THINK WHILE YOU DRINK: EL DORADO
Harvest 2021
Our hearts and minds have been in El Dorado as of late, in light of the Caldor Fire, and so we could think of no better topic for this THINK WHILE YOU DRINK column. We were lucky enough to spend 8 years in El Dorado, when Chris was winemaker at Skinner Vineyards in Fairplay. He’d been exploring the area since 2007, when he started working for the Skinners scouting properties and planning a winery. In 2010 we moved there – with a new marriage, a new baby, and a new wine brand, not knowing a soul.
First impressions ranged from absolute awe of the stunning beauty of the place and its great potential, to a bit of fear that someone might take a shot at us from their front porch. It’s El Dorado, and some folks don’t take kindly to out of towners who might try to change the place. Luckily, we soon met the kind of locals who DO welcome newcomers, and they opened their doors, baked us pies, and invited us to playgroups, book clubs, Easter egg hunts, and Halloween parties. They taught our babies how to take “nature pees,” pick up litter on the trail, and learn to love the river.
They joined us at some of the great places in El Dorado – the winding American River Canyon, the ski slopes and sledding hills, beautiful waterfalls and campsites, and numerous magical spots in the Desolation Wilderness, We discovered the charming historic towns scattered throughout gold country, and made many happy memories exploring the region.
And we haven’t even gotten to the vineyards. The more we got to know the region, the more secrets it revealed to us. Granitic soils. Hidden, high elevation vines cooled by mountain and river breezes. Esoteric grape varietals rarely seen planted in California. Cliffside vineyards overlooking the American River and hills rolling out like corduroy to the horizon. It’s rural and rugged and in some places, very poor. There are problems in that, and perspective too. There’s not much pretense or snobbery. Just people making a living with grit and grace.
We love making wines from El Dorado. The growers are our friends; the vineyards were our backyard. We know its hard truths and beautiful gifts. The Caldor Fire means much of the area’s wilderness has burned, and there will be blackened land when we visit next, but we are heartened that every vineyard we work with survived the fire. The rocks and rivers remain. The history and spirit remains strong. We mourn the loss of so much, but we take heart in the endurance of this wonderful place, and we celebrate the intriguing, beautiful wines the region produces.
We’ll be donating a share of proceeds from our two El Dorado releases – the 2020 High Country White and Gamay noir — to The Caldor Fund, a trusted fund managed by good friends at the El Dorado Community Foundation. 100% of donations go to support the families impacted by this fire. If you’d like to help, visit https://eldoradocf.org to make a donation.
Another way to help: buy El Dorado wines. Family wineries like Baiocchi, Boeger, Cedarville, La Clarine Farm, Miraflores, Skinner, and many more make beautiful wines and could use the support. Visit The El Dorado Winery Association for a full list.