Unsung and a little bit undiscovered, writer Carla Waldemar shows us the wineries in Fairfield, CA (and some great food too, including jelly beans!). 

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What you need to know about Fairfield Wineries

Move over, Napa Valley. The time has come to shine the spotlight on the terrain that shares your eastern border—Suisun Valley. Located on California’s North Coast, and radiating from its urban hub, Fairfield— it’s a town where most of the county’s hotels and restaurants reside.

What? Where? That’s what I wondered, too, before a visit to this unsung  Appellation of Origin, or American Viticultural Area, established here in 1982 as an eight-mile stretch nestled between two mountain ranges boasting over 14 wineries and more than 20 varieties of grapes.

Napa Valley, as wine aficionados have come to realize, has turned a bit slick and commercial, with brand-name marketing campaigns and vintners more elite than earthy. Enter Suisun Valley, where vintners often man their own tasting rooms, eager to rub shoulders and clink glasses with visitors, and tasting prices are far—far!—less than Napa’s, along with fewer crowds and traffic. Yet, Suisun’s growers have long sold their grapes to Napa (hello, Gallo), and Napa wineries, such as the esteemed Caymus, are moving in to establish facilities here, to avoid Napa’s uber-regulated way of doing business. Plus, Suisun’s winemakers are colleagues—collaborators—rather than fierce competitors.

Most important about Fairfield California wineries: The microclimate’s ideal—cold, windy nights (thus no damaging fog) that roll into days of 90-degree sunshine: perfect for grapes. Particularly the grape called Petite Sirah. “We’re the Petite Sirah capital of the world,” proclaims  Ron Lanza, one of four siblings who own Wooden Valley Winery, which produces 10,000 cases and sells its excess grapes. (As with most wineries we’ll visit, virtually all the production stays within the state, so taste it here or never.) We show up at 6:30am to view the picking process. We’re lazy slackers, it seems. The winery’s crew started picking at 3am, when it’s 55  degrees—chilly enough to keep the grapes from starting to ferment.

Seeing the grape-picking process at Wooden Valley Wineries.

Ron admires the tight clusters of his Primitivo; the sweet flavor of his Sangiovese; and the pea-size shape of his Petite Sirah, “our flagship,” as he talks about a vintner’s many challenges, ranging from foraging wild pigs to an intense labor shortage. In his tasting room, we sip a crisp Sauvignon Blanc; bubbly Rosetta produced from White Gamay grapes; and, siphoned straight from the barrel, the promising young Sangiovese and Barbera.

The Vézers, Frank and Liz, came to Suisun Valley 20 years ago to sell their premier grapes to other  vintners. But in 2001, they decided to establish their own label, and two years later released their first vintage of Zinfandel. Today Vézer Family Vineyards ia a Fairfield California wineries who operates two tasting rooms, where the wines are sold exclusively, never mass-distributed. One adjoins Mankas  Steakhouse (more on that later). As GM Laura Livadas explained, “Napa is known for heartiness, Sonoma  for lighter wines. Here, we do both,” says Livadas. She introduced us to its Verdelho, a Portuguese grape  usually used to fortify Port, but at Vézer, standing on its own: creamy, followed by fresh acidity. The Barbera—a big, bold wine—is this winery’s first attempt at this Italian grape. Its 2012 Estate Petite Sirah explodes with dark fruits, rich and concentrated.

Getting a taste of various wines in a dramatic way at Vézer Family Vineyards.

Vézer’s palm-shaded Blue Victorian tasting room is home to a burly, robust 2013 Merlot, which works to redeem that maligned grape. Vézer’s 2017 Cab is another big, bold (yet creamy) wine, but wait: The elegant La Salette blend of Petite Syrah and Zinfandel is an even-more massive blockbuster.

