by Megan Wiskus // photos by Dante Fontana

It’s not breaking news that our region is rife with award-winning wineries and breweries—with even more places slated to open soon. From well-established and nationally known locales, to the new kids on the block, no one’s going thirsty here. The hardest part is deciding just what offering to quench your thirst with. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best local libations available—complete with a quick description of each, pairing suggestion and its ABV. We invite you to read through the list, tear it out or take notes, and head out on your very own sip trip through the region. In no particular order…

This is a beer we make in early spring to celebrate the first growth of the hop plant.  This particular beer was aged in a barrel and had a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces.  It has a very dry, earthy hop nose and flavor, with notes of peach and pepper.  Rustic, dry and quenching, it goes great with a farmhouse lunch of cheeses, salami and olives.

The Monk’s Cellar, 240 Vernon Street, Roseville, 916-786-6665, monkscellar.com

 Secret Ravine 2015 Gold Fever Sauvignon Blanc, 14% ABV

This California State Fair gold medal winner and “Best of Class in Region” winner is a delightful, refreshing wine that’s brilliant in color, providing aromas of grapefruit and tart apple that’s well balanced with flavor and acidity. Chill and serve with fish, cheese, fruit or holiday turkey and ham.

Secret Ravine Vineyard & Winery, 4390 Gold Trail Way, Loomis, 916-652-6015, secretravine.com

Knee Deep Brewing Company Stoutella, 6% ABV

Flavors of roasty, sweet cocoa and hazelnut make this beer taste like Nutella in liquid form! It’s full-bodied and has a lingering sweetness that pairs nicely with rich desserts or Italian food.

Knee Deep Brewing Company, 13395 New Airport Road, Auburn, 530-797-4677, kneedeepbrewing.com   

GoatHouse Brewing Co. Ménage, 6.9% ABV

This Belgian tripel is brewed with 40 pounds of fresh mandarins (satsumas, honey mandarins and clementines from GoatHouse’s onsite orchard) and toasted spice. It was recently named one of the “Top 25 Beers” in Sacramento and is always a hit at the agriculturally based brewery, which grows 80 percent of their own hops.

GoatHouse Brewing Co., 600 Wise Road, Lincoln, 916-740-9100, goathousebrewing.com

Dragas Brewing Gizmo IPA,

7.2% ABV

Gizmo is boldly hopped with First Gold and Mosaic hops late in the boil, providing a juicy yet bitter profile. At 7.2-percent ABV and 77 IBU, it’s definitely something you could drink after midnight…but it may transform you. The unfiltered, fruity body provides the perfect vessel for this West Coast hop bomb. Try pairing it with a spicy Pad Thai dish; just don’t forget a bit of lime juice squeezed over the slightly sweet shrimp and chili rice noodles. 

Dragas Brewing, 5860 Pacific Street, Rocklin, 916-905-7710, dragasbrewing.com

Moonraker Brewing Company YOJO, 6.9% ABV

This unfined, unfiltered beer is a favorite among all and uses a proprietary English yeast strain. Apricot, peach and pineapple hop flavors come from the use of Mosaic, Galaxy, Simcoe and Citra hops. It pairs well with fish tacos.

Moonraker Brewing Company, 12970 Earhart Avenue, Suite 100, Auburn, 530-745-6816, moonrakerbrewing.com

Boeger 2014 Barbera, 15% ABV

This wine—a gold medal winner at the El Dorado County Fair—features aromas of fresh tobacco, browned butter and toasted sugar, sweet red pepper, ripe cranberry and pomegranate. The mouthwatering palate has vibrancy and zip! It also has great tannins for cutting through rich foods. Try it with a hearty stew or creamy tomato-based pastas.

Boeger Winery, 1709 Carson Road, Placerville, 530-622-8094, boegerwinery.com

EDH Brewing Co. Big Red Pig Red Mosaic Ale, 6.5% ABV 

This mosaic hopped red ale has a unique blend of flavors, including raisin, plum and pine. A great dish to pair with it is EDH Brewing Co.’s Chili Cheese Dog with a side of coleslaw.

EDH Brewing Co., 875 Embarcadero Drive, El Dorado Hills, 916-939-6827, edhbrewing.com

Rancho Victoria 2013 Primitivo

This exquisitely balanced wine is feminine in nature with flavors of fresh raspberry and ripe cherry. From start to finish, this Sierra foothill beauty cries elegance in a glass. The tannins are soft and silky with tones of black pepper that linger playfully on the tip of your tongue throughout the finish. This wine is very food-friendly and is a perfect pairing to tomato-based Italian dishes.

Rancho Victoria Vineyard, 16920 Greilich Road, Plymouth, 209-600-2557, ranchovictoriavineyard.com

Rancho Roble Vineyards 2012 Estate Barbera, 13.9% ABV

Estate grown in Placer County, this Barbera is well balanced, with a mellow start and lingering finish of dark red fruit notes such as cherry, plum and blackberry. Pair with tomato-based Italian cuisine such as pizza and pasta, barbecue and other meat dishes (pork or sausage), or dark chocolate for dessert.

