Jodar Vineyard & Winery

About Winery and Wines

Overlooking the sheer American River Canyon below, the steeply terraced Jodar vineyard is located near the edge of El Dorado National Forest at 2,400 feet elevation in an area the locals know as "Mosquito" in California's "Mother Lode" gold country. The Jodar family literally blasted the vineyard from the granite hillside in 1985 to launch a journey, which is still in progress. In the spring of 1986 the task of carving terraces in the steep and rocky terrain was completed, and a small army of friends and relatives was recruited to plant the first 4,200 vines. The race to erect the winery in time for the first crush in 1990 was won by the grapes, as Mother Nature insisted upon the earliest harvest ever, and the first vintage of Jodar Cabernet Sauvignon was created in a winery without a ceiling or walls (ATF endorsed this unusual circumstance with good humor ... once the tank valves were secured with steel locking devices!). In March 1997 the tasting room was relocated from the remoteness of the vineyard site across the river to the neighboring "Apple Hill" area of Camino, California. The proximity to U.S. 50 is greatly appreciated by our fans whose collector T-shirts ("I survived the trip to Jodar") were well earned prior to the move. In April of 2005 we completed construction of our Early California style tasting room and moved into a beautiful wooded location in Camino, CA. With a view of Blakely Lake, just off hwy 50 off the Carson Road exit. the tasting room provides a serene and comfrotable place to sample the wines.

The original plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay produce about 5,000 cases of wine annually. In 1995 a world-class Port joined the Estate Bottled lineup, with Zinfandel added to production in 1997 and Sangiovese in 1999. In 2001 the first bordeaux blend was produced "Apollo's Lyre" which earned an international Double Gold Medal, followed by Gold Medal winning Barbera and Cab Franc. More acreage waits to be developed, along with more varieties to be mastered.