Tucked away in the Sierra Foothills of Placerville, California, you’ll find Sierra Vista Winery, celebrating a half-century of winemaking this year. You can sit in one of their wine pods with spectacular views of their vineyards on the surrounding hillside and the Tahoe mountains in the distance, seasonally covered with snow. Whether you’re encountering rain, as we were on a recent visit, or even atmospheric rivers, it doesn’t matter because the pod protects you and its heater keeps you warm. You’ll feel like you’re in a snow globe as you work your way through a tasting or happily demolish a bottle.
The pods hold up to six people and have cute names like the Chardonnay Chateau and the Cabernet Chalet. They’re only available in the winter (roughly November through March) and are bookable in 1.5-hour units. There’s an online reservation system or you can try your luck in person. Depending on the size of the pod, you’ll have a $75 or $100 spending minimum to “earn” your time in the pod—which can be as easy as purchasing a charcuterie board and a few bottles to consume on the premises or take with you. A tasting of six wines is $15, waived with a purchase or free to wine club members.
You’re probably thinking, that all sounds fun, but is the wine any good? Quick answer: yes! We went through a tasting (and shared sips of each other’s choices) and found some true standouts. Winemaker Ryan Wright stopped by our pod to talk about his small-lot-focused craft—and to tell us that we had good timing since three wines had just been released the day before: an old clone Zin 2021, a late harvest Viognier 2021, and Picpoul Blanc 2022. We each bought a bottle of the Picpoul to go home with, with its incredible citrusy aroma of lemon and orange peel, and bright, crisp apple and mineral flavor for seafood pairing.
The Sierra Foothills American Viticultural Area was established in 1987 and now has 400 wineries with 30,000 acres of grape-growing wine (and 2.6 million acres of wineries). Wine grapes were planted here in the mid-1800s as Gold Rushers saw the fertile land in the foothills as a prime place to establish vineyards. Phylloxera has never hit the foothills, knock on wood(en oak barrel). Sierra Vista Winery dates to 1974 with 60 farmable acres, with half of it farmed currently; the vineyards are all 50 years old. It is the first winery in this appellation to grow Rhône Varietals, and has one of the oldest Syrah vineyards in the state. Sierra Vista uses one-year-old French oak barrels and rotates them out every 5-7 years. Zins, cabs and blends are popular in this area, and the winery’s table wine is named Elevation 2,800 for its elevation. For reference, much of Napa sits at 1,400 feet, and the highest winery in the US is the Continental Divide at 10,361 feet. In general, grapes receive more sun exposure during the day and better access to cool winds at night when situated at high altitudes, intensifying the flavor.
