..and a slice of apple
pie. Mmmmm...more apples. The chicken strudel was amazing and very delicious
with its thin pastry-like dough.
Honey Bear Ranch (HoneyBearRanch.net)is known for its roasted pig that's
slowly turning on the rotisserie outside on the grounds near a Koi pond and
water wheel. Pretty fishies. I met Chips whose job is to stay outside during the
entire roasting process and make sure it cooks evenly. Today's pig is for
tomorrows pulled pork sandwich. One pig can roughly feed 125 people.
I was appreciative of Christopher who showed me an operating late 1800s apple
peeler/core remover. Since Honey Bear Ranch bakes around 600 pies a day they
surely need a fast way to get those apples prepared for the pies! Besides this
antique machine in the backyard they also have an apple polisher and sorter on
display.
I noticed a lot of children activities that included a crafting table, wagon
and pony rides, pumpkin patch, Zippy The Clown and her balloon animals, along
with Barkley the Honey Bear.
For my second dessert of the day we stopped at the Fudge Kitchen and that is
where I met one of the owners Dorothy Franklin. I tried two samples of fudge
pumpkin spice and maple walnut. This tasting led me to purchasing slices of
those mentioned plus a caramel apple. With a wonderful food tasting experience
we were off to visit two wine destinations.”
Nancy and Barb at Crystal Basin Cellars -
I guess that working for a journalist gave us privy to a tour of the kitchen and
today was the final day of their making Peach Cobbler. mmmmm....then we saw the
process of the Apple Cider donuts being made as well as a lady mixing the
topping for the cobblers. I noticed the line starting to stretch out towards the
door with families eager to purchase the goodies of Rainbow Orchards.
Outside of Rainbow Orchards there are artists were selling their arts and
crafts, as well as a quaint wooden stage with hay stacks for sitting...if there
was a performance to be held there.
Well, I guess it's time for Nancy and Barb to toss down some vino. "We left
Honey Bear Ranch and drove to Crystal Basin Cellars (crystalbasincellars.com).
This winery and tasting room will not be found on the Apple Hill Scenic Drive
map, but is located on Carson Road. Directions? You may also take this exit off
of Highway 50. Bailey...you remember our dog...was greeted by Dakota another
friendly four-legged creature..
Crystal Basin does not grow their own grapes, but they have the connections
to obtain great local grapes. They have been awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze
medals since 2001. The owners are a group of friends. Mike Owen is one owner who
gave us a tour of the wine cellar and a demonstration of the Crusher and
De-Stemmer machine.
I was pleasantly surprised that the wine cellar has 18 inch thick walls and
they are filled with a natural insulation: sawdust from a local lumber. Great
place to go during the heat of the summer, don't you think? Outside we were able
to see grapes raked into a hopper. In this funnel-shaped chamber the grape stems
were piling high on one side and on the other side the grapes came out crushed.
What an amazing process! Certainly easier than stomping on grapes!
Nancy, Barb and Apples - Nancy continues.
"I want to highly recommend to those who live within a days trip to Apple Hill
to please not wait until another year to visit. Don't be like me who took four
passing Fall seasons to come here. There is an Apple Hill Growers Association
and those who are associated with this organization are listed on the Scenic
Drive map. Remember, these are small family owned businesses who really do
appreciate you! This season marked the associations 45th year
Our trip coincided with one of the busiest weekends for Apple Hill. I was
told the last two weekends in October is by far the busiest. However, go anytime
of the year you wish to enjoy the beauty and bountifulness of the fruits and
trees of this land. Now would be a good time to prepare keeping a day free open
on your calendar to make a trip for the Holiday Season. Before your departure
please obtain or go online to AppleHill.com to print out the official guide
prior to your arrival of Apple Hill. This will assist you to locate the orchards
and farms you want to visit and determine which exits you should take off of
HIghway 50.
To wrap-up our days trip I told Barb at Jodar's we had to go back to Rainbow
Orchards for more apple cider donuts. On our drive back home we discussed about
coming back here by the end of the year to visit the orchards we could not go to
on this particular trip. Bailey put her input in how enthused she wants to visit
Willow Pond Organic Farm #34. Dogs are allowed to be themselves here! Most of
the places here at Apple HIll are dog friendly anyways.
Barb, Bailey, and I started our 1st annual family tradition at Apple Hill
this year and we are all ready looking forward to our next trip! However, since
Bailey is 14 years old Barb & I thought it would be a good idea to surprise
Bailey soon and make frequent trips every so often for her to enjoy the
outdoors.