Rancho Roble Vineyards, 340 Fleming Road, Lincoln, 916-645-2075, ranchoroble.com

PaZa 2013 Petite Sirah Reserve, 14.3% ABV

Passionately known for its inky dark purple color, mild tannins and aromas of fresh herbs and white pepper overtones, this wine is not Syrah and is also not petite! It aged for three years in a combination of new and used barrels, and was a silver award winner in the 2015 Consumer Wine Awards and a bronze award winner in the 2014 Sunset International Wine Competition. Initially, its personality may be a bit subtle, but a little patience and it’s happy to complement any meal. It’s also known to pair perfectly with an empty glass.

PaZa Estate Winery, 3357 Ayers Holmes Road, Auburn, 916-834-0565, pazawines.com

Helwig 2014 Barbera, 14.5% ABV

This Barbera explodes on the nose with notes of black cherry, cedar and subtle hints of lavender. The palate is rife with blueberry and gooseberry, rounding out with ample vanilla and cardamom spice. When pairing with food, consider traditional staples such as spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna. If it’s meats you desire, try braised lamb dishes or hanger steaks. This Barbera’s versatility makes it a welcome guest at any table!

Helwig Winery, 11555 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth, 209-245-5200, helwigwinery.com

Everhart Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5%

Everhart’s very low-yielding vines at their Pilot Ridge vineyard produce wines of deep color concentration, good acidity, tannins and rich flavors. This wine is no exception, with its dark ruby color and nice extraction. Aromas of black cherry, berry pie, and hints of green tea and tobacco are complemented by sweet, toasted oak aromas of graham cracker, coffee and spice. On the palate are flavors of red fruit, rich and full, with toasted oak adding complexity without taking away from the core of fruit. The award-winning wine (it took a gold medal at the Orange County Fair Wine Competition) is balanced and has nice tannins that are firm yet not overpowering, making it a perfect pairing for most red meats or all by itself.

Everhart Cellars & Hart 2 Hart Vineyards, 5821 CA State Highway 49, Pilot Hill, 530-885-9463, hart2hartvineyards.com

Runquist 2014 “R” Barbera, 14.9% ABV

This succulent, juicy wine has a purple color of moderate depth with bright, youthful hues. Red raspberry, currant and cherry aromas are accompanied by a bouquet of sweet toasty oak, with notes of nutmeg, hazelnut and butter, which brings a complexity that grows with time in the glass. Fourteen months in barrels provides a smooth, creamy texture and lengthens a finish that lingers long after the wine is gone. For a tasty pairing, try serving it with Braised Lamb Shanks Osso Buco (see recipe below). 

Jeff Runquist Wines, 10776 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth, 209-245-6282, jeffrunquistwines.com

Braised Lamb Shanks Osso Buco

• 4-6 large lamb shanks

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Braising Sauce

• 1 oz. prosciutto, chopped
• 2 med. onions, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 ½ cups tomatoes (fresh or canned), peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 cups lamb, beef, or chicken stock
• 2-3 small strips of lemon peel
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp. dried)
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or oregano (or ½ tsp. dried)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Basil Gremolata (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet or a Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Add the shanks and brown them on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside. To make the Braising Sauce: Pour off all but 2 tbsp. of fat from the pan. Turn the heat down to medium, add the prosciutto, onions and carrot, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are quite soft. Put in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine, tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Put in the lemon peel, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme or oregano, and the shanks. Cover the pot and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 1.5-2 hours, or until the meat is quite tender, turning it from time to time during cooking. Remove the shanks and cover them loosely to keep warm. Degrease the sauce and discard the bay leaves and lemon peel. Reduce the sauce by half over high heat. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve the shanks on a bed of risotto or polenta. Pour over some of the sauce, sprinkle the gremolata generously over the top and serve.  

Basil Gremolata

• 2 tsp. chopped lemon zest
• ½ tsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of sea salt
• Finely chop all the ingredients together by hand or in a food processor.

Auburn Alehouse Gold Country Pilsner, 5% ABV

This American-style pilsner has won three Great American Beer Fest medals—the nation’s most prestigious beer competition. Safe to say, it’s widely considered one of the best beers made in the region. It boasts a brilliant clarity, pale straw hue, with a sturdy white head. Up front, the beer has a biscuit, almost honey-like sweetness, but it finishes bone dry with a snappy, hop character. Although it pairs well with a variety of dishes, it works best with herb-roasted chicken, and is a great match to fatty fish dishes, like salmon, plus creamy pastas, an assortment of cheeses and cured meats.

Auburn Alehouse, 289 Washington Street, Auburn, 530-885-2537, auburnalehouse.com

River Rock Ranch Lindemann 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, 13% ABV

The unusually sweet yet tart flavor of this wine wakes up your taste buds and is very refreshing to sip on a warm afternoon. The best food to serve with it is a spring salad with melons and fruit alongside a fresh croissant.

