California's Quietest Wine Trail
Eight wineries tucked near Yosemite Valley, pouring wines that rival Napa, and far fewer crowds.
The Wine Trail
California's Best Kept Secret
California is known for its celebrities, its natural beauty, and the delicious wines from Napa Valley, but did you know that Yosemite Valley has a few good wines of its own? The Madera Wine Trail takes visitors on a tasteful drive to the best wineries in Madera County, with the wineries and the wine being some of California's best kept secrets. This guide to the Madera Wine Trail will help you discover your new favorite wines!
Over a Century of Craft
Longer Than You May Have Realized
Since you may not have heard of the wines from Madera County prior to today, you might think that the wineries are new, but the truth of the matter is that there have been wineries in this region for over a century, with the first two wineries appearing in the late 1800s. Those early wineries didn't survive prohibition, but new ones sprung up in their places in the 1930s, and by the 1980s, the county was declared an American Viticultural Area. Today, there are eight different wineries on the Madera Wine Trail and a map of the path you need to take to follow it can be found on the official Madera Wine Trail website.
Year-Round Tastings
Open Year-Round
You don't have to worry about missing out on the wine trail because your vacation to Yosemite takes place during an off season; the wine tasting rooms on the trail are open year round, especially on weekends. The wineries listed below are by appointment only, however, so you may need to do a little preplanning before your flight touches down in California. Toca Madera Winery requires appointments on weekdays but is open for drop-ins on the weekends, and Westbrook Wine Farm requires appointments every day.
Bring It Home