Michael David Winery ’ s spacious gardens and its restaurant , The Farm Cafe , allowed the winery to thrive during the pandemic . immigrants planted some of the state ’ s oldest grapevines , some of which produce fruit to this day . Still , when Helwig founders Dave and Nancy Helwig first came to the region decades ago for wine tasting , there were only a handful of wineries . Today , Amador County has more than 40 wineries , with none perhaps more spectacular than Helwig , which opened in 2004 .
Dave Helwig ’ s interest in grape growing began with a small vineyard planted in his backyard . Today , Helwig grapes grow across 60 acres between four vineyards in two counties . As respected as the Amador County wine scene is in California , Helwig believes it can grow to become a real tourist destination . “ I think we need more infrastructure in terms of hotels and restaurants and things like that ,” he says . “ The wines are beginning to become better known , but we do need more infrastructure in terms of places for people to stay .”
The crown jewel in the Helwig Winery empire is the sprawling and scenic property in Plymouth . Besides the tasting room , vineyards and panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley , the property includes wine caves , olive orchards , a farm-to-table restaurant , a corporate events center , a 6,000-square-foot country estate and an outdoor concert venue . Pablo Cruise and Micky Dolenz played there in 2019 , and although the pandemic ended concerts in 2020 , the venue has booked acts such as Starship and Blood , Sweat & Tears for this summer .
Despite the closures , cancellations and limits on tastings , its additional space and resources allowed Helwig Winery to navigate the pandemic better . “ We have our kitchen that is open seven days a week , which allowed us to be able to stay open where others couldn ’ t ,” says Kathleen Mahan , the winery ’ s director of events and culinary services . “ There ’ s been lots of things by being so large that we ’ ve been able to keep our staff employed and keep wine flowing for the public .”
Mahan believes the pandemic restrictions forced the winery to better curate experiences for its customers . “ Being reservation-only really allows us to have that connection with the customer ,” she says . “ Before , we were fortunate to have a larger tasting-room space , and it could be pretty wild and crazy in there . Now you ’ re having that one-on-one experience , and I think that that really is going to be what guides us moving forward .”
If the curated and personalized experiences at Helwig Winery sound like fine dining , then the setup at Old Sugar
April 2021 | comstocksmag . com 37