GOLD COUNTRY BUSINESS TOURISM
Cedarville Vineyard & Winery in Fair Play is
one of nearly 50 wineries in El Dorado County.
PHOTO BY LAUREN LINDLEY
COURTESY OF THE CITY OF PLACERVILLE
In years past, the El Dorado Winery
Association has put on the annual
Passport Event every spring where attendees
can visit more than 25 wineries
for tastings, food pairings, live music,
art demonstrations, tours and talks.
The association is also in the process of
launching the El Dorado Wine Movement,
a monthly subscription service that
includes seminars and rotating deals at
member wineries.
“Wine tasting is just an enjoyable
experience,” Sather says. “It allows you
to relax a little bit and learn about your
palate and our region.”
For those who are more get-up-andgo,
the region is also home to myriad
year-round outdoor activities. The El Dorado
County Farm Trails allows visitors to
visit local farms, ranches and orchards to
see where the county’s bounty is grown
and participate in educational and artistic
events. The American River offers fishing,
tubing, kayaking and white-water rafting
at places like Mother Lode River Center
in Lotus and Coloma Resort in Coloma,
where visitors can also pan for gold at the
place where the gold rush started.
“Coloma is the backbone — and
backdrop — of our history,” says Franklin.
“It’s a great place to learn about gold rush
history and also be adventurous. The river
is dam-controlled, so it’s great for people
who don’t consider themselves outdoors
people — unlike other rivers where you
need more experience (to raft safely), the
American River is pretty tame, so you can
feel empowered whether you’re 7 or 70.”
Coloma Resort also has hiking trails
and recreational summertime activities
like live music, nature scavenger hunts,
gold panning classes and outdoor educational
programs run by the same instructors
who lead the site’s Coloma Outdoor
Discovery School field trip program
during the school year. The resort also has
accommodations, including RV and tent
camping and cabins.
88 comstocksmag.com | July 2020