Everything You Need to Know About the Yolo County Wine Ramble
Looking for an off-the-beaten path wine region? Yolo County is one of the best-kept secrets in Northern California. From the Capay Valley in the north to the Clarksburg area in the south, wine producers in Yolo County are turning out a variety of award-winning bottles.
To sample everything the Yolo County wine scene has to offer, consider the Yolo County Wine Ramble, to be held April 29–30 at wineries throughout the county. Now in its third year, the family-friendly event highlights 12 wineries that are offering tastings, entertainment and food specials at their laid-back tasting rooms.
There are no tickets to buy ahead of time, just show up, sip away and enjoy! Participating wineries are happy to open their doors to the public so you can ramble around the county and sample to your heart’s content. Each location will have a QR code check-in and you can enter to win a Yolo County wine gift basket.
Given that it’s a two-day event, we recommend making a weekend of it and taking advantage of the many lodging specials in Yolo County. There are hotels near all the major wine regions, including Davis, Winters and the Yolo Countryside.
Following is a list of participating wineries and their offerings.
Berryessa Gap Vineyards | Winters, CA
Coinciding with Fourth Friday in Downtown Winters, Berryessa Gap Vineyards’ downtown tasting room will feature food and live music to kick off the weekend on Friday, April 28. Saturday and Sunday, they will have food trucks and live music at their estate winery just a few miles outside out town.
Julietta Winery | Clarksburg, CA
Located in Clarksburg, Julietta Winery will feature live music and food specials available all weekend. On Saturday, April 29, the Geoffrey Miller will perform and on Sunday, April 30, 4Thought will perform. They will also have food specials.
Taber Ranch Vineyard | Capay, CA
In the lovely Capay Valley, Taber Ranch Vineyard will be ramblin’ with live music by the Arlyn Anderson Acoustic Band on Saturday and the Bottom Dwellers on Sunday. Wood-fired pizza will be available both days.
Grindstone Wines | Esparto, CA
Grindstone Wines in Esparto will be showcasing their estate-grown wines all weekend, along with performances by Vogel & Cain on Saturday and BlueSoul Music on Sunday. Saturday will feature an ice cream truck and Sunday will feature a BBQ food truck and baked goods popup. Both days will offer wine tasting and mimosa options, plus a rosé wine bundle discount.
Seka Hills | Brooks, CA
Another Capay Valley winery, Seka Hills will offer live music both days of the wine ramble: Chicken & Dumpling on Saturday and Tom Norris on Sunday.
Matchbook Wines | Zamora, CA
During the wine ramble, Matchbook Wines in Zamora will be offering tasting all weekend, as well as a food truck both days serving authentic, Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks.
Capay Valley Vineyards | Brooks, CA
Capay Valley Vineyards in Brooks will be offering tastings and tours of its winery building all weekend. Packaged snacks will be available or you can bring your own picnic. The event will also feature live music each day. On Saturday, the one-man band Lucy’s Bones featuring Alan Spilkin will perform classic rock and blues, while on Sunday, Kost ’n’ Summ will perform Western swing and various styles of fiddle, including old time, bluegrass and Scottish.
Heringer Estates | Clarksburg, CA
Located in Clarksburg, Heringer Estates will be featuring live music and food trucks all weekend long. They will also be opening their canopied outdoor venue for picnicking, Marjorie’s Garden, which features 300 year-old oak trees and a rose garden.
Great Bear Vineyards | Davis, CA
In Davis, Great Bear Vineyards will be celebrating the wine ramble beginning on Friday, April 28 with live music. The music continues throughout the weekend and they will be offering cheese and charcuterie boxes paired with the wines they are pouring. Vegan cheese boxes are also available.
Other Yolo County wineries participating in the year’s wine ramble include Elevation Ten Winery located in the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg; Simas Family Vineyard in Capay; and Turkovich Family Wines in Winters.
After a day of rambling around Yolo County, you may consider an overnight stay. There are plenty of hotel options near the participating wineries. Check out hotels in Davis, hotels in Winters and hotels in the Yolo Countryside and book your stay today!