Garnet Sun Winery (Back to Previous Page)

Appellation: El Dorado Viticultural Area Location: 3500 Carson Rd. Camino, California 95709 Phone: (530)647-8466 Winemaker: Micahel Beem Tasting Room: Medium Days/Hours: Fri thru Sun, 11:00 to 5:30 Parking: Medium Picnic Facilities: Picnic tables available Red Wines: Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre, Malbec, Tempranillo, Malbec Port Style White Wines: Viognier, Orange Muscat Production: 1000 cases
Map

The Winery

One of the newest wineries in El Dorado County is the small, family owned Garnet Sun Winery. The winery’s whimsical tasting room is located in a inviting plaza of four wineries tucked away amidst towering pines less than a mile from Highway 50 in Camino. Also included at the wine tasting plaza is an inviting picnic area and a intriguing wine gift shop. The plaza is a hot spot for live music and dancing on many Sundays during the spring and summer tasting season making it the perfect stop at the end of a long day of touring.

The Vineyards

The winery purchases grapes from a few select premier Sierra Foothills vineyards, primarily from the Fair Play area. The winemaker feels that Fair Play grapes are particularly capable of exhibiting a bit of minerality in the finished wine. The exception to this are the Tempranillo grapes, which come from a vineyard in Calaveras County. As the winery increases their portfolio of grape varietals, they will be adding some of the more unique Italian style grapes used to make food friendly wines that just cry out for a relaxed dinner with family and friends.

The Wines

Full-bodied, food friendly wines are at the center of the Garnet Sun winemaking philosophy. Their Tempranillo is a nicely complex wine full of red fruit and spice and a lingering finish that evolves into a bit of baking spice and toast. The Malbec is all about a delightful attack of black cherry and licorice that remains long after the wine is gone. Try their Malbec port, which is fairly soft on the palate with just enough, but not too much sweetness and a repeat of that wonderful black cherry and licorice profile.

The Winemaker

The winemaker at Garnet Sun is owner Michael Beem. Michael, whose family owns a premier Pinot Noir winery, Casa Cassara, in the Santa Rita region of Santa Barbara, has had a lifetime affair with winemaking. In addition to his start in Santa Barbara, he has a long history in the Sierra Foothills region having worked with such wineries as Toogood and Perry Creek.  

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