“Award-winning” gets thrown around a lot in the wine world. But for El Dorado wines, it’s genuinely true.
Here, you won’t see one or two wineries talking up their latest 90+ point Wine Enthusiast or Decanter review or sharing photos of their bling from the latest SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
On the contrary, El Dorado’s small, family-run wineries may not have the acreage or volume of the big guns, but they match (and in many cases, surpass) the Goliaths of the world with their quality.
The El Dorado AVA is rich with quality resources, from its high-elevation soils that result in uniquely flavored mountain-grown grapes, to the skilled and experienced winemakers that call El Dorado County home. Using a variety of techniques that enhance the grapes’ natural character, our wineries have learned to master the alchemy of mountain wine.
Don’t take our word for it. What follows is a partial list of recent awards, collected from late 2024 to August 2025. We hope it encourages you to try one of these incredible wines, check out a new-to-you winery, or revisit one of your favorites.
Don’t forget to congratulate the winemaker while you’re there!
2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Results
🍇 Bumgarner Winery – Several wines received honors, including a Double Gold for its 2020 Many Hands Red Blend
🍷 Château d’ Estienne – Several wines received honors, including a Double Gold for its 2021 Souzão
🍇 Crystal Basin Cellars – Several wines received honors, including a Gold for its 2021 Zinfandel
🍷 Golden Leaves Winery – Its 2020 Chardonnay received a Bronze
🍇 Holly’s Hill Vineyard & Brewery – Its Rockbound blend received Silver
🍷 Lava Cap Winery – Several wines received honors, including Best of Class for its 2023 Sangiovese and Gold for its 2023 Chardonnay
🍇 Mellowood Vineyard – Their 2021 Syrah and 2021 Rafiki both won Silver.
🍷 Nello Olivo Winery – Several wines received honors, including Gold for its 2022 Sangiovese
🍇 Sentivo Vineyards – Several wines received honors, including Gold for its 2017 Petite Syrah
🍷 Skinner Vineyards – Several wines received honors, including Double Gold for its 2024 Rosé and Gold for its 2023 Zinfandel
🍇 Starfield Vineyards – Several wines received honors, including Best of Class for its 2022 Tannat and Double Gold for its 2022 Tempranillo.
But wait, there’s more! From national wine reviews to top wine lists, our wineries received a slew of kudos this year. No doubt there will be more on the way.
🍷 Cedarville Vineyard – Their 2018 Estate Cabernet and 2023 Estate Grenache each received a rating of 93 from Wine Enthusiast
🍇 Delfino Farms Edio Vineyards – Their 2022 Mourvèdre and 2022 Grenache received 95 pts and 93 pts from Wine Enthusiast! 💪🏼
🍷 Holly’s Hill 2022 Patriarche received a 92 rating from Wine Enthusiast 👏🏼
🍇 Mellowood Vineyard – Several wines were recognized by Wine Enthusiast, including the 2021 Syrah (94 Points), 2021 Rafiki (93 Points), 2021 Jambo (93 Points), the 2021 Zinfandel (92 Points), and 2018 Rosé (93 Points)
🍷 Madroña Vineyards’ 2023 Hillside Grenache Rosé was selected as one of the 50 Best Wines of 2024 by Vine Pair 💪🏼. More recently, its 2023 Dry Riesling and 2020 Signature Syrah received 93 points apiece from Decanter Magazine
🍇 Starfield Vineyards – Their 2023 Fiano received 94 points, and their 2022 Counoise and 2022 Grenache each received 93 points from Wine Enthusiast
🍷 Windwalker Vineyard’s 2021 Malbec received Best of California, Double Gold at the 2025 California State Fair. Its 2021 Barbera won Gold at the same event.
Discover more about our wineries and plan your visit today!
