Gold Country - California - page 848

( www.wilderottervineyard.com ; 19890 Shenandoah School Rd, Plymouth; 10:30am-5pm)
As if the award-winning Sauvignon Blanc weren't enough, tastings here are paired with
Cowgirl Creamery cheeses.
Amador 360 Wine Collective WINE
( amador360.com ; 18950 Hwy 49, Plymouth; 11am-6pm)
Run by the couple that organizes Amador's annual Barbera extravaganza ( ht-
tp://barberafestival.com ), this expansive shop reserves special billing to boutique
vintners who otherwise would not offer tastings.
Plymouth & Amador City
Two small, sunny villages make equally good bases for exploring Amador County's wine
region. The first, Plymouth , is where the region's Gold Rush history is evident in its ori-
ginal name, Pokerville. Few card sharks haunt the slumbering town today; it wakes late
when the tiny main street fills with the smell of barbecue, a few strolling tourists and the
odd rumble of a motorcycle posse. Amador City was once home to the Keystone Mine -
one of the most prolific gold producers in California - but the town lay deserted from 1942
(when the mine closed) until the 1950s, when a family from Sacramento bought the dilap-
idated buildings and converted them into antique shops.
Sights
Amador Whitney Museum MUSEUM
( 209-267-5250; www.amador-city.com ; Main St, Amador City; noon-4pm Fri-Sun)
This is the main thing going in town. Housed in an old Wells Fargo outpost, it has a
covered wagon and a replica school house scene and mineshaft. It's worth the 15-minute
stop.
Chew Kee Store Museum MUSEUM