Fiddletown is a small AVA located in the larger Amador County AVA in California's Sierra Foothills wine region. Gnarled, elderly Zinfandel vines surround the tiny town that gives the AVA its name, producing rich, complex and concentrated red wines.
Fiddletown is one of California's gold-rush towns, settled in the early 1850s by opportunistic European settlers. Once the gold dried up, many of the settlers remained, and by the turn of the century, around 100 wineries could be found in Amador County. The vines were largely forgotten during the Prohibition era in the 1920s, but were rediscovered in the 1960s. Fiddletown was granted AVA status in 1983.
Days in Fiddletown are hot and dry, lacking the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean that benefits wine regions closer to the coast. However, the area's relatively high altitude provides significantly cooler evenings, allowing the grapes an opportunity to cool down overnight. This extends the ripening period, giving the berries time to develop flavor complexity and acidity. This diurnal temperature variation is amplified by cold night-time breezes from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east.
The majority of Fiddletown's vineyards sit on west- and south-facing slopes. The terrain is relatively hilly, and is slightly more elevated than the rest of Amador County, leading to wines that are brighter and more elegant in style. The soils, made up of decomposed granite and volcanic material, are shallow and of low quality, reducing vine vigor and grape yields. Vines that are cultivated in these poor soils tend to be stronger and produce more-concentrated wines.
Zinfandel is Fiddletown's flagship grape variety, and often comes from older vines that can be up to 100 years old. The terroir of the region results in wines that are slightly higher in acidity but a little more elegant and fruit-driven than those from neighboring Sierra regions. The traditional Rhone Valley varieties of Syrah and Grenache are also a source of pride for the region.
