WINE n most years , Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys hummed with energy and activity . During concert weekends at the vineyard ’ s Ironstone Amphitheatre , where artists like Willie Nelson and John Fogerty have played , up to 5,000 people a day would come through the vineyard ’ s tasting room . The winery ’ s wine club members would arrive early for private , pre-concert parties inside the wine cave . Weddings , corporate events and holiday brunches crowded the calendar . Guests and groups toured the vineyard ’ s lakes , lush gardens , wine caverns and mining museum ; shopped at the jewelry store ; and dined at Gold Leaf Bistro . The world ’ s largest specimen of crystalline gold leaf , weighing 44 pounds , is on display in a vault in the tasting room .
Founded in 1989 , Ironstone is owned by the Kautz family , fourth-generation growers , but the Ironstone empire started with the wine cave . “ Before they did anything , they just started blasting into the side of the hill there ,” says Daniel Kushnir , director of sales and marketing . It took a crew of professional miners nearly a year to create the caverns , which are used for wine storage due to the consistent temperature . “ Once the caves and the breezeway had been made , they saw what they had and said , ‘ Maybe we should do a little more .’”
That urge to do a little more has helped raise the game of wine regions throughout the Capital Region . No longer content to cower in the shadow of Napa , a handful of larger wineries like Ironstone , Helwig Winery in Plymouth and Michael David Winery in Lodi have upped the ante by providing an array of events , amenities , curated experiences and award-winning wines . With daytrip-worthy destinations anchoring wine regions like Shenandoah Valley in Amador and El Dorado counties , Fair Play in El Dorado County , Lodi , and Clarksburg , oenophiles no longer need to pay the higher prices and drive to Napa to get a world-class winery experience .
Although the events side of wineries suffered greatly during the coronavirus pandemic , online wine sales soared . In June 2020 , a Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute report projected that the California wine industry would lose more than $ 4 billion due to the pandemic . However , extra space and on-site eateries gave larger wineries an advantage in meeting social distancing and requirements that food must be purchased . And with many of these wineries planning to restart parties and concerts in 2021 amid heightened consumer interest , local wine tourism and events businesses could come back stronger than ever .
It ’ s about more than wine
In Amador County , the history of California winemaking has seeped into the soil . In the mid-1850s , European
36 comstocksmag . com | April 2021