Close your eyes, and think back to a pre-pandemic time spent in wine country, basking in the sun amongst the gnarled old grapevines, sipping on a delicious glass of wine, talking and laughing with friends.
After 12 full months of winery closures, restrictions and reconfiguring the wine events of Amador County into virtual happenings, it seems a slight return to normalcy is in sight. Behind the Cellar Door, Amador’s first big wine festival of the year, is scheduled to return as an in-person event, from March 26–28, 2021. This celebration has been taking place for more than 25 years, and it offers ticket holders a chance to relax in one of California’s most beautiful wine regions, nestled in the Sierra foothills, while sipping on a diverse selection of award-winning wines.
More than 35 wineries are scheduled to participate and they will be providing wine tasting, barrel samples, thoughtfully curated food pairings and a bit of wine education and history.
It should be noted that wine enthusiasts planning to attend should make plans well in advance of the event. Due to COVID restrictions and social distancing, tickets sales are limited. To make participation a success, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
- At the time of purchase, all attendees in a party will need to choose the desired dates, wineries and appointment times to complete the transaction. Individuals that purchase tickets separately cannot be combined into groups after the fact, so be sure to decide on your entire group’s itinerary and purchasing tickets together. A list of offerings from each winery can be found here.
- Group size, including any designated drivers, is limited to six people.
- All attendees are expected to follow all safety and health protocols instituted by each winery.
While the ticketing process seems complicated, it is actually very easy to navigate and make your selections. The difficulty will come in choosing between all of enticing options, like Italian-style wine paired with wood-fired pizza at Il Gioiello & Morse Wines, or a wine flight paired with “scrumptious Cajun boil, cornbread, salad and sweet treat -a taste of New Orleans in Fiddletown” from Distant Cellars. As mentioned before, reservations are limited so make sure to sign up early to secure your spots!
