A place devoted to wines of character, quality and value, from the perspective, palate and pen of Mike Dunne.
Signature Wines Author
Mike Dunne
This is my fiftieth year to write of wine, mostly California wine, and mostly wines from enclaves about the state capital, Sacramento, where my wife Martha and I have lived most of those 50 years. To mark that half century – and to give myself something to do during enforced isolation between 2020 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic – I wrote a book: “The Signature Wines of Superior California: 50 Wines that Define the Sierra Foothills, the Delta, Yolo and Lodi.” The book just has been released and initially is available at Corti Brothers in Sacramento and through Amazon.com.
Now Available!
The Signature Wines of Superior California
With “The Signature Wines of Superior California,” Mike Dunne corrects a common oversight concerning the state’s wine culture: It stretches far beyond Napa Valley. Of California’s many other wine regions, none is more overlooked than the area that surrounds Sacramento – the “Superior California” of the book’s title, namely the Sierra Nevada foothills, the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta, Yolo County and Lodi. Through 50 pivotal wines, “The Signature Wines of Superior California” introduces readers to persons and aspirations largely responsible for establishing the region’s standing for wines of uncommon vigor, variety and value. Each of the selected wines tells a story of how the region’s wine trade has unfolded. It could be the reimagining and refinement of the state’s most historic grape (Zinfandel), or the successful cultivation of grapes relatively new to the area (Syrah, Barbera, Albarino), or the emergence of flourishing vineyards and cellars in areas with little wine history (Dunnigan Hills, Fair Play, Murphys), and so forth. The 50 aren’t relics that no longer can be found and savored, but remain readily accessible and lively representatives of Superior California’s ever-evolving wine trade.
Opportunities
Where to buy
Signature Wines of Superior California
Mike Dunne’s book “The Signature Wines of Superior California: 50 Wines that Define the Sierra Foothills, the Delta, Yolo and Lodi” is available at the following locations:
Amador County
Amador 360, 18590 Highway 49, Plymouth; Visit Website
C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery, 19919 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Cooper Vineyards, 21365 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Dillian Wines, 12138 Steiner Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Hein & Company Used and Rare Books, 204 North Main St., Jackson
Jeff Runquist Wines, 10776 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Scott Harvey Wines, 10861 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth, and 79 Main St., Sutter Creek; Visit Website
Shenandoah Vineyards, 12300 Steiner Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Sobon Estate, 14430 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Terra d’Oro Winery, 20680 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Terre Rouge/Easton Wines, 10801 Dickson Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
The End of Nowhere, 14204 Main St., Amador City; Visit Website
Vino Noceto Winery, 11011 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth; Visit Website
Yorba Wines, 51 Hanford St., Sutter Creek; Visit Website
Calaveras County
Milliaire Winery, 276 Main St., Murphys; Visit Website
Newsome Harlow, 403 Main St., Murphys; Visit Website
El Dorado County
Boeger Winery, 1709 Carson Road, Placerville; Visit Website
Cappelli Wine, 484 Main St., Placerville
Holly’s Hill Vineyards, 3680 Leisure Lane, Placerville; Visit Website
Madroña Vineyards, 2560 High Hill Road, Placerville; Visit Website
Miraflores Winery, 2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville; Visit Website
Lodi
Acquiesce Winery, 22353 Tretheway Road, Acampo; Visit Website
Bogle Family Wine Collection, 37783 County Road 144, Clarksburg; Visit Website
Bokisch Vineyards, 18921 Atkins Road, Lodi; Visit Website
Harney Lane Winery, 9010 East Harney Lane, Lodi; Visit Website
Lodi Wine Visitor Center, 2545 West Turner Road, Lodi; Visit Website
Michael David Winery, 4580 Highway 12, Lodi; Visit Website
Peltier Winery & Vineyards, 22150 Kennefick Road, Acampo; Visit Website
Sacramento
Beers Books, 712 R St.; Visit Website
California Museum, 1020 O St.; Visit Website
Corti Brothers, 5810 Folsom Blvd; Visit Website
Capital Books, 1011 K St.; Visit Website
Avid Reader at Broadway Station, 1948 Broadway; Visit Website
Ro Sham Beaux, 2413 J St.; Visit Website
Time Tested Books, 1114 21st St; Visit Website
Follow Along
BY MIKE DUNNE
Brian Fitzpatrick’s “Confessions:” Fair Shake for Fair Play
When Brian and Diana Fitzpatrick moved to Fair Play in southwest El Dorado County 50 years ago, the region was recognized, if recognized at all, for its mountainous and scenic terrain, its faint traces of Gold Rush history, and its recreational opportunities –...
Sacramento: California’s Next Wine Country?
No one is clamoring for the creation of a Sacramento American Viticultural Area. Until now. Even then, consider this more tease than clamor. For the record, American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs, are federally designated enclaves recognized for how their viticultural...
Houston Rodeo’s Take On Barrel Racing
In keeping with livestock-show tradition, Rodeo Uncorked!, the international wine competition of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, comes down to one Grand Champion Best of Show and one Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show, terms as involved and fancy as a...
As Quady Nears 50, The Hits Keep Coming
Madera is one of many small and tidy farming towns strung along commercial and colorful Highway 99 as it stretches through California’s long, hot, arid, and fertile San Joaquin Valley. The city is so proud of its surrounding agricultural heritage that streets carry...
‘Lone Star’ Native’s Winning Wine Ways
You know what they say: “You can take the winemaker out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the winemaker.” Actually, I don’t know if anyone says that, but it fits Don Brady, a California winemaker with roots deep in the heart of Texas. He was a Texas winemaker...
Rutherford Hill Winery: Upscaling All Around
Rutherford Hill Winery long has been an outrider on the Napa Valley wine scene. It stubbornly has stuck by Merlot as its signature wine as its neighbors have staked their acclaim on the comparably more esteemed Cabernet Sauvignon. It is secluded high in the...