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Wine-tasting rooms and cozy cafes line the lanes of Sutter Creek, the Sierra foothills town whose covered sidewalks and historic storefronts almost feel frozen in time. But there are always new treasures to find as we return each year.
On this particular weekend, we’ve set out from the Hanford House Inn, a sleek B&B perched on Old Highway 49, to explore. Two new wine tasting rooms, Matthew Gibson and 1850, have opened this year, bringing the town’s Wine on 49 tally — and our opportunities to go wine-tasting near the inn — up to 11. There’s a new restaurant here, too.
Sidewalks may roll up a bit early in this town, but the Hotel Sutter restaurant and bar are still bustling on this Friday evening, as we emerge from the laid-back Cavana’s Pub & Grub across the street just after 8:30 p.m. Two years ago, Terri and Joe Cavana expanded from a small deli on Eureka Street to this cozy gastropub. A flying pig greets you at the door, ceiling fans circle lazily overhead and baseball flickers from the flatscreens. And in the bar area, wingback chairs and colorful couches await, perfect for lounging with a pint, a cocktail — a Sutter Mule, perhaps — or a glass of local wine.
Pair your bacon-topped pub burger ($15) with a Yorba barbera, say, or a Le Mulet Rouge sauvignon blanc — both wineries have tasting rooms just steps away. And don’t miss Cavana’s Amador Po’Boy ($15), which nestles thick, smoky Swingle Meat Co’s bacon in a soft roll alongside peppers, mushrooms, melty cheese and a spicy sriracho mayo. The sandwich is big enough to share, and the bacon — the bacon! — is a local treasure, produced by an old-school butcher shop in nearby Jackson that bills itself as “the carnivore’s toy shop.”
We’re still full the next morning, but the B of our B&B includes almond waffles with lavender-peach compote and candied, peppery bacon and — aw, who could say no? Besides, a brisk waddle, er, walk lies just ahead. And we hear music.
The Amador Farmers Market brings artisans, farmers and flower growers to town every Saturday morning, wooing passersby with the sounds of a live band and the aromas wafting from an alfresco kitchen. On this particular day, Stanley’s Steakhouse chef KC Brown, who took over the kitchens at the National Hotel in Jackson last fall, is dishing up upscale riffs on the BLT theme, canapes topped with crispy pork belly and tomatoes.
Just down the street, the main drag brims with adorable shops — be sure to check out Heart & Soul, a home decor store that also offers Annie Sloan chalk paint and art workshops. And new and updated tasting rooms have joined an already stellar lineup that includes Bella Grace, Feist, Uphill, Scott Harvey and more.
Miller Wine Works has moved into the Sutter Creek Cheese Shoppe, which means all those lovely sips of Ruddy Bloom rosé, grenache blanc and zinfandel are accompanied by some incredible cheese pairings. Happy crowds fill the new 1850 tasting room, drawn by not just $5 tastings, but the prospect of sangria, flatbread noshes and a staffer, who rolls your glass of red on its side to aerate the wine — without spilling a drop. And up on the corner, you can taste primitivos, nebbiolo and syrah at the new Matthew Gibson Winery, which moved into the white cottage previously occupied by Sutter Creek Wine Tasting.
And then, perhaps a nap.
If You Go
Hanford House Inn: Rooms at this sleek bed and breakfast start at $185. 61 Hanford St., Sutter Creek; hanfordhouse.com/suttercreek
Cavana’s Pub & Grub: Open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, until 8:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday at 36 Main St., Sutter Creek
Heart & Soul: Opens at 11 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends at 42 Main St, Sutter; www.facebook.com/SutterCreekSOUL
Sutter Creek Cheese Shoppe and Miller Wine Works: Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 33 Main St., Sutter Creek. Wine tasting is $5, wine and cheese pairings are $12; www.millerwineworks.com and www.suttercreekcheese.com.
Wine on 49: The new 1850 Wine Cellars is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 3 Randolph St., Sutter Creek. Matthew Gibson Winery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and occasional Fridays at 85 Main St. Find details on all the Wine on 49 tasting rooms at www.wineon49.com.