Get Sideways in El Dorado County

After the release of the Oscar-winning film Sideways, tourists began flocking to the Santa Ynez Valley, where much of the movie was shot. The Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau—recognizing the impact that the film was having on the region’s tourism industry—began printing Sideways tour maps, listing wineries, restaurants and other notable locales (who could forget Ostrich Land?) from Miles and Jack’s famed wine-tasting tour.

The film proved that the Napa Valley—while certainly the most renowned wine-producing region in California—isn’t the only area turning out wines worthy of an oenophile’s palate. Take, for instance, the vineyards of El Dorado County. The region, home to more than 40 wineries, is one of California’s oldest wine-producing areas.

The 20th annual Fair Play Wine Festival is the perfect opportunity to sample wines from the region. Festival goers will receive a map of the 16 participating wineries and details on various events taking place. Stop by Busby Cellars and sample the bacon-wrapped jalapeno prawns. Visit the Colibri Ridge Winery and Vineyard and enjoy the blues stylings of Mr. So and So. Oh, and Margaret Latcham’s pass-the-port brownies are reason enough to visit Latcham Vineyards.

The festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets for the two-day event are $75 for those planning on wine tasting and $40 for designated drivers. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to this weekend’s event; it all happens again next weekend (Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12). Call (866) 932-2202 or visit www.fairplaywine.com for more information.