River Rock Ranch Lindemann Winery, 6024 Prairie Way, Lincoln, 916-408-3855, riverrockranch.co

 Loomis Basin Brewing Company Vindicator IPA, 6.5% IPA

This flagship ale is a classic California IPA—extremely drinkable and not an over-the-top-hop-in-your-face IPA. Aromas of tangerine, grapefruit and a hint of pine fill the nose, and caramel and Munich malts balance out the beer by adding a full body and touch of sweetness. You can pair it with any great BBQ dish, but it’s particularly good with Asian-style foods and a good spicy taco.

Loomis Basin Brewing Company, 3277 Swetzer Road, Loomis, 916-259-2739; LBB GastroPub and SmokeHouse, 3640 Taylor Road, Suite C, Loomis, 916-824-1527, loomisbasinbrewing.com

Crystal Basin 2012 Triumphant Bordeaux-Style Blend, 15.1% ABV

Crystal Basin’s 2012 Triumphant is the tenth incarnation of the winery’s beautiful Bordeaux-style blend featuring all five of the Bordeaux grapes (50-percent Merlot, 30-percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 10-percent Cabernet Franc, 5-percent Malbec and 5-percent Petit Verdotall)—all sourced from El Dorado vineyards. This wine has backbone and strength, along with balance and power. Although the wine will age nicely for up to 10 years…why wait? Try pairing it with mushroom Gorgonzola pasta with peppered filet mignon strips.

Crystal Basin Cellars, 3550 Carson Road, Camino, 530-647-1767, crystalbasin.com

Perry Creek Altitude 2011 Petite Sirah, 14.8% ABV

Almost black in color, this full-bodied wine has aromas of brambly dark fruits—like wild blackberries and fresh plums—plus smoky char and chocolate. Fine tannins and a lingering richness on the palate make it an ideal wine to enjoy with rich meats like steak or even burgers.

Perry Creek Winery, 7400 Perry Creek Road, Somerset, 530-620-5175, perrycreek.com

Charles B. Mitchell Cure Breast Cancer 2013 Zinfandel, 14% ABV

A portion of sales from this Zin—which displaces smooth and complex characteristics—is donated to Cure Breast Cancer, a group founded by Dr. Bodai, creator of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. The wine pairs well with summer grills and light game, such as poultry and rabbit.

Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards, 8221 Stoney Creek Road, Fair Play, 530-620-3467, charlesbmitchell.com

DESIGNATED DRIVERS

With so many local places to imbibe, we recommend hiring a non-drinking pro to take you around for a full day of fun, or signing up for an organized tour. Because what better way to celebrate a special occasion than a day of wine and beer tasting? 

API Limousine, specializes in Placer Wine Tours, apilimos.com/winetours/placerwinetours.aspx 

Fork ‘N Road Brewery and Wine Tours, unique, small-group tours and curated experiences throughout Placer County for discerning guests, forknroadproductions.com 

Galaxy Limousine and Sedan Services, offers wine tours and brew tours around the region, limo-galaxy.com/northern-california-wine-tours-and-brewery-tours-limo

Sierra Wine Experience, customizable wine tours throughout the region in a custom-built Mercedez-Benz passenger van; picnic options also available, sierrawineexperience.com

WHERE TO TASTE OUTSIDE THE TASTING ROOM

Can’t make it to the source, but still looking to drink local? Consider going somewhere whose menu is chock-full of regional beers and wines. What are you waiting for? Hop to it! 

Bar 101 Eats and Drinks, Roseville, bar101roseville.com

Bar 101

Boneshaker Public House, Rocklin, boneshakerpub.com

Final Gravity Taproom and Bottleshop, locations in Auburn and Roseville, finalgravitybeer.com

Old Town Pizza, locations in Roseville, Lincoln and Auburn, otpizza.net

Monkey Cat Restaurant and Bar, Auburn, monkeycat.com

Sip, Auburn, sipauburn.com

BEER & WINE TASTING EVENTS

Food and alcohol may be the most perfect pairing ever, so when our area hosts an event that offers both—and it benefits a local charity—we’re there. Here’s a quick rundown of the year’s bigger happs on tap. 

Big Crush Harvest Festival, October 1-2. Celebrate the grape harvest with creative food and wine pairings at participating wineries in Amador County, as tractors trudge and crush pads bustle. amadorwine.com/event/big-crush-harvest-festival

Holidays in the Hills, December. Get a head start on holiday shopping and taste new wines (many paired with small bites) at this annual event that doubles as a fund-raiser for Toys for Tots. placerwine.com/events.htm

Valentines Sweets, Treats and Trivia, February. Tickets include wine tasting, sweets and treats at each participating Placer County winery. placerwine.com/events.htm

Passport, April 22-23 and 29-30. Journey through participating El Dorado County wineries, as you taste a bevy of wines paired with local bites. passporteldorado.com

Rocklin Brewfest, June. With live music, over 35 craft breweries, plus wine tasting and food vendors, attending this event is a no-brainer. rocklinbrewfest.com

Grape Days of Summer, August. Celebrate local wine, food and agriculture, as you tour up to 20 wineries and enjoy a unique educational experience at each. placerwine.com/events.htm

Seniors First Wine and Brew Fest, August. Tickets to this fund-raiser for Seniors First include food, wine, craft brews and a commemorative tasting glass. fallwineandbrewfest.com