These Wine And Ale Trails Travel Through The Heart Of California's Farm-To-Fork Region In The Sierra Foothills

Close your eyes and picture yourself in California during summer. The sun is shining, you can hear the playful pops of wine bottles being uncorked and the silvery chime of wine glasses clinking, or perhaps taste the dank sparkle of a West Coast IPA on your lips as you sit down to enjoy a scenic mountain view. Without even knowing it, you might be in Placer County, a peaceful stretch of land tucked into the Sierra Nevada foothills between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Among the county's many recreational highlights — including hiking, rock climbing, and white water rafting — the Placer Wine & Ale Trail defines summer in this region.

Like much of the Golden State, Placer County first came to settlers' attention during the 19th-century Gold Rush, when Auburn became the county seat and a hot spot for panning "placer" deposits of gold embedded in local streams. But as the century wore on and the gold dried up, locals discovered they had another bounty in the form of agriculture: a Mediterranean climate with well-draining soil, ideal for growing their favorite European grapes and hops.

As part of the underrated Farm-to-Fork Capital within the greater Sacramento region, Placer has access to incredible seasonal flavors. Plus, the local makers here are forward-thinking in their methods of producing wine, beer, and other libations. The result? A collection of over 50 wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries that has grown over the last 15 years, today exemplifying the diversity in products of which Placer County is capable. And there's no better way to explore this bounty than by embarking on the Placer Wine & Ale Trail.

Originally founded in 2010, the Placer Wine Trail today showcases the bottlings of 23 boutique local wineries from Roseville to Auburn. Nearly 100 miles inland from Napa Valley, Placer wineries make higher-altitude wines, and it shows in the varietals favored by growers. Cellar doors here feature robust Italian reds (barbera, sangiovese, and zinfandel), lush Spanish tempranillos, full-figured Rhône blends (grenache, petite sirah, syrah, and viognier), and bold Bordeaux (cabernet franc, malbec, and sauvignon blanc).

As a relatively young AVA, the Sierra Foothills (where Placer County wineries are located) has so far avoided the over-commercialization of other Golden State wine regions. The relaxed alpine atmosphere and personalized experience delivered by independent producers only add to this wine trail's charm. Take Viña Castellano Winery, for instance, where you can try the Mendez family's Spanish varietals and blends in a traditional cave tasting room. Or Mt. Vernon, Placer's largest and most award-winning winery, which pours red, white, sparkling, and port-style wines out of a mid-century milk house, bedecked in lush ivy and surrounded by flowering gardens.

Fans of Old World-style wines should check out the Farinha family's operation at Cante Ao Vinho in Rocklin, where Portuguese varietals of Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cao, and Vinho Doce complete the list. There are also plenty of gourmet opportunities, like enjoying a Tuscan-style dinner overlooking the Sacramento Valley at Wise Villa Winery & Restaurant or a botanical brunch in the Flower Farm Cafe at Casque Wines, which specializes in French wines. Visits are best during the summer and autumn harvest season, when local produce is abundant at markets and farms. For the chance to pick your own produce for a fee, try visiting Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits, Newcastle Lavender Farm, Ricky Ranch Pumpkin Farm, and more.

The Placer County Vintners Association has, over the years, accepted 21 craft breweries, two cideries, and a distillery into their midst, making up a nouveau branch of the trail that's all their own. For fans of West Coast IPAs, this path is paved in effervescent gold. But the makers on the list produce a broad range of experimental styles, grounded in locally sourced ingredients (think satsuma mandarin oranges, local wildflower honey, and lots of Citra and Mosaic hops).

The Ale Trail extends to North Lake Tahoe, where Tahoe National Brewing Company and Bear Belly Brewing each offer a range of light and dark styles to alpine country enthusiasts. Visiting Hillenbrand Farmhaus Brewery in Newcastle also feels like a lovely escape, with its Old World brewhouse featuring farm-style ales. Dueling Dogs Brewing seems to have it all, including doggy-themed drafts that you can sip on at waterside picnic tables, an onsite meadery and cidery, and a seasonal pumpkin patch. While there's hardly a brewery on the list that omits IPA from its offerings, Knee Deep and Moonraker Brewing each dig into this style, the former known for big, bold hops and the latter for its "The Great Coneholio," which won gold at the 2023 World Beer Cup. For something stronger, California Distilled Spirits produces handmade brandy, whiskey, and Darjeeling tea-inspired gin.

Ever-connected to Placer County's sense of place, the Wine & Ale Trail map identifies not just friendly drinking stops, but also a host of outdoor recreation hotspots where visitors can picnic, hike, bike, and enjoy the scenery between sips. There's also plenty of gold rush history to be seen in towns like Placerville with its antiques and art, quirky Colfax near lakes and trails, and the perfectly preserved Dutch Flat.