(UPDATED 5/13/2021) Description and review of Lava Cap Winery, a family-owned winery located in Placerville, CA and the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills. NEW: See Lava Cap Winery Revisited.
During a recent visit to Apple Hill, three friends and I stopped by Lava Cap Winery before heading home to Sacramento. The three others in our party had been there previously, but this was my first visit. In case you were wondering, the winery is named for the volcanic soils in which its grapes are grown.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the cloudless sky was blue, and the air was crisp – but not cold.
Lava Cap Winery has a large parking lot, so we had no trouble finding a parking spot.
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Lava Cap Winery
We walked up the steps to find a good-sized wooden patio with tables and chairs scattered about. A long tablecloth-covered table had been set up on the deck for wine tastings, so we decided to stay outdoors as it was such a nice day. There was also a small indoor tasting room to our left.
The deck and several terraces in the gardens below overlook the rolling hills and vineyards. The view is beautiful, and other patrons were seated here and there sipping wine and enjoying the view. I noted that one party of four had brought a picnic and were enjoying a late lunch.
A very nice gentleman was manning the tasting table, and we each tried a sample of the Sauvignon Blanc. That was a far into “tasting” as we got because the friend who is a member of winery decided to purchase a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc for us to enjoy.
It was only later when I went online to look up the winery that I discovered that Lava Cap Winery offers five tastings for $5, the price of which is waived with the purchase of a bottle.
We decided to sit on one of the lower terraces and chose a table in a sunny location. Three of us spent about an hour that afternoon relaxing while chatting and sipping wine, while our designated driver sipped water. I very much enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc, which was both crisp and dry.
See related blog post: Apple Hill Day Trip
Lava Cap Winery Revisited
(5/13/2021) Two friends and I recently visited Lava Cap Winery. These were the same friends who originally introduced the winery to me. The plan that weekday was to enjoy a scenic ride in the foothills and to enjoy a picnic lunch before heading home.
Before leaving town we stopped by Willy’s Cafe (located inside Compton’s Market). We all ordered sandwiches from the deli and picked up a few other items to enjoy with lunch. My companions both ordered the Tequila Line Chicken Sandwich ($9.99). I opted for the Chicken Caesar Wrap (Grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, Caesar salad dressing and parmesan cheese) ($7.99). Both were great choices as we discovered later.
See related blog post: Compton’s Market Ribbon Cutting
It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze. When we arrived at the winery we nabbed a parking spot in the shade. As it was a weekday the lot was not crowded.
Armed with our picnic supplies we headed to the winery’s large deck area. The first thing we noticed were the hummingbirds darting here and there as they visited the line of feeders that span the back of the building. I originally thought that they must be baby hummingbirds due to their size, which was noticeably smaller than those I see in my back yard in Sacramento. Winery staff, however, said that their size was a trait of that particular breed.
We settled ourselves at a table with an umbrella on the lower terrace with a bottle of Lava Cap Sauvignon Blanc to accompany our meal. Beautiful scenery, good wine and great company – what more could one ask for?
As we headed home we all agreed that our day trip picnic lunch was a great way to spend the day.
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Lava Cap Winery Snapshot:
- 2221 Fruitridge Road, Placerville, CA 95667
- (530) 621-0175
- Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily – 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving & Christmas)
- Parking Lot
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