When Paul Bush was a child, his parents planted a vineyard in the Sierra foothills. Even though he grew up caretaking grapevines and working in the wine business, 他从没打算坚持下去.
“我的父母从1973年开始在这里种植葡萄. 他们是高海拔葡萄种植的先驱 埃尔多拉多县他说。. "My sister and I worked in the vineyards in the summertime, doing whatever needed to be done. If there was labeling to do, we'd be behind the hot-glue machine. I remember telling my college roommate that I would never follow in the family business."
Today, Bush and his wife Maggie own and operate not only Madrona葡萄园—the winery that Bush's parents started—but also neighboring 帆布背包酒窖.
"I kept getting drawn back to the wine industry, and in 2002, I became Madroña's winemaker他说。. "There is only one thing crazier than owning a winery, 那就是拥有两个酿酒厂, 于是我和我的妻子创办了Rucksack. I make the wine at both places, and they're entirely different styles. Rucksack gives me the chance to play around and experiment a little bit."
布什, Placerville-Camino resident for most of his 54 years, belongs to the 苹果山种植者协会, a group of more than 50 farmers who produce a variety of crops.
"What sets our region apart is our diversity of agriculture. 这些都是家庭拥有和经营的农场，”他说. "For visitors, it's an opportunity to get wonderful fruit, vegetables, and wine that's grown locally. And you can meet the people who put their sweat and tears into it. 你可以和农民交谈."
Bush says the best way to explore 苹果山 is to check out the map or download the app, then go visit the farms that strike your fancy.
“每个农场都有不同的做法. 彩虹果园 kicks off their season with U-pick blueberries in mid-June. During apple season in the fall, they make the most incredible apple-cider donuts. You order six of them, they plop them in oil right in front of you, and they come out super-hot. 就像甜甜圈形状的天堂，”他说. "斯莫基岭牧场 has wonderful fruit and they also have chestnuts, which very few farms have. 我真的很喜欢焦糖苹果 高山牧场bbin游戏官网的很多有机蔬菜都来自美国 24胡萝卜农场."
Visitors can also stop and sip at local vineyards, including Madroña and Rucksack. "Our wine is purely reflective of the vineyards it's grown on. bbin游戏官网欣然接受bbin游戏官网在埃尔多拉多县的事实. Our wine reflects our high-elevation vineyards at 3,000 feet, volcanic soils, high acids, and low pH. 所有这些都使bbin游戏官网的葡萄酒与众不同. Nobody else can make wine like we do here in El Dorado他说。.
Bush also recommends spending an afternoon on Main Street in 市中心Placerville. “逛遍所有不同的商店很有趣. There's a really eclectic mix because Placerville is a real town where the local farmers shop right alongside the tourists. bbin游戏官网有一家很棒的二手书店的Bookery)、玩具店(T.W. 疯狂的)、自行车店(Hangtown自行车行), a shop filled with home decor and Christmas ornaments (树屋)，甚至有卖风铃的商店(灯塔)."
Bush suggests visitors cap off their shopping and strolling with cocktails at 《bbin游戏官网》. "They make a basil martini that has a beautiful, complex set of flavors他说。. “味道平衡得很好，不甜，简直完美. 你不必是鸡尾酒爱好者也能享受它."
五个最爱
奶酪店: 德德里克大街奶酪店 位于市中心的普拉塞维尔是一块宝石. Not only is she our local cheesemonger with an amazing selection of cheeses from all over the world, but her staff is incredibly knowledgeable about the cheeses they carry. If you tell them what you like, they can suggest different cheeses for you to try. We're blessed and lucky to have such an amazing cheese shop in our small town. Dedrick's也卖饼干, 法国长棍面包, 堵塞, 传播, 橄榄油, 还有其他食品储藏室的东西, 所以这是一站式服务. Right now my favorite is Red Witch, which is a cheddary type of cheese. 它有一种很好的强度，但不会过度.
当地的宝石: Anybody who is traveling through Placerville should make a stop at Placerville硬件. You have to go there even if you don't need any hardware. 这是一次很酷的经历. It's the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi, open since 1854. It's been owned by the same family for the last 50-odd years. 如果他们没有某样东西，那它就不存在. We've walked in there looking for pieces for our old tractors, 然后他们拿出一个抽屉，里面有10个. 他们有一大堆厨房用具和硬件.
汉堡: 我的家人喜欢去 佛瑞斯特的就在卡米诺街对面. 他们有牛肉汉堡也有牛肉汉堡. 它们是半磅重的汉堡，味道好极了. Luckily they have recyclable take-home containers because I can eat only half a burger at a time. You really need to get their onion rings and dip them in ranch dressing. They're solid onion rings every single time—really, really good.
在山麓徒步旅行; Cronan牧场 is on Highway 49 in Pilot Hill, and it's beautiful for hiking, especially in spring and fall. 你可以一直走到美国河. It's a place where you start hiking and you can't see a building or house—you won't see any signs of civilization for hours. It's the undulating Sierra foothills with beautiful grasslands and heritage oaks. 在春天, the wildflowers are outstanding—the grasslands are covered in lupines, fiddlenecks, 加州罂粟, 和其他五颜六色的花朵.
家庭自行车旅行: One of our all-time favorite family activities is riding bikes from Placerville to Smith Flat. 路都是铺好的，并不难走. We've done this with our kids when they were all different ages. You start from Placerville so you go uphill on the way there and downhill on the way back. bbin游戏官网总是停下来吃午饭 史密斯公寓这是一座建于19世纪的美丽建筑. Their outdoor dining is underneath a pergola, and the atmosphere is just beautiful. Their chef is wonderfully talented and uses all local produce. You get to have a great bike ride and a really delicious lunch.
