Sierra foothills wine competition set for May, festival in November

The Sierra foothill region is one of California’s outstanding and truly unique wine regions, as visitors to El Dorado and Amador county wineries already know. A
collaborative effort of local business, tourism and economic development organizations has announced the creation of an innovative wine competition and festival celebrating the wines - the Folsom Wine Festival.

This long-awaited effort is designed to share those locally-created wines with wine lovers that may not already be aware of the region's wines. The competition, to be held in Folsom on May 15, will bring celebrated wine experts together to judge entries from Sierra Foothill Wineries. Following the judging, the Foothill Wine Festival will take place in Folsom on Saturday, November 20, providing a hyper-local wine experience and introducing consumers to the variety and quality of wines being created from grapes grown in their local foothill region.

All wines produced in the Sierra Foothills are eligible for entry to the competition. Award winners of Gold or Silver medals will be invited to be sampled by the public at the November festival.

“We think that the time is right to showcase the amazing Sierra Foothill wines produced right in our backyard,” said Joe Gagliardi, CEO of the Great Folsom Partnership. “We know our regional wineries offer a signature experience marked by passionate winemakers, intimate tasting rooms and spectacular Sierra views. In 2021, we are discovering liquid gold!”

Heading up the wine side of the Foothill Wine Festival is Mike Owen, founder of Crystal Basin Cellars in El Dorado County’s Apple Hill. Mike has 20+ years of winemaking experience and a keen interest in marketing the region to wine consumers.

“Sierra Foothill wines have perhaps the best price-to-value ratio in California, said Owen “There is an incredibly wide range of grape varieties being grown beautifully in the Foothills, and that diversity and innovation is leading to stellar wines across the region. We want to introduce everyone in
the Sacramento area to our wines as a viable and tasty alternative to tasting in other regions.”

“It’s been a privilege to witness the steady progress that vineyard owners and winemakers in the Sierra Foothills have made in identifying their core strengths over the past decade,” said Laura Ness, wine columnist and judge. “Events that showcase the varietal abundance of this region can only help to further the
appreciation of all this beautiful area has to offer.”

The Sierra Foothill region includes Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer and Tuolumne counties. All wines produced from grapes grown in those counties are eligible for entry. Wineries who are not located within the region but source grapes from vineyards located in the Sierra Foothills are also eligible to
enter the competition.

“Most people don’t draw county lines when they think of the Sierra Foothills,” said wine writer and judge Rick Kushman. “They just know they’re going to find great wines in spectacularly beautiful places. It makes so much sense to judge Foothill wines together and show off the terrific quality and range of the region.”

Wineries are invited to enter at www.enofileonline.com.

“As experienced event producers, we understand the pent-up demand for fairs and festivals in this market,” said Gagliardi. “We are committed to honoring the public health considerations and creating an event that will benefit the region’s winemakers and wine consumers for years to come.”

A website has been established for the festival at www.foothillwinefest.com. Tickets will go on sale there in April.