Amador Four Fires Festival

May 2, 2015, 11am-4pm. At Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621 Sherwood St., in Plymouth. Tickets: $75-$105.

The approximately 50 wineries in the Amador Vintners Association—which includes Jackson, Amador City, Drytown, Fiddletown, Ione, Plymouth, and Sutter Creek--will gather here to celebrate their local wines in a County Fair-like atmosphere. Amador Four Fires Festival is so-named because it represents the four world wine-making regions that strongly reflect Amador winemaking tradition—southern France (Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache), Italy (Barbera, Sangiovese, and Vermentino), Iberia—Spain and Portugal (Tempranillo, Garnacha), and heritage California (old-vine Zinfandel). More than 200 wines will be poured for sampling. Accomplished local chefs will prepare food pairings consisting primarily of open-flame items that will include huge pans of paella, spit-roasted chicken and lamb, and an entire side of beef cooked on an iron cross. A marketplace will be stocked with a cornucopia of items to eat on the spot or take home, including chocolate, baked goods, cheese, cider, craft beer, olive oil, and honey. Cooking demonstrations and seminars with winemakers will also be part of the mix. Book area lodgings early, as they are limited. Alternatively, book a room in Sacramento and shuttle in. Proceeds benefit the Amador County Fair Foundation.

These are some of the winemakers who will be in attendance: