Mariposa & Tuolumne County Continued ...This was once the largest county in California originally making up the entire southeastern corner of the state.  As the flood of immigrants grew during the mid-1800s the administration of this vast section of land was too much for one county government and over several years that area was split amongst 12 new and neighboring counties.   Today this is a quiet rural county with no incorporated towns or cities and less than 18,000 residents as of the 2000 census.  The eastern edge of the county is completely contained within the central portion of Yosemite National Park and the town of Mariposa sits on one of its main entry points, State Highway 140.  This is a wonderful small town with all of the old fashioned foothill charm that is hard to find in the more metropolitan areas to the north. 

There are currently five active wineries in the and around the city of Mariposa.  All five are small with the largest producing roughly 3000 cases of wine per year.  Only one winery, Butterfly Creek, has standard tasting room hours, but the remaining four wineries will open for tasting by appointment.  It is well worth the effort if you can schedule the time to make a full day trip to all five; they are fairly close to one another in driving time located on beautifully scenic country roads that have breathtaking backdrops of the high Sierras.  If you happen to find yourself in the area without a chance to set up appointments, stop by the Pioneer Market in Mariposa off Highway 49 on Coakley Circle.  They sell a great selection of local wines that you can take home and enjoy at a later date. 

Tuolumne County, just north of Mariposa has an extremely rich Gold Rush history and is home to the historic towns of Jamestown and Columbia; now a State Park ghost town.  If you want a real thrill make the trip from Mariposa to Sonora on State Highway 49.  The picture at right is the view from the top of the Mariposa side looking back towards the road from Tuolumne County and the bridge over the Merced River.  It is not a road for those with motion sickness issues or fear of heights.  In addition to a rich Gold Rush history, Tuolumne County was home to one of California’s most famous environmentalists, John Muir.  It was Muir who is credited as being fundamentally responsible for the creation of Yosemite National Park. 

This is a county with many acres of public land and recreational opportunities that include national forests, Another rural county, Tuolumne has only one incorporated city, Sonora, and a population of around 57,000 people. 

There have been several attempts to return wine making to the region, but you are more likely to find information about the Calaveras Wineries than the Tuolumne ones when you read visitor information for the area. Although there are a number of vineyards in the area producing fine grapes, there are only two tasting rooms that call Sonora home.   One is located on Highway 49 right in town, Muir-Hanna, and one is three miles north of town just off Highway 49, Costello’s Mountain Brow.  The winery and vineyards for Muir-Hanna Winery are actually located in the Napa Valley with the tasting room located in Sonora as a tribute to the John Muir family history.  Mountain Brow, however, makes their wines primarily from local vineyards.  Both tasting rooms are open on a regular schedule.

If you have a chance, drop into one of these new wineries and give them a try.  Be sure to tell them Sierra Wines sent you!

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