World Class Barrel Tasting Just Minutes from Folsom
It’s just a short drive from Folsom to zinfandel bliss.
El Dorado County Vintners, who are world-known for producing quality zinfandel wines, will “roll out the barrel” in late January and invite the public to sharpen their tasting skills.
Reserve your comfortable hotel room now and enjoy a weekend of wine and fun on January 24 and 25. Folsom is a wonderful and convenient place to stay with accommodations to suite your needs from family friendly suites to romantic rooms with fireplaces or whirlpool tubs. If you’re busy that particular weekend, have no worries. Anytime is a good time to visit these casual friendly wineries.
Many of the wineries are family-owned and the vintners are often on hand to share their love of wine. Located just off Highway 50 (only about a half hour away) and easy to find is family-owned Jodar Winery. With a smile and a wealth of information, wine enthusiast Shaniti Carini provides tastes of the winery’s predominately red wines and signature port.
Walk in the door of the tasting room and be greeted with the wonderful aroma of simmering pasta with Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and mushrooms – the perfect accompaniment to the winery’s 2006 Zinfandel. Port lovers are encouraged to nibble a bit of gourmet white chocolate which makes the flavors of the port simply explode.
Carini says the winery has a pasta dish simmering each weekend to show how easy it is to pair wine with food. “All of the recipes are very easy to prepare so anyone can recreate what they taste at home,” she said.
Jodar wines are handcrafted by owner Vaughn Jodar who can often be found in the tasting room visiting with wine enthusiasts. Wine tasting is a relaxed and natural experience in the Sierra foothills, said Jodar. “Refuges from higher prestige areas come here to enjoy our casual hospitality. Northern Nevada residents consider us to be their wine county as well as enthusiasts from the Sacramento area and Folsom,” he said.
During the special weekend event, there will be 21 wineries offering barrel room tasting and food pairings. It is a rare opportunity to taste wine straight from the barrel – all pared with gourmet appetizers and desserts.
“We’ll offer barrel tasting of quality wine that isn’t quite ready for bottling, but it’s an opportunity so see how it’s developing,” he said. If you enjoy the wine and believe it can only get better, purchasing “futures” is a way to get a substantial discount. “I only offer barrel tasting of wines I know to be superior,” said Jodar.
For more information about the barrel tasting event, visit eldoradowines.org. Also visit their website at
www.jodarwinery.com.