Sutter Creek’s main street reels you back in time to its gold rush days. Tucked into California’s Sierra Foothills of Amador Wine Country, Sutter Creek is a worthwhile day - or more - in California wine country. Amador is one of California’s premier wine regions, particularly renowned for Zinfandel.
Rolling gold hills – fleetingly green in winter – wind through wide open vistas. It’s tempting to drive through the romantic open hillside across Amador’s vineyards, but we opted to relax in the petite former gold rush town of Sutter Creek. The throwback town feels preserved and authentic, rather than Disneylandesque. Sutter Creek is certainly geared toward tourism, but it feels laid-back.
Here you will find covered sidewalks where you can leisurely meander to a number of charming cafes and cute shops… and plenty of wine tasting rooms. Though once we found ourselves at the Le Mulet Rouge tasting room, we camped out there for the afternoon.
This winery has it all, from delicious wine to lovely ambience to welcoming hospitality. Owners Tracy and Randy Hart were on hand to graciously greet their guests and happy to talk all about their wine. Amazingly, the Harts – formerly architects in Denver – have only been making their stunning wine since 2014.
As a fan of European wines, I am very particular about my California wine. And Le Mulet Rouge reeks of terroir… you taste the grapes, not the barrel.
The Le Mulet Rouge tasting room is warm and modern yet echoes the vintage charm of historic Sutter Creek. There are a variety of seating areas in the cozy room, and we staked out a window-side table to lay out our picnic spread that we had brought with us.
Proprietor Tracy encouraged us to feel comfortable in picnicking so we could nosh while enjoying our tasting. But if you don’t plan ahead to bring a picnic basket, there is a quaint, well-stocked cheese shop located about a block away.
We tasted every wine on Le Mulet Rouge’s extensive and interesting wine list - everything was delicious, and very reasonably priced. After my companions and I assembled a case amongst us, it was a bonus that we got a great discount.
With so many delicious Le Mulet Rouge options, it was difficult to choose which to bring home with me. I settled on three different bottles but wish I had procured a couple more. Luckily, getting back to Sutter Creek is a short drive away.
Reluctantly pulling ourselves away from the comfort of Le Mulet Rouge, we continued down the vintage sidewalk wandering into compelling boutiques.
On this day, I was drawn to Water Street Antiques & Interiors, its vast shop packed with interesting modern-rustic imports.
These fabulous tin stars now adorn my patio.
With the days getting longer, we had spent a full afternoon in Sutter Creek and we were still home well before dark.
Sutter Creek is located off Route 49 about an hour south east of Sacramento and a couple of hours from the Bay Area. Next outing, I look forward to driving through the Shenandoah Valley to check out Amador vineyards in the gorgeous foothills. Also nearby are the wine regions of El Dorado, Calaveras, and Fairplay.
But it’s definitely hard to beat just whiling away the day in the adorable, chill town of Sutter Creek.
