El Dorado Wine Country Tour from South Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, California
Rating: 
Trip Type: Wine Tasting & Winery Tours
Duration: 7 hours
Discover more of the Lake Tahoe region than the lake itself on this day trip to El Dorado wine region, just west of South Lake Tahoe in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. With a knowledgeable wine guide, you’ll visit six area wineries, known for their welcoming and rustic atmospheres. Plus, stop by Boa Vista, one of the region’s many fruit orchards, and enjoy an alfresco lunch amid towering oak trees. Round-trip transportation from South Lake Tahoe is included.
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Discover more of the Lake Tahoe region than the lake itself on this day trip to El Dorado wine region, just west of South Lake Tahoe in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. With a knowledgeable wine guide, you’ll visit six area wineries, known for their welcoming and rustic atmospheres. Plus, stop by Boa Vista, one of the region’s many fruit orchards, and enjoy an alfresco lunch amid towering oak trees. Round-trip transportation from South Lake Tahoe is included.
Depart South Lake Tahoe by comfortable coach or minibus and head southwest on Highway 50 with your guide. Your destination is the wine region around the historic town of Placerville, a central hub during the California Gold Rush, which started in 1848.
You’ll visit a total of six wineries in the El Dorado AVA (American Viticultural Area), a wine appellation in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, about 1.5 hours from South Lake Tahoe. Overlapping the wine region is Apple Hill, a region of apple orchards and other fruit farms. Together, these two areas provide a fantastic agricultural experience in the beautiful Lake Tahoe region.
The exact six wineries you visit vary each tour; possible wineries include friendly Boeger Winery, where 40 acres (16 hectares) of vineyards produce varietals like merlot, chardonnay and pinot noir, and Jodar Vineyards & Winery, where you can sample petite sirah, zinfandel or sangiovese in a tasting room with a view of Blakeley Lake.
Your wine tastings at the first three wineries are included, after which you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch in a lovely outdoor winery setting. Lunch changes daily but typically includes fine cheeses, bread, sliced meats, veggies, hummus, fruit and dressings, from which you can put together your own sandwich or salad.
Then continue to the last three wineries, where the tasting fees are at your own expense, if you wish to participate (fees are often waived with purchase of a bottle). You’ll also visit Boa Vista Orchard, known for its preserves, apple cider and freshly made baked goods.
After your fun-filled immersion into Sierra Nevada wine country, your tour ends with the drive back to South Lake Tahoe.
You’ll visit a total of six wineries in the El Dorado AVA (American Viticultural Area), a wine appellation in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, about 1.5 hours from South Lake Tahoe. Overlapping the wine region is Apple Hill, a region of apple orchards and other fruit farms. Together, these two areas provide a fantastic agricultural experience in the beautiful Lake Tahoe region.
The exact six wineries you visit vary each tour; possible wineries include friendly Boeger Winery, where 40 acres (16 hectares) of vineyards produce varietals like merlot, chardonnay and pinot noir, and Jodar Vineyards & Winery, where you can sample petite sirah, zinfandel or sangiovese in a tasting room with a view of Blakeley Lake.
Your wine tastings at the first three wineries are included, after which you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch in a lovely outdoor winery setting. Lunch changes daily but typically includes fine cheeses, bread, sliced meats, veggies, hummus, fruit and dressings, from which you can put together your own sandwich or salad.
Then continue to the last three wineries, where the tasting fees are at your own expense, if you wish to participate (fees are often waived with purchase of a bottle). You’ll also visit Boa Vista Orchard, known for its preserves, apple cider and freshly made baked goods.
After your fun-filled immersion into Sierra Nevada wine country, your tour ends with the drive back to South Lake Tahoe.
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