Nancy And Barb At Jodar Winery - We're on
the last leg of Nancy and Barb's Apple Hill tour but I hear that there will be
a follow up story to this. Here is Nancy's report. "We met Lisa Scott who told
us that Jodar Winery's (
Jodarwinery.com)
tasting room is very personable and educational at the same time. They want
their customers to understand what type of foods pair well with the wine they
will purchase.
Their grapes are grown near the El Dorado National Forest at 2,400 feet.
The American River provides a nice cool mist for their grapes. Annually they
produce around 5,500 cases. They sell a wine that had won double gold.
Compared to Napa Valley this specific double gold medal wine sells for $22.00!
Wow! During the year they have wine club events, picnics, weekly featured
wine, and sometimes a four-piece band playing on the grassy area adjacent to
the building. I got a kick out of the glassy gem t-shirts they sold at the
gift shop. For each shirt there was a particular saying about wine.
Wineries, Wineries And More Wineries -
As you recall, Barb and I joined Merle the weekend of Oct 3rd to the Amador
and Calaveras Counties. Remember, we did grape stomping, zip lining, Sutter
and Kennedy Mines, and vineyard tours. With such a quantity of activities
to attend Merle just could not possible finish her itinerary. Our main focus
is to bring to you the endless possibilities of wineries and wine tasting
rooms in Murphys.
On Fri, October 30th we visited Ironstone Vineyards a 4th generation of
family growers. Ironstone is located in the Sierra Foothills of Murphys, CA.
Our intention is to make people aware of the absolute beauty of the Sierra
Foothills that many people are not aware of, as well as having some great
wines.
Conrad greeted us when we arrived. Since Ironstone has a deli within their
walls we took the opportunity to have lunch, sit with Conrad shoot the breeze.
After lunch the grand tour began. To be honest, when we arrived we really
underestimated this place. Even if you are not a wine drinker you can still
come here and find something of interest as Ironstone Vineyards has a seven
story building. Ground level to the parking area is the tasting room where you
will find an antique 36 foot long Saloon bar from A.J. Bumps Saloon. Look
behind you and a massive fireplace will devour you. In total this mostly
limestone fireplace is 42 feet tall, 16 feet wide, and 13 feet deep. One rock
alone weighs 3,500 lbs. Do not attempt to put one in your luggage!
We left the tasting room and Conrad led us outside to the building that
comprises the Heritage Museum and jewelry shop. You can view artifacts from
the gold rush era, pony express items, fossils, and the most impressive
feature is the 44 pound crystalline gold leaf specimen that was uncovered not
too far from this area. On our way out we bumped into Buddy, one of the most
favorite felines on the premises. Our tour began leading us outside to the
parking lot and down a hill to show us the mining artifacts. In this area they
have what resembles a miners shack, a large water wheel, a palace to pan for
gold, hydraulic mining equipment and a few other mining tools.
As we left this area Conrad led us under a covering of which during the
Spring comes alive with purple and white wisteria. Following this covering led
us to the underground wine caverns. There are 68 massive tanks and 300 wooden
barrels in the wine cavern. We were very lucky to enter the cave as it was
closed for a couple of days to allow the CO2 to be released.
Our tour was not over just yet! Conrad led us outside along the gravel road
to view the outdoor facilities. We walked by a pond and landscaped gardens, a
large grassy area which accommodates the outdoor amphitheater.
Just recently their 2009 concert series included Alan Jackson, Chris Isaak,
and Crosby, Stills & Nash to name just a few performers. As an example, 7,000
people attended this area on July 4th. Depending on how much you want to spend
and how close you want to sit there are four sections. To give you an idea you
can choose to sit in rows 1-5 with a price includes a 4-course meal with wine
pairing. The other three options are available including just general
admission where you bring your own chairs and blankets.
I thought that the tour was over but nooooo! We entered the
conference/dining area. Another impressive antique is the Robert Morton
Theatre Pipe Organ. This organ was located originally in Sacramento at the
famed Alhambra Theatre until the 1960's. There were these great chandeliers
located throughout the tasting room. Talk about atmosphere!
The day we visited we were told that this dining room sold out with 200
seats to view the silent version movie "Phantom of the Opera". The pipe organ
was going to be used this evening and we were serenaded to the impressive
music of the organ playing a Glen Miller tune. Barb replied, 'I would of never
imagined enjoying watching shutters open and close!'
Perhaps we can come back when Executive Chef James Lehman and prestigious
guest chefs are conducting a cooking demonstrations or a class on wine
pairing. They have a Culinary Center that has a whole lot of private and
public events throughout the year. Check out their event calendar at
www.ironstonevineyards.com.
Read Part 2 of Merle's Trip With Nancy & Barb
