Fiddletown California remains as a reminder of what the gold rush was like. On the main highway, you pass several vintage structures that looked like they could have been used as a schoolhouse, church, or post office. I think I even saw hitching posts in front of these buildings. When it was a thriving mining camp, this town probably became home to the mavericks of other societies in search of gold dust and a dream.

Now, Fiddletown is home to several winemakers also in search of a dream and the same bootstrapping gusto. Scott Mahon at Legendre Cellars is a one-man show, running a small operation with bold ideas and big results. He set out to simply make wines he enjoys drinking. I know; sounds simple yet it only yields results if you are a master of flavors and have a highly developed palate. It also doesn’t hurt if you know how to make wine and are gutsy enough to cultivate different varietals than your neighbors.

His wines are designed to pair with food so their acids need to be high yet he gets fruit with such complex structure that his wines don’t taste acidic. He is also producing Rhone varietal blends, which is refreshing in a region filled with Zinfandel and Barbera. His wines are the ones you’ll remember long after you’ve left Fiddletown.

More from my wine adventures in this region.