Amador City: Wine Country Getaway

If you are a wine lover from Sacramento or the Bay Area visiting Amador County, you may have driven through Amador City without any inclination to stop. However, on a recent overnight visit to this quaint old mining town, we gleefully discovered that you could fill a whole weekend with wine tasting, engaging with locals, eating delicious food, shopping and enjoying nature . . . and we could do it all without ever getting in a car.

Amador City came into existence during California’s Gold Rush. Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the entire town is less than a half-mile long, and is, in fact, California’s smallest incorporated city by area with a current population that hovers around 200 residents. It’s situated between Plymouth and Sutter Creek on Highway 49, less than 30 minutes from dozens of wineries in the Shenandoah Valley. In the city itself, there are three wine tasting rooms (all open on weekends or by appointment): End of Nowhere, Holgate Hill and Binz Wines.

Travelers looking for an overnight getaway can relax at the recently renovated and reopened Imperial Hotel, built in 1879. The new owners, Kevin Carter and Cassie Davis, took control of this six-room hotel in the fall of 2022, and they immediately embarked on a mission to breathe new life into the iconic property.

“The hotel has been a cornerstone in the community for a long time,” says Kevin. “Cassie and I wanted to reinvigorate the property while preserving its historic beauty. We aspire to make the Imperial a beautiful and elegant boutique hotel experience while retaining its authentic charm. This is where you can find locals and visitors enjoying a craft cocktail at the old wooden bar, listening to live music on the patio, or celebrating a special occasion in the dining room.”

The rooms are impeccably appointed and comfortable. Some offer a semi-private balcony where you can sip wine while listening to the nearby creek and observing the goings-on of this tiny town.

For those seeking an elevated dining experience, the on-site Imperial Restaurant & Bar is a must and rivals some of the best restaurants in Sacramento. The menu is thoughtful and inspired, with dishes that combine a variety of flavors and textures and showcase locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Some highlights on the dinner menu are the Imperial Seared Cheese (with mushrooms, hazelnuts, puffed rice, sesame and black vinegar), the Pork Cheek (with Asian pear, daikon radish, bok choy, dashi turnip, pickled mustard seeds and jus) and for brunch, the indulgent and addictive Scallion-Bacon-Cheddar Pancakes (with crème fraîche and a fried egg).

For more casual dining, visitors can check Break Even Beermakers at the opposite end of town, where beer and food inspired by local ingredients are made on-site. The beers are the creation of Aaron Wittman, the head beermaker who is also a bit of a mad scientist. Ask Aaron anything about his brews and his eyes light up and his passion is evident as he verbalizes his inspiration.

The brewery’s kitchen has a tantalizing menu of shareable dishes like crunchy asparagus fries, which are breaded with a cornmeal batter and served with ranch dressing, and house chips that are double fried and seasoned with salt and spices and served with a white sauce.

The rest of one’s adventure in Amador City can also include a scenic walk around town, shopping and antiquing, a trip to the Amador Whitney Museum, or a visit to the happy and welcoming 3 Fish Studios, where the boldly colored, California-inspired artwork of husband-and-wife team Eric Rewitzer and Annie Galvin can be enjoyed.

Amador City is tiny but has a lot to offer. If you visit, be sure to strike up a conversation and engage with the locals. There is a heartwarming sense of community and pride surrounding the town’s future, and a welcoming vibe that is sure to make this hidden gem a sought-out retreat for wine, food and adventure enthusiasts.

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