| Fiddletown | |
| Type: | American Viticultural Area |
| Year: | 1983[1] 1987 Amended[2] |
| Country: | United States |
| Part Of: | California, Sierra Foothills AVA |
| Similar: | California Shenandoah Valley AVA |
| Soil: | Sierra-Ahwahee and Sites series; deep loam of decomposed granite |
| Total Size: | 11500acres |
| Planted: | 310acres |
| Grapes: | Barbera, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel,[3] |
Fiddletown is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Amador County, California, United States. The area was established on November 3, 1983 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted from the Fiddletown Wine Grape Growers in Amador County to establish a viticultural area to be known as "Fiddletown." The region was first settled in 1849, during the California Gold Rush. Settlers who stayed in the area eventually planted grape vines, which became abundant by the end of the nineteenth century. Most of the vineyards in the Fiddletown AVA are located in the south and west portion of the region on Sierra Nevada slopes between 1500to(-) above sea level. About 20% of the wine produced in Amador County comes from Fiddletown viticultural area.[3]
Fiddletown viticultural area is considered the upper Amador wine growing region, as it sits at higher elevation to both the Shenandoah Valley AVA, anchored by the towns of Plymouth and Sutter Creek, and the wineries that run along eastern CA 16 to CA 49, more centered around Ione. This area historically, as all wine regions of the Sierra Nevada foothills, were started by settlers seeking their fortunes in the 1850s California Gold Rush. In Amador County, the new immigrants began planting grapevines and producing wine. In 1866, the number of grape-vines was estimated at 557,773; in 1867, at 1,140,000; 1868, at 683,623.[4] The valley produced Zinfandel grapes throughout the late 1800s, but did not experience a wine boom until well into the 1960s. During the 1960s and 1970s, most of the grapes were sold to jug wine producers, the area became a growing retirement region, and the expanse of the population centers of the Central Valley and even Nevada added significant wine touring to the area. With this resurgence of local wine buyers, the regions of interior California, especially the Sierra Foothills, started a new resurgence with more plantings and wine making.
Fiddletown AVA is more high mountain grapes, with Syrah and related Rhone varietals doing well, and traditional Italian grapes such as Barbera, Tempranillo and Zinfandel being the historical favorites of the greater region. Grapes traditionally making up Bordeaux wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc are grown all across the region, just less common. Dominant white varietals grown in the region are Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Albarino, Rousanne, and others. Some vineyards in this area can stretch to over 3,000 feet above sea level creating a distinct difference to the lower elevations. A few celebrated winemakers especially focus on this area.[5] A winery collective and store exists known as Amador 360 Winery Collective, which can give you a diverse introduction to this AVA specifically.[6]
Damas Vineyards is one of the few wineries that places Fiddletown AVA on their labels. The AVA wine bottles usually are labelled with the "Amador County" appellation. The county access roads to the area's wineries and retail outlets primarily in the California Shenandoah Valley viticultural area are on Shenandoah Road while further south is the Fiddletown area, east of Plymouth, CA, is Fiddletown Road. See the California Shenandoah Valley for a more complete list of wineries that span both roads.