The Place

Great wines taste like they come from somewhere. This is where ours come from.

The Sierra Foothills climb from the edge of California’s Central Valley toward the high Sierra Nevada. Gold brought people here in 1848; the land kept them. A century and a half later, these granite and volcanic slopes still give wines that could only come from one place.

The Land

Five things you can taste.

1850s

History

Vineyards were planted here as early as the 1800s — some of California’s oldest still grow in these hills.

Three

Soil

From granitic soils to volcanic and sandy loams, often changing from one slope to the next.

3,500 ft

Elevation

Vineyards climb up to 3,500 feet, where fruit ripens fully and keeps its acidity.

30°

Climate

A Mediterranean climate with up to thirty degrees of difference between day and night.

Eight counties

Diversity

One of the most diverse grape-growing regions in the world, from Yuba down to Mariposa.

From Valley Floor to Mountain Slope

Every chapter grows at its own height.

Our white grows lower and warmer; our Cabernet and Rhône blends climb toward the mountains, where cooler nights keep the fruit fresh.

The DistractionCuvée Blanc

Up to 1,500 ft

Chapter IOld Vine Zinfandel

1,400 – 2,200 ft

Chapter IIISierra Côtes

1,400 – 3,200 ft

Chapter IICurse of Knowledge

1,500 – 3,200 ft

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The Soils

Granite, fire and sand.

Granite

Decomposed granite from the Sierra itself: lean, fast-draining soils that keep vines working and wines focused.

Volcanic

Ancient volcanic soils on the higher slopes, giving depth and a mineral edge to our mountain reds.

Sandy Loam

Light, well-drained loams where old vines dig deep — and our whites stay bright and fresh.

Our Home

Shenandoah Valley, Amador County.

Painted Fields is made at the Andis Wines Estate, on Shenandoah Road in Plymouth — in the heart of the Sierra Foothills, where our own vines grow and where every chapter is brought together and bottled.

Taste the place.

Five wines, five chapters — each one a glass of the Sierra Foothills.