While Southern California has little fall color, there is quite a bit more up in the cooler north. No, it's not Maine or the Blue Ridge Mountains, but it sure is pretty. Above is a Zinfandel grape vine at Villa Toscano Winery in the Shenandoah Valley of the Sierra Foothills.
How to you know when you've reached Northern California? Well, this planting in the center divider of highway 99 near Fresno will tell you. The palm to the south, the pine to the north...this is the boundary between Southern and Northern California (look for it at exit 150).
We're visiting the wine country of the Sierra Foothill, specifically Amador County about 50 miles east of Lodi. This is California's oldest continuously operating winery (since 1856), the Sobon Estate.
They still use this original wine cave, dug into the hill, to age wines 156 years later.
At the top of a nearby hill, the Shenandoah Vineyard has this nice, arbor shaded picnic area.
This is also the Motherlode, California's Gold Country. John Marshall discovered gold here just up the road at Sutter's Mill. Dozens of historic gold mining towns dot the landscape. This is Amador City.
Now, back to home and tilling my own garden.
Darryl
Copyright 2012 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved.
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