Auriga Wine Cellars (Back to Previous Page)

Appellation: El Dorado Viticultural Area Location: 3500 Carson Road Camino, California 95709 Phone: (530)674-8078 Winemaker: Richard Stading Tasting Room: Small Days/Hours: Fri thru Sun, 11:00 to 5:00 Parking: Small to Medium Picnic Facilities: Picnic Tables Available Red Wines: Zinfandel, Syrah, Port Style White Wines: White Table Wine, Chardonnay Production: 650 to 700 cases
Map

The Winery

In 1980, Richard and Diane Stading founded the Auriga vineyard site, located off Newtown Rd in Placerville. They do not offer tasting at the winery, but make their wines available for tasting in a cozy cluster of tasting rooms tucked away amidst towering pines less than a mile from the freeway in Camino. Auriga Wine Cellars has a second location, Wine Tasting on Main, located at 304 Main Street, Placerville, CA 530-642-0100.

The Vineyards

The estate has 2½ acres of vineyards in the El Dorado Appellation where they grow Syrah, Zinfandel, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah. They supplement these by purchasing grapes from selected Foothill vineyards.

The Wines

Auriga specializes in big, bold red wines. They currently offer Zinfandel, Syrah, Chardonnay and a white table wine with hint of residual sugar called Capella. The 2005 Zinfandel took Best of Show, Double Gold, Frank Herbert Award (best Zin in El Dorado County) and the El Dorado Grape Growers Award for Best Red Wine from El Dorado County Grapes at the 2007 El Dorado County Fair. All of the wines are aged in oak barrels, and the Zinfandel in a combination of American and Hungarian and the Syrah in French.

The Winemaker

Richard was an award winning home winemaker prior to planting his first vineyards in Placerville. After getting his start with assistance and support from Paul and Maggie Bush of Madrona Vineyards in Camino to create Auriga's distinctive, hand crafted wines, Richard is now expanding his wine making to include Sangiovese and Merlot.  

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