Jeff and Jody Anselmo also grew grapes for others before pulling the trigger and launching their own wines at BackRoad Vines. They stated off selling via home parties, a la Mary Kay, but now are in construction mode for the largest tasting room in the valley, complete with pizza oven and bocce ball courts. Their Chardonnay journeys from aging in stainless steel to barrels of Hungarian oak, then back to the stainless tanks, producing an ultra-creamy mouth feel. Their Gamay, pink as cotton candy, is deceptive—not sweet at all, but a refreshingly tart addition to a summer’s day. Yet reds are BackRoad’s forte, from an elegant Zin to one of the best Petites we tasted, on to a maverick blend called Mule, the big boy: a bright, elegant, powerhouse blend of Petite Sirah and Syrah, and the winery’s best-seller.

More stops to make in Fairfield, CA

Heretic Brewing Company is the antithesis of big. Tours are brief (simply cast your eyes around the room), but varieties are near-endless—18, to be exact. They range from Chili Water lager laced with corn and lime, Mexican style, to Fruitful Wild, a strawberry and guava-laced sour beer; from Bitter Truth, an English-style pale ale, to a milk stout dubbed Bovine Intervention. The outfit has added a kitchen serving pub grub, including burgers named after history’s heretics (Galileo, Joan of Arc) and is set to debut the area’s first distillery, slated to produce vodka, gin, whiskey and blue agave.

It’s olives you want to taste? Got that covered, too. Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company owner Ann Siever presses oil from the 2,000 trees in her grove, which include varietals from Spain, Italy, and Greece.

After a field tour, visitors return to her tasting room for a comparative tasting, evaluating each oil’s aroma, bitterness and pungency, then pairing each varietal with food—Italian Lecchino oil with pasta, for instance, or a French blend with potatoes. “For salads, warm the oil in your hand, then use your hands to toss it with the greens,” Ann educates.

Olive oil and food pairing at Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company.

Which of Fairfield California wineries many tasting rooms and tours draws the biggest crowd? Surprise! Those of Jelly Belly, the iconic candy produced here. Free tours cover the production routine, where we learn that a jelly bean is built from the inside out, a weeklong process. Best selling flavors: Very Cherry, Buttered Popcorn and Licorice. But the worst-tasting flavor experiments are on sale, too. Canned dog food, anyone? Dirty dishwasher?

Cast your glance at jelly bean art as you amble—poster-size bean portraits of celebs ranging from George Washington and Darth Vader to Ronald Reagan, who sent the candy into space along with his astronauts. A separate pairing experience invites guests to sample several of the company’s chocolate fudge flavors with wine varietals. That pairing opportunity is called the Chocolate & Wine Experience.

Don’t miss a stop to the Jelly Belly factory!

As you might expect, wine-pairing suggestions with a restaurant’s menu listings are table stakes in this grape-centric town. At Mankas Grill, find entrees that pair perfectly with wine – ask your server for suggestions. Chef Peter Garcia, of the Hilton Garden Inn, calls on Wooden Valley’s sparkler to serve with his beet and quinoa salad, and pours WV’s Chard with ahi tuna. His short rib in blue-cheese demi is matched with Vézer’s blend of Zin, Cab and Petite Sirah.

Margaritas are the tipple of choice at Favela’s Fusion, a modern Mexican eatery boasting décor as cheeky and chic as what comes out of the kitchen: ultra-fresh guacamole to chiles rellenos to cilantro-scented rice. Chez Soul serves nothing stronger than sweet tea, and that’s the perfect accompaniment for owner Cheryl Reed’s menu, born of her Louisiana heritage: gumbo, jambalaya and etouffee, along with classic Southern chicken and waffles and barbecued ribs. Cheryl updates family recipes, sparking her collard greens with jalapenos, and adds healthful touches such as use of rice oil instead of lard. Don’t miss the edible art in the bakery case of mile-high layer cakes (hint: caramel cake to die for).

Get some of everything, including all the fixins’ at Chez Soul.

Fairfield is 45 minutes from San Francisco and Sacramento airports. For more information, check out www.visitfairfieldca.com.  — Story and photos (except where noted), by Carla Waldemar

Enjoy the wines of Fairfield.

Hungry for more? Carla took us on some more undiscovered journeys this year, to Germany and Switzerland! Or, extend your visit in California, since San Francisco is so near Fairfield, with the guidance of this article.