Yuba County continueed... The county began once again down the road of fine wine making when a group called the Fellowship of Friends, an international religious and philosophical group, purchased a 1400 acre estate near Oregon House in the foothills east of Marysville. The vineyards were planted over a several year period from 1975 to 1982 and the winery began producing its first wines shortly thereafter. In 1985 the region in and around the Renaissance estate, from Rice Crossings Road on the west to the Yuba River on the east, was granted AVA status based on its distinctive soils and climate.

The area has begun experiencing resurgence in the winemaking industry within the last 20 years and there are currently four wineries operating within Yuba County. Three of the wineries are located within the North Yuba AVA, Renaissance, Ramey Schulten and Lucero. The fourth winery, Clos Saron, by a fluke of how these AVAs are created, is right across the street from Renaissance but outside North Yuba, but within the Sierra Foothills AVA. The region is known for its poor loamy clay and rocky granitic soils which are rich in minerals and well drained. The wines in the region have an uncanny ability for a California wine region to produce a true minerality on the nose and dusty, earthy palate, more commonly found in European wines.   Be sure to tell them Sierra Wines sent you! Back to